Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-11-01
HARD BLOW TO BRITAIN
CONSERVATION Over the Disas'
ter In Natal.
BOERS TOOK TWO REGIMENTS.
They Also Captured n Mountain Battery,
White 0utgeperaled by Joubert-The
British Commander Takes the Blame
Upen HimseIf-FeeIing In Europe.


British arms caused feeling AKIN to
CONSERVATION, and i'll Worcestershire
and the north of Ireland. where the
captured regiments were recruited, the
blackest gloom prevails, families await
ing with beating hearts the names OF
the killed and wounded, which are fully
expected to reach high figure, Many
homes are already in mourning i'll con-
sequence of the losses sustained bv
these regiments Ill previous engage
Dlents.
Public anxiety was increased by a
special dispatch from Ladysmith. pub
lished in late additions of the London
afternoon papers. to the effect that before
darkness Monday the Beers reoccupled
the old position held by their heavy ar
illery, which General White had re-
ported silenced by the guns OF the naval
brigade from the Powerful, and had
opened fire again.
The dispatch further said:
1.-The enemy are again closing in and
the situation is one of grave anxiety.
Beyond doubt the Boer retirement yes
terday (Monday) was a ruse to draw
General White into the hilly country
and away from the British camp.
This last sentence is significant ana
confirms the opinion of military experts
here that General White is allowing
himself to be outgeneraled by Com
mandant General Joubert.
From the scanty advices received it
seemed tolerably certain that the dis.
aster was simple repetition of the
battle OF Majuba hill, though on a
la1 ,-er scale. The two regiments were
allowed to march into trap set for
them by the Beers. In fact the whole
engagement of Monday seemed to have
been brought on by Commandant Gen
eral Joubert, who skilfully conceived
gigantic trap, out Of which, as the Off
cial dispatch shows, Sir George Whlte
only escaped with difficulty.
General White advanced with the
idea of driving the Beers from the hill
seven miles out which General Joubert
made an ostentatious show, of fortifying
on Sunday.
The Boer commander left force suf-
ficient to draw General White Oh, while
with the mass of Beers he moved stealth
lily round the British right to deliver
flank attack and to endeavor to cut off
General White from Ladysmith. The
British commander succeeded in beat
ing off the attack. but only with great
difficulty, and during the turning move.
ment his troops suffered from flank
ing fire.
About 5000 fresh troops will arrive
at Cape Town on Sunday next from
England and will be available to rein
force sir ieorge White. Transports
will arrive there daily after Sunday un-
til by the end Of next week 2s,000
troops will have been landed in South
Africa. These men are intended for
General Sir Redvers Buller's army, but
they will undoubtedly be detached to
Natal if the situation there should be-
come periIous. The British army will
eventually reach the huge total of &c.
634, of W hich 80, ,634 will be regulars
and the other 10000 miscellaneous but
excellent colonial troops.
There Is no general desire evinced on
the part of the morning papers to criti-
else SIR George White harshly pending
the arrival OF further details. On the
contrary, the disposition is to admire
his manly courage in assuming full re-
sponslbility.
Abroad, especially i'll France, no pains
is taken to disguise the satisfaction felt
in consequence of the British rebuff In
Paris every means of spreading the
news was utilized. Some of the more
dignified papers adopted respectful
and sympathetic tone, but the majority
were overjoyed. The editor of The
Patrie hung the Transvaal and Orange
Free State flags out Of the Office win
dow. The Presse predicts general re-
volt OF the Dutch population in South
Africa. The Soir hints its regret that
France did not adopt a different atti-
tude during the Fashoda crisis. The
Courriers du Soir thinks that the conti-
mental powers will propose arbitration.
Yvos Guyot in The Steele is almost
alone III supporting Great Britain
against the Beers.
The irish Nationalist papers are quite
gleeful. The Dublin Evening Tele-
graph, John Dillon paper says:
"a big bully triumphant is no lovely
spectacle. but ID big bully beaten is the
acme of disgrace.
The Dublin Evening Herald ridicules
the idea of Great Britain menacing
Russia after Sir George Whites mes.
sage.
LONDON, Nov. 1.-The following is
the text of General Whites dispatch to
the war office:
LADIsMTH, Oct. 30.-QO:35 p. MI
| have to report disaster to the column
sent by me to take position on hill
to guard the left flank of the troops.
In these operations today the Royal
Irish Fusiiiers, No. 10 mountain battery
and the Worcestershire regiment were
surrounded in the hills, and after losing
heavily, had to capitulate. The casual
ties have uos yet been aScertained.
A man of the Fuslllers, employed as
a hospital orderly, came in under flag
Of truce with letter from the survivors
of the column, who asked for assistance
to bury the dead. | fear there is no
doubt OF the truth of the report.
| formed plan i'll the carrying out
of which the disaster occurred and l
am alone responsible for the plan.
There is no blame whatever to the
troops. as the position was untenable.
General " hite, in subsequent dis
patch dated Oct. 30, said: The follow.
ing Is a list of the officers taken prison.
ers today:
Staff Major Adye,
irish Fusiliers:
Colonel Carleton.
Major Mum.
MAJOR Kincaid.
Captain Burrowes.
Captain Rice.
Captain Silver.
Lieutenant Heard.
Lieutenant Southey.
Lieutenant Phibbs