The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-11-04
BAD BLOW TO THE BRITISH
Forty-two Officers and Two Thou
sand Men Are Captured.
DISASTER.
Gen. White Acknowledge that His
Movement to Guard the Left
Flank was Mistake.

London, Oct. 31.-The war office has
received dispatch from Gen. White,
commanding the British forces at Lady
smith, reporting that the Royal Irish
fusileers, No. 10 Mountain battery and
the Worcestershire regiment, were sur
rounded in the hills by the Beers, and
after losing heavily, obliged to capitu-
late. Gen. White adds that the casual
ties have not yet been ascertained.
The following Is the text of Gen.
Whites dispatch to the war office:
Ladysmith, Oct 30.-10:35 p. nj have
to report a disaster to the column sent by
left flank of the troops. In these opera
tions today the Royal Irish fusileers No.
10 Mountain battery, and the Gloucester
shire regiment were surrounded in the hills
and after losing heavily, had to capitulate.
The casualties have not yet ben ascer-
tanned.
hospital orderly, came in under a 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. in the carrying out of
which the disaster occurred. and am alone
responsible for the plan. There is no blame
whatever TO the troops, as the position was
untenable.
Gen. White, in a subsequent dispatch,
says:
The following is a list of the officers
taken prisoners today: Staff Major
Adye and following officers of the Irish
fusileers: Col. Carleton, Majs Mum
and Kincaid. Capts. Burrowes, Rice, Sill
yer. Lieuts. Heard, Southey, Phibbs,
McGregor, Holmes, Kelly, Dooner, Ken.
tish. Kinahan, Jeudwine and Chaplain
Matthews.
OF the above. Capt. Rice and Silver
and Lieut.. D0oner were wounded.
worcestershire Regiment-Mat. Hum
phrey, CapelC Cure Wallace: Capts: Duncan
and CIonnor; Lieuts, Bryant, Nisbet, Ing
ham, Davey, Knox, Temple, Rndice. Breul.
! Hill, Short, Smith, Mackenzie, Beasley.
Gray.
OF the above Capts. Duncan and Connor
We're wounded.
Royal Artillery-Maj. Bryant.
Mounted Battery-Lieuts Wheeler, Nj
gent, Moore. Webb.
London, Oct. 31.-The war office has
sent out the following dispatch to Gen
Butler:
Three. extra battalions of foot and one
mountain battery. with reserves. will leave
England during the course of ten days to
make good the casualties.
While minor reyerses were not wholly
| unexpected, nothing like the staggering
blow Gen. Ioubert delivered to Gen.
Whites forces yesterday was anticipat-
cd. The full extent OF the disaster is not
yet acknowledged. if it is know at the
war office. The loss i'll effective men
must be appalling to Il general who is
! practically surrounded. Two of the fin
est British regiments and Il mule battery
deducted from the Iadysmith garrison
wcakcns 1t about n fifth of its total
strength and alters the whole situation
very materially III favor of the Beers.
who have again shown themselves stern
lighters and military StrategiStS of no
mean order. The disaster cost the Brit
ish from 1900 TO 20o0 men and six seven
pound screw guns, and as the Boer artil-
lery is already stronger than imagined
the capture Of these guns will be a great
help to the Beers.
Gen. White Responsible.
Further news must he awaited before
it is attempted To fix the blame where it
belongs. Gen. White manfully accepts
all the responsibility for the disaster.
which. apparently, was at least partially
due To the stampcding of the mules with
the guns.
From the list it will be seen that forty
two officers were made prisoners. be
sides Il newspaper correspondent, J.
Hyde.
The interest in the news was universal.
pcrvading all classes and conditions of
IGndon'S populace. The newspaper cx-
tras were eagerly read in business houses
on the streets, and by women in their
carriages Then there was a rush to the
war once. WHICH, bN noon. WAS SuFEpuiiu-
ed with private carriages and hansoms
while many of the humber class of peo-
pie came on foot. all waiting and watch
ing for the names they held dear Never
WAS the old saying Bad news travels
quickly" better cxcmpltied here than to-
| day. BY noon gloom and bitter sorrow
prevailed throughout the British metro
polls.
D.srnay in London.
tho cfficpS No effort Nya :
made to conceal the feeling of dismay
prevailing One official said to Il repre-
sentative of the Associated press: 1T l.
inexplicable and | am sorry tn say that
| its moral effect is ineStimabe We have
| lost heavily in many wars and have had
regiments almost wiped out but to have
regiments captured. and by the Beers, 1t
| is too terrible.
An ortit tial of the war office said to Il
representative of the Associated press:
TIE disaster is more likely due to to
| the craze of our younger officers to dis
tinguish themselves. obtain mention III
! the dispatches and earn the Victoria
cross than TO the fault of that splendid
Indian veteran, Gen. White, i'll spite OF
| his avowel.'
Wild Excitement at Gloucester.
A. the day wore on the crowd around
the war office Swelled to enormous pro
portions and at Gloucester. the home of
| many OF lHpSt tHSuEti. iIit NiiutSt IA
ritcmCnt prevailed. The special editions
| Of the local newspapers were speedily
exhausted and the same thing occurred
| ut Bristol and other towns in that coun-
! ". Coming so soon after the engage
ment at Rctzfpntein. where the GlouceS-
1 terShireS suffered heavily. brought the
| kecnpSt sorrow to households all over the
/ county whose name the regiment bears.
\ Second Army Corps.
l. IL. 4
| that the war office has ordered a second
| army corps u be in readiness To be called
! out.
| The military officials have not yet de
! tlded whether the conSummation of the
| plan viii be necessary. but they are de
| term ned 10 have everything i'll readiness
| either for a demonstration in Europe nt
| Great BritainS capabilities. or for send
| mg 4 larger force TO the scene of action
! Until the receipt of the news IF tn,
| LadySmith disaster the latter course was
| considered out of the question. But now
| there l. no knowing what steps will b,
| decided upon.
! London. oct. 31.-A special dispatc ct
| from LadySmith says the Beers suffered
severely during the engagement. some
| persons estimating their loss at 800 K
| 1000 killed and wounded.
/ London. Oct. 3l.-At Il meeting Of the
| CaithneSs electors. last evening. a reSolu
| ing he, attitude of Gavin Brown Clark
| Radical the member for taithnesS. il
/ the House Of Commons, on the Soutl
| African question and asking him 10 re
| sign Mr.. Clark was formerly consul
! general for the TranSvaal in London.
| The afternoon newspapers made only
| brief editorial comments on the news
! from Iadysmith, but their headlines
| voiced the feeling of general sorrow
! The tone of the editorials can Toe Summe,
! up in the following statement of the st
| JamcS Gazette:
1T il evident that the patriotism an,
| fortitude OF tho nation arc TO be testet
in real earnest by these operations o
! ours in Natal against great odd>. Gen
/ Whit. haL u difficult task set him ans