The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-18
Beers FIGHTING HARD.
Making Every Effort to Crush White Before
He Is Reinforced.
THE RELIEF ARMY SLOWLY ORGANIZING
the Beers Again Entrappcd the
Brittsh--Natnl Not Safe.

is beginning to dribble in with details
sufficient to form an outline of what has
happened at Ladysmith since the recon-
mencement of the bombardment on No
vember z. Severe engagements appear
to have taken place on the 9th, 10th and
14th. Lastly, early in the morning OF
the 10th, heavy firing was heard in Est
court from the direction of Ladysmith
1t Is stated that the town is being she'll
ed night and day and hard pressed, the
Boeis doubtless straining every nerve to
crush the defense and either force Gem
eral White to surrender or else abandon
his stores and baggage and make des-
perate effort to cut his way through their
lines
The relieving column is slowly being
formed at Pietermaritzburg, where Cen
eral Hildyard appears TO be the senior
officer. The greater part OF the First
division is now In Natal. 1t was imagined
that Lord Methune, who commands. would
{ be there also but 1t 10 now stated that nc
/ Is at Orange river on his way to KIM
1 berley.
! The Beers nave quickly followed Up
/ their success in entrappng hundred
J Dublin Fusileers and Natal volunteer by
advancing in strong force toward Est
/ court. They were reported Friday to be
1 five miles of the town with five guns.
I Clubmen rubbed their eyes in sheer
amazement over the thought that Lower
Natal was still exposed to attack, al
| though over $4,000 men from the army
| corps had arrived in South Africa aud
! 1928 troops had been dispatched to Dur
ban They found it still more difficult
/ to understand the situation when the
military experts, who had been keeping
/ close tally on the admiralty returns, as
sured them that 642l men had landed and
( reinforced the garrsons in Lowers Natal,
which previously had strength of over
4o00 men, including the naval brigade.
I With this evidence that the British could
not be less than 1000 men, they could
4 not comprehend how there could be any
4 risk of the isolation and investment of
Estoourt or any necessity for a retreat
/ The situation in Lower Natal was not so
obscure as the panic mongers imagined.
General Hildyard's second brigade had
been sent to Durham with the Codstreams
IRON the first brigade and the sixth
7 brigade and fusleer battalion from the
third division and all had arrived except
/ the Coldstreams and the Second Devon
shires. This was a strong infantry force
OF which Second West Yorkshres had
reached Estcourt. The garrison there
I was weak in artillery, unless the naval
brigade had brought up its guns from
the ships, and on this account 1t might be
prepared for attack from the Boer guns
lhree batteries of field artillery were
disembarked from the Armenian at Dur
pan yesterday but time will be required
Tor carrying up the country and getting
the horses into condition after their long
voyage.
Cool military experts contended thst
everything could not be done In day;
mat the men and stores mus be taken
OH the ships; that arrangements must be
made for feeding the troops and arimals
and that Pietermaritzburg was seyepty
miles inland They also predicted win
confidence that the Beers wouli re ire
when the relief column was ready {, ad-
vance In earnest but would be likely 70
destroy bridges and break up the railways
pehlnd them The Beers, in this respect.
VIII be less considerats and sery cea le
| to their foes than General Ruyla was when
he retreated from Glencoe upon Lady
smith without blowing up bridges 10 IN
terfare with the railway service for Jou-
berrs camp before Labyrinth
The war office Issued yesterday General
Buffers account of the arnored train
ambuscade, confirming PRESS dispatches
ara minimizing the affair, but admit NJ
mat loo men were missing. Comments
/ NR'ii lllih tulsDuG III inc EluDS we G El.ter. !
'lntrapped again" and 'Wll our Offices
ever be on guard aguins, these hunters
strategms?' were the exclamations heard
on every side. The real point OF the crti- /
c!sm was the lack OF good scouting, which I
has beer a radical defect in the Boer cam
paign from the outset, as Carleton. White
and Yule could testify. The comman 'c-
al Estcourt was. however, forced to recon- 1
noiter with an armored train from lack o.
effective cavalry.
The only mounted force which could re
sent out after the return of the battered I
engine and tender consisted OF troop u /
Natal carhineers and OF the Lghi Ho Sc
These troopers retired after an ineffe rtlve 1
shirmish with the enemy, The only cav
airy reserves at CnpetowD are the Alder. I
shot company of mounted infantry, with (
machine gun section and force OF 600
lancers arriving yesterday. The admiralty /
has something to answer for in sending
cavalry and field artillery on slow ships (
but scant provision has been made by The 7
military san for securing good scouting /
against an exceedingly mobile enemy, con-
sisting mainly OF mounted infantry.
The tone of the war office authorities I
remain confident and IL is estimated that \
General Butler knows shat is going on In (
Lsdysnith from day 10 DAY. This Is hard
~ credible since single official sentence
denoting that all was well with General
White would cause great relief throughon.
Englend without giving aid or comfort TO
the enemy
Meanwhile. there are many runners from
Roer sources respecting the continuance
OF the bcmbardment from. the hills ana the
complete Investment OF the town withln a
narrow range 81 FIRE and Natal stories aud
native missionary legends Of fierce fghiny
bis week and last and successful repll-
sive flank attacks by General Whites orea
Public anxiety Is increasing with the
lack OF authentic news from Ladysm'ih
but there Is a hopeful feeling respecting
the Western border. Colansl Bsdsn-
Powell is considered moro thnn match
Tor tho Beers In craft ard indeed Is tho
only commander on the British side who
can fight them in their own way
There are also signs that the column
for the relief OF Kimberley is well on II,
way and within Atty miles OF the town
General Butler, with $4,000 fresh troons al {
capetown. has ample resources for a de. I
eisiye attempt TO raise the siege OF Kim
herley IA
south Africans now In London have been
seeking to identity the Boer spy for whose i
'ife Secretary ReltzShss threatened reprsal