Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-10-26
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
MANY BRITISH OFFICERS KILLED
0oeF sharpshootcrs Get In Their "ofs
Thought That Boers May he fisn-
ming = Strategic Move.

|
md French attacked Elandslaaste, u
Boer stronghold, Saturday afternoon,
and silenced the enemy's three guns
and carried their position. British cav
airy are In pursuit OF the Roers, VINO
left their position and retrcated.
phe victory over the Beers near
Glencoe, Natal, yesterday, was obtain
cd nj a fearful cost. The British rout-
ed the enemy. but they lost eleven
commanding officers killed, Including
Sir William Penn Symons. the general
commanding. and twenty-one wound
ed General Symons died to-day OF
the wound he received yesterday while
leading his men where the lighting was
hottest.
Extremely official news respecting
the battle was given ont to-day ut the
war office. Upt . y. III. the squadron
OF the Eighteenth Hussars, numbering
400 pursued the Beers after the fight.
They have not returned TO camp and
IL Is feared they were drawn Into a
trap and killed by the enemy.
Besides these TWO bodies OF troops
there are thlrty-threc enlisted men
missing from the various commands
in the light. They are believed TO bc
either captured or killed.
The battle at Glencoe as even official
reports admit, was no sklrmish. but
battle that lasted eight hours. The
fighting WIS hercc.
The Beers displayed remarkable
courage when one. driven from their
cover by the advance OF the British,
who paused neither for shot nor shell.
bu, kept on and ON, merely stopping
for breathing spell or to reform ranks.
The British artillery displayed aston
IshIng marksmanship. This soon 81.
icnccd the Bo-r guns on the top OF 1s-
Ian hill and then the order came 10
charge.
The British troops behaved with
great Iailnn,ry and at no time were
beyond the control OF their officers.
But the slaughter In their ranks was
pitiful. The percentage Of officers 'hat
fell was far in excess OF ih. enlisted
men. About 2 pcr cent. OF the troops
engaged were oiiic,rs. yet - per cent.
of the dead nr- officers. Among the
wounded they number 10 per cent.
In other words, Ave times ns many
officers were killed rs enlisted men. In
proportion TO their nunb,rs. aud morc
iEn three times as many wounded.
The explanation IL simple. The OH
GERS followed the tradition Of the En-.
giish army aud refused To take advan.
tag. Of cover, while they ordered their
men to do u. This valiant and In
spring conduct cost them bitter losses
hut II h.lp-,i them win the day. They
stood h-hind their m.n when the ranks
w-rr lying down and thu. made them.
s.iv-. targets for isocr sharpsheo,cr-.
and they stood in the open while their
men were behind rocks and bits Of
fallen timber.
cap- Town. oct. - 800 y. MI, I.
.t..H.
was attacked yrsi-riny by tho Ito~r
main northern column under General
Ioul~Ei. our for,r- arr cnircnchcd in
n good position. The situation th.r- IL
not yet fully cleared M.
1850 y. m,-A dispatch has Just mr..
rived aunnunrin: that the HorrS an,
Smelling Dundee. east 81 Gicnru-. NJ;
long range. hut ihn; their ;iFc IL in.
/ effective.
! Kimberley. oct. "D.-By diSrliCh
ri'l-. from Orange river. l-This i the
sixth day of Kimb~riry's investment;
by the enemy. An armur,ri train went
ou; yesterday nnd found the Bo-rs
siill In the direction OF Spyifonirin.
Their I'psiiinu IL i-'lirv.-i to b- s,ropE.
Two dispatch riders to Mnfcking. Mr.
Sinplcinn aui MIR. Harding. Ssrrc cnp.
tuTi by HScrs Dciot-T 18th.
Morc spies have arrived. Two Eng.
lishmcn who had hc"n Imprisoned by
the IloCrs C4CnpCi last evening md
hIv" just arrived h"rr.
The local irni,%m-n arr proving their
loyalty hy mn agreement TO kr,'p down
the price of fOoisiufrs
Capc Town. Oct. 2l.=it IL rumorrd
here this morning that Hnrkiry w.S;.
northwest Of Kimberley. has b,ru sur.
rendered 10 the Bocrs without firins a
shot.
Probably the Bo"r movement wns
rurl'Il 10y the defeat Mt GlcuCpp. hut IL
srCms reasonable to lcllcvc. Judging
from the determination and fanafIcism
OF the locr forces. that they will soon.
cr or later. any way brforr Bullcr.s
cnr's take the field. rriurn to the field
with rcd"ublcd ngETcSaivcurss in n
desperate attempt io hTrak tho hacL
bose Of General Whites forces. hny
Ing previously cndcavurci to wcnkrn
It by fcint and flank movements,
Such n superstition regarding tho
Borr plans IL based uI,ou tho hrIior
That Commandnnt General Iuubrrt's
main objective il To break up or rpu,
icnrrnl Whites command before III.
BrItish rrtnforccincnts arrive Bu, 4,
is foSSili" the willy Bocr general hns
carefully CunCrnlcd strategy which hc
Intends 10 carry out in an uncXpoctc,l
direction and TINT the attack un,n
General Whit" Oh Friday wna merely
intended to dccCiv" the British as TO
The main objective. Reliable news
/ from tho IDcrs is 40 hard To secure i'm
London that II Is impossible to predict
WIN any dcErr" Of certainty what the
forth.