Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-11-23
REPEATING TACTICS
BOERS PLAN THEIR FORMER COJTP
AT DUNDEE.
BRITISH ON THE ALERT
Big Army Almost Ready For OPERA
tons at Dundee-Ladysmith Hold
ing Out Under Fierce Bombardment
Operations in Northern Natal
Connaught Wanted to Fight.

London, Nov. 1S.-Absence of news
of any serious movement against Lady,
smith seems to show that the beers are
repeating the strategy adopted by them
at Dundee when they appeared in front
and endeavored to effect a surrounding
movement. This seems to have been
the object regarding Estcourt and since
it is impossible that relief should
reach there for some days it is not I'M
likely that farther retiring movement
on Moot river will be made Major
Wolfe-Murray has returned to PETER
marltzburg to take command of line
communications. Col. Long of the
royal artillery has taken command at
Estcourt. The forces now at PETER
maritzburg are too weak to attempt to
reopen communications. Artillery and
cavalry are especially badly need
ed and it necessarily will
take very long time to obtain
either, owing to the difficulty of en-
tertaining and the necessity of allow
ing horses to rest after long sea voy-
age. The announcement of the arrival
of General Mothuen at Orange river
doubtless means that arrangements are
in forward state for the advance from
that point, if advance has not already
begun. Kimberley was safe Nov. 10.
Last Tuesday a bo4r force of 600 en-
tered Aliwal, north of Cape Colony.
hoisted the flag of the Free State and
declared the town and district to be a
part of the republic. The activity of
the beers in this locality would almost
point to the necessity of insuring the
safety of the column marching to the
relief of Kimberley from attack from
this direction or from Bloemfontein.
In view of the reticence of Gen. Butler
1t is almost useless to speculate regard
ing the report of the movement to re-
lieve Kimberley. 1t can only be in
tended to withdraw the beers, if pos
sIble, from Natal. The object of the
occupation Of Aliwal is understood to
be to prevent large quantity of am
munitfon at Herschel from being for
Warded to jamestown, thence to
| Queenstown. The beers have
notified the inhabitants that
no footing will be allowed. There are
reliable reports of mysterious move
ments of the Free State commanders
along Orange river and important de-
velopments are expected. Everything
tends to show that the relief of Kim
berley could only be safely undertaken
by strong column. Lourenzo Mar
CUES continues to send Joubert stories,
the latest being that no news has been
received from him at Pretoria for three
days and that it is rumored he was
taken prisoner. 1t is announced the
Duke of COnnnaught was among the
first to seek employment in war, even
Offering to waive his seniority for this
purpose but it was not deemed expe-
dent that an officer who was senior to
Sir Redvers Butler should serve under
him. The duke was greatly disap-
pointed.
| Big Army at Durham
London, Nov. 1S.-The admiralty an
nounces the arrival at Capetown Fri
day of the tropoship Arcana, bringing
the reinforcements up to 23,500 of
which 1920 are already disembarked at
Durham. This force with lnat already
| between Estcourt and Durham, is con-
sidered sufficient to enable Gen. Hide
yard to take the aggressive against the
beers south of Ladysmith. According
to the latest adgices Ladysmith was
holding out satisfactorily, everything
having been we'll up to Wednesday.
Prisoners Well Treated.
Durham, Nov. 18.-Q6th.) A gentle
man who was arrested at Johannesburg
and taken to Pretoria and released, has
arrived here, via Delagoa bay. While
| at Pretoria he was confined with the
+ military prisoners, compromising 80
officers, / ,275 on-commissioned officers
and men from Natal, 10 officers and
% non-commissioned officers and men
| from Mafeking, and 4 men from Fort
! TuH. The prisoners guards are almost
exclusively Germans and the artillery
men manning the forts are almost all
Germans. The prisoners are well fed
and shown every consideration.
Many Officers Missing.
LOHuOn, NOV. lS.-lL is reported the
British government has purchased the
Creusot guns ordered by the Transvaal
but not delivered An off ,ial dis
patch confirms the statement that
Capt. Gen. Haldane of the Gordon
Highlanders attached to the Dublin
fusiliers, and Lieut.. T. H. FARMLAND,
and 81 non-commissioned officers and
men Of the Dublin fusiliers are missing.
Meyer Has Confidence.
London, Nov. ia dispatch from
Lourenzo Marques says: Pretoria
newspapers announced last Wednesday
that 1000 burghers had left General
Joubert's force around Ladysmith to
join Commandant Botha's force near
Estcourt with view to assisting to in
tercept the British advance to the re-
lief Of Ladysmith. Gen. Lucas Meyer,
Free State commander, asserted he was
convinced the battle of Elandslaagte
will be the first and last boer defeat Of