The evening times., 1899-11-09
Light on the Natal situatioh

Although our information as to recent
and present conditions at Ladysmith is eN-
ceedingly meagre, We are now in posi-
tion to reach some more or less Intelligent
understanding of the movements and in
cidents in that place and neighborhood
during the past week. The confusion,
caused by dispatches which variously gave
the scene OF last Thursdays fighting at
Bester's Station, northwest OF Ladysmith,
and to the southwest of the same, is eX-
planned by later knowledge that the sortie
of Thursday was in the direction OF Bes-
ter's, and that on Friday another one wa
successfully executed against Dewdrop
southwest. II, at last, We have a correct
history and chronology of these events, 1t
is possible TO gain an approximately clear
idea of Sir George Whites strategical OBJ
jects in making the movements, and.
assuming our analysis to be sound. the
conclusion reached must be considered as
altogether creditable to his gereraiship-
As readers who have been watching the
progress OF the operations in Natal VIII
remember. at the same time Joubert de-
tached a part of Gen. Lucas Meyers di-
vision from the latter's position east OF
Ladysmith, and it moved southeast, pre-
sumably to attack Colenso from the east,
a considerable force of Orange Free State
troops which had been massed on the
west-northwest, furnished a column which
was seen to march around to the south OF
Sir George. Whites lines. its evident OBJ
jective being the railway and its probable
striking point, Colenso. 1t happened that. !
when the British troops were assaulted |
there, theyIearned that the Free State |
column was in front of them. as We had !
assumed. The supporting force Of Meyers |
division was also in evidence to the east, |
but probably did not amount to much nu-
merically, as Vessels troops appear TO
have been relied upon to carry out the |
enterprise.
The British retired before superior num-
bers, making a new stand at Estcourt,
about twenty miles south. Here they were
re-enforced by the battalion already on the
ground, and are today reported as having
been further strengthened by the arrival of
thirty-five hundred men from Durham. So
we have Brigadier General Wolfe-Murray
at Estcourt with about forty-two to forty
five hundred troops, including very USE
full force of Natal mounted infantry, as a
fresh and important factor in the Lady
smith problem. AS communication be-
tween Estcourt and Ladysmith has been
possible, though Irregular, by means of
Kaffir runners and carrier pigeons, it may
be assumed that Sir George Stewart White
4
within few days, his comrades at EST
court would be strong enough to move
back on Colenso, with good chances for
taking it, and also with some chance of
being able to move up the railway and re-
enforce him. His tactical interest, there
fore, was to secure the retirement of the
Free Staters at Colenso on their main
BODY at Bester's, in order to withdraw
them from opposition to Wolfe Murray's
advance from Estcourt.
1t seems to have been with this object
in view that, on November second, he or
Tered the sortie under Brigadier General
whose brigade did such
splendid service in capturing the Free
State laager at Bester's and routing its
defenders. This maneuvre appears to
lave accomplished the purpose of hurry
ng the Free Staters back from CoIenso to
e-enforce their weakened line, and they
ould only effect the movement by march
ng by Dewdrop, southwest of Ladysmith,
where, on Friday, as We gather from the I
eports. Brocklehurst was waiting for
hem and gave them a severe pounding.
As net result Of this strategy. it ap-
ears reasonably probable today that the {
British have been able to reoccupy CO. !
enso. 1t is so asserted in press despatch
s. which also state that Brigadier General
volfe- Murray is feeling his way up the t
ailway in hopes of being able to get in !
ouch with Sir George. AS the latter is
lore than likely to know Of this move
,ent. and as he seems to have cleared the .