The Van Buren press., 1899-10-28
The British Commander in Chic
Apparently Convicted of "Doc-
toring" Official Reports.
WAR IN NATAL HAS ONLY COMMENCED
The Forced Evacuation of n PoIn
in the Natal Triangle an Unpal
atabIe Pill to the British PubIii
More Fighting Has Taken Plnc,
Nenr Ladysmith.

'doetoring' official reports from tht
front, and there is strenuous demant
on all sides for a reversion to the earl
Ter practice, when the reports of Gen
Sir Stewart White, the British com
mander in Natal, were given out text
ually as soon as received. The com
mander-in-chief's summary read in tn,
house of commons, Tuesday, spoke o.
Gen. White having fought a success
full action, whereas Gen. Whites oNr
account puts an entirely different
complexion on the situation, and re
fuces the movement to its proper pro
portions and shows that further eXcit
ing intelligence may be expected from
The same quarter at any moment.
Has Only Commenced.
1t is quite evident that the war in
Natal has only commenced and that
the Beers are by no means discour
aged at losing the first two battles
Joubert is even now close to the heels
of the British, and that decisive
action may be fought to-day or to
morrow"
An UnpaIatabIc PHI.
The main fact that the British were
forced to eyacuate the Natal triangle
which the Beers, naturally, rightly
claim as a conspicuous success, and
which they may even emphasize by d
| proclamation anneXing northern Ma
"a tat tnh mill VI
the public, whose appetite has been
whetted by the previous successes
which had been assumed to be greater
than they really were, as the determ
ination and gallantly of the Beers err.
abled them to quickly reorganize and
achieve desired objects by other
methods.
BOer Losses at Elnndslaagte.
Later estimates of the Boer losses at
Elandslaagte give 300 killed. Their
coolness, bravery and good aim can lie
| judged from the fact that out of u
or Is officers with the half battalion OF
Gordon Highlanders, four were killed
or wounded, while the casualties
among the rank and file were 81 pc,
cent. during less than three hours
fighting.
Lieut.. Campbell Dead.
| Lieut.. Campbell, of the Gordon
| Highlanders, has since died from his
wounds.
A dispatch from Cape Town says
that Gen. White has engaged the
Orange Free State Beers who were
advancing on Ladysmith, about seven
miles northward, and that it was be.
| lieved the advance had been repelled
This is probably another version Of
Tuesdays fighting, as already known.
Gen. symons Doing Well.
Gen. White has officially notified the
war Office that the bullet had been ex.
tracted from Gen. Symons' wound, and
that he was doing well.
Other dispatches from Cape Town
say that advices from Mafeking con
firm the statement that so Beers wera
killed by the explosion of two trucks
of dynamite purposely sent out by Col,
Baden-Powell to draw the Boer fire.
Gen. Cronje's Exchange Ofer.
The offer of Gen. Cronje, the Boef
commander in the vicinity of Mafe-
king, to Col. Baden-Powell, to ex.
change prisoners referred to Capt.
Nesbitt and others of the armored
train wrecked at Kraaipan.
Some significance is attached at Cape
Town to the proclamation issued at
Pretoria by the Transvaal govern.
ment with the view to safeguarding
British property.
situation Becoming Complicated.
The situation in the west is becom.
Ing complicated. The Boer proclama.
tions of annexation and the claims of
victory at Glencoe are likely to in
duce the Dutch to side with theircoun
trymen already in the field.
II is also believed that the Dutch
beyond Griquatown are only awaiting
encouragement to declare for the
Transvaal.
Advices from Philipstown say that
the searchlights of the Kimberley de-
fenses were visible the previous night
and that therefore, Kimberley is still
intact.
Defenses of Kimberley.
The latest dispatches from Kinber
ley give details of the arrangements
made by the British commander, Col.
Kekewich, for the defense of the town
The meat consumption is limited to 4
pound daily, a fire brigade has been
formed and its members are prohib
tied from joining in the defense of the
place as their services are likely TO be
otherwise required.
Kimberley Isolated But Safe.
London. Oct. 26.-A dispatch to tho
Morning Post from Kimberley. dated
October 2i, via Orange River October
"a, says:
AN armored train was engaged this
evening. one of our men was killed
and two trucks Of dynamite were re
moved from the town for safety and
were blown up by the Beers. The
Bocr loss is uncertain.
The Boer artillery moved around
irving to draw the force covering the
town. There was small engagement
but nothing of consequence happened
I'VE are completely isolated, but az
safe as a bank. Not one man has left
Rain is approaching.