The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-11-01
AT TLADYSMITH.
Beers and English Fight an On
decisive Battle.
nnush Lost 100 Men and Claim that
the TranSvaal Troops Casualties
We're Even Larger-Burghers
Display Great Military
skill and Courage.

Loiuon, Oct. 3U.-Ine Mail publishes
the following dispatch from Tieter-
maritzburg, dated Sunday: ''Patrols
from Ladysmith report Lnat there are
four large Boer camps within radius
OF ten miles, extending in a semi-circle
northeast of the town. Evidently the
enemy is concentrating all its forces,
Commandant Joubert is in supreme
command
AT Colenso q couple OF Basutos
were detected putting boulders on the
railway. They confessed that they
had done this by order OF the Trans
vaal authorities. A war balloon, very
small and so light that two men can
hold and haul it down with wire
strand, and which can ascend 5000
feet, is now in use and the full posi-
tion of the Poers has been ascertained.
The heavy and iDeessant rain has
flooded Tugela river, which will prove
an effectual barrier to any Beers pro-
ceeding southward. The remaining
bridges are strongly guarded"
The position at Ladysmith, without
being alarming, is sufficiently danger
Gus to excite anxiety. Evidently the
Beers are trying to repeat their Dun
dee tactics. Roughly estimated they
have 1900 men, as against 10000 Brit
ish. Gen. White has the better artil-
lery, but his is OF lesser range.
Cape Town. Oct. 30.-A dispatch
from Mafelsing, dated October 20,
says: "a bombardment of the city
was commenced by the Beers at 7:4O
this morning from range of 2h
miles, by battery of three Krupp
guns throwing explosive shells. AT
the beginning the craftsmanship was
erratic, but ultimately the gunners
got the range and sent a number of
shells into the town. Comparatively
little damage was done.
London, Oct. 31.-Ihe war office
here has received a dispatch which
says Gen. White has fought an engage
ment, presumably with Gen. Jouberts
force, which was pushed back after
several hours fighting. The British
lost about 100 men and the Boer losses
were much greater. The Beers were
in larger numbers and had better ar
tillery. Gen. Whites dispatch, which
was dated 4:3O p. m. Monday, read:
81 employed all the troops here eX-
ccpt the obligatory garrison before the
works. | sent mountain battery,
the Irish fusilesrs and the Gloucesters
to take up a position on the hills, to
clear my left flank. The force moved
at II yesterday evening, and during
some night firing the battery mules
stampeded with some of the guns,
which. however, | hope to recover.
These two battalions have not yet re-
turned. but are expected this evening.
81 detailed two brigade divisions of
field artillery and five battalions of
infantry, aided by cavalry, under Gen.
French, to attack a position upon
which the enemy had mounted guns.
We found this position evacuated, but
our force was attacked with consider
able vigor by what believe were Gen.
,Joubert's troops. They had many
guns and showed in great numbers.
Our troops were all in action and we
pushed the enemy back several miles,
but did not succeed in reaching his
lager. Our losses are estimated at
between 81 and 100, but those of the
enemy must have been much greater,
the fire OF our guns appearing very
effective. After being in action sew
cral hours withdrew the troops and
they returned unmolested to their can
tonmcnts. The enemy is in great
numbers and its guns range further
than our field guns. | now have some
naval guns which have temporarily
sienccd and hope will permanently
dominate the enemy's best guns, with
which he has been bombarding the
town at range of over 6.OO0 yards"
Yesterdays engagement at Lady
smith, which despite the rather heavy
lcsses, must be regarded rather as an
extended reconnaissance or skirmish
than a battle, seems to make little
change in the actual position. 1t is
disappointing to the British public, as
again revealing tactical skill of an un-
expectedly high order on the side Of
the Beers. In addition to the posses
sion of a number of heavy guns, the
transport of which causes wonder
ment here. they have available mar
velous ability. Unless commanded
by skillful European officers it is hard
ly considered probable that BOer farm
ers would have assumed a feigned po-
sition, as they evidently did, in front
of the right column, with the inten-
tion Of retreating from it to their real
line of defense and of inducing the
British to attack over a fre-swept
zone. The special dispatches describ-
ing the engagement again fail to con-
firm Gen. Whites official account that
the Beers were pushed back several
miles. When it is considered that the
censorship is very severe, the only con-
clusinn that can be arrived at is that
the action was very inconclusive.
The Cape Town correspondent of
the Mail says he learns that Col. Pow
ELL british commander at Mafefing,
has laid a railway in a complete circle
around Mafeking and is running ar
mored trains around the town. ready
to meet the Beers at any point.
A dispatch from Cape Town an
nounces the arrival in Table bay of
the Dunottar Castle late last evening
with Gen. Butler and STAFF. who are
expected TO land this morning.
They Expect 4 ,OOO Visitors.