The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-11-08

with their extremely accurate fire. the
enemy's guns OF OsltiOn.
The circumstances which attended
the movement Of Lieutenant Colonel
Cartons column are not vet fully
known. but from reports received the
column appears to have carried out the
night march unmolestcd until within
two miles OF Nicholson's Mex. At this
point big boulders rolled from the hill
and a few rifle shots stampeded the
military ammunition mules. The
stampede spread u the battery mules.
which broke loose from their leaders
and got away with practically the
whole of the gun equipment and the
greater portion OF Jle regimsntal small
arm ammunition.
The reserve WAS similarly lost.
The infantry hattalions. however.
fixed bayonets ami accompanied by the
personnel OF the artillery. seized n hill
on the left on the road two miles from
the Mex with but little opposition.
There they remained unmolested until
dawn, the time icing occupied in or
ganiZing the defense of the hill and
constructing stone sangas and walls
as cover from fire. At dawn a Skin
mishing attack on our position was
commenced by the enemy. but made
forcements enabled them to- rush to- the
attack with great energy. Their fire
became very searching. and two COM
panies of the GloucCsters. in an adj
vanced position, We're ordered to- fall
back. The enemy then pressed to-
short range, the losses on our side be-
coming very numerous.
AT ; p. m. our ammunition was
practically exhausted, the position was
captured and the survivors of the col
umn fell into the anemy's hands. The
enemy treated our wounded with hui
manity, General JCubert at once dis
patching a letter 20 me offering Il safe
conduct To doctors and amDulances to
remove the wounded. y medical Off
Ger and parties to render first aid to-
the wounded were dispatched to- the
scene of action from Ladysmith last
night and the ambUldnces at dawn this
morning.
The want of cuCCeSs of the column
was due to- the misfortune of the mules
stampeding and the consequent loss of
the guns and small arm ammunition
reserve.
The official list of casualties and
prisoners will be reported shortly. The
latter are understood to- have been sent
by rail to Pretoria.
way affected"
The gloom caused by the British dis
aster at LadysmIth was in a measure
relieved by today's story giving an ac-
count of the heroic stand made by the
decimated battalions until their last
cartridges were gone. The British
nerve was momentarily shaken by
General Whites use of the word Ca
pitulate' in his frs: telegram. but now
that it is known that the GlouCesters
and Fusileers fought against over
whelming odds end upheld the best
traditions of the British army. the ten
sion has been relieved. since there Is
no longer any ground to- dread that the
loss of life was accompanied by dis
honor.
The details today show the catastro-
phe in a brighter aspect. The full bat
talionS were not engaged. and there
| fore the list of prisoners is materially
| reduced, while the disaster now ap-
pears to have been not so much the
| consequence of defects in the plan of
| action as to n misfortune whereby the
| column was deprived of its ammuni-
| ton. Still. ii seems incomprehensible
| why the plight of the luckless column
| was not known ut headquarters. as the
| scene of the surrender was only about
| three miles northwest of Ladysmith.
and Lieutenant Colonel Carlton must
have expected relief to- reach him ar,
| instead Of attempting to occupy de-
fensive position, lie would have re-
traced his steps to Ladysmith when he
suffered the loss of mis- ammunition.
| Apart from General Whites state
ment that the losses are very numer-
Gus. there is nothing to indicate the eN-
tent OF them except vague report that
| the soldier who brought the news To
Ladysmith said the British dead and
wounded were lying in heaps and that
hundreds needed doctors. This. how
ever, is hardly borne out by the long
list of captured officers.
The concluding sentence of General
Whites dispatch. relative to- the safety
of Ladysmith, was received here with
a certain reserve. iii view of the fact
that similar official assurances wer,
given recently at Dundee and Glencoe
and there is intense anxiety for new.
of the renewed atJack which Is no.
mentioned in the dispatches.
| The calamity has served to- alarm thu
British and their friends. the paper:
comment on the splendid reserve %
patriotism existing in the far-awa!
Colonies and the dcep-seated feeling %
friendship and sympathy OF the grea
kindred nation across the Atlantic.
The Standard SUMS up the feeling o.
the nation. saying: From the United
States and our colonies alone we heal
the voice of friendly sorrow and en-
enlargement. But that suffices. Al
others are welcome to congratulate
themselves over the misfortunes q
Great Britain
The War Office has made a welCom.
concession to the public desire fo
news. Hereafter every postoffice vii
be open Sunday morning and will pos
copies of all kilograms received by tn
War Office up TO l n. m. Sunday