Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-10-28
THE BRITISH AND THE BOERS.
The Dutch Farmers Seem to be Rather
Stubborn Fighters.


The Dutch Farmers Seem to be Rather
Stubborn Fighters.
News of the fighting between the
British and the Beers up to the time
that the last issue of The ENQUIRER
went to press indicated the most stub
born work on both sides but with the
British generally victorious. Later in
formation shows that the first stories
were more or less colored, and that in
stead of being victorious, the British
were hardly able to save themselves
from annihilation or capture.
The battle of Glencoe, it seems, last
ed until nightfall when the Baers, no
longer being able to see how to shoot,
withdrew. Pursuing parties of British
fell into ambush and such as were not
captured made their escape with great
est difficulty. Some Is or 20 of the
soldiers VINO were this cut off, finding
it impossible to rejoin their comrades,
made their way south to Ladysmith.
After receiving a desperate wound,
General Symons resigned his command
to General Yule, who, leaving his
wounded, including Symons, in the
hands of the enemy, retreated in very
good order to Ladysmith, where he
effected a junction with General
White.
General White had a fight with the
Beers near Ladysmith on Tuesday, and
his first report was to the effect that
the action was of trivial importance.
So it was officially given out III Lon
don. Afterward, however, it develop
ed that his killed numbered l3 and
his wounded SO, with 8 missing, to-
tai of 100.
According to the dispatches pub
lished Thursday morning, almost the
entire British forces in Natal were con-
centrated at Ladysmith. They consis-
ted of $4,000 men, and coming against
them there were three strong columns
of Beers aggregating something like
$4,000. The British commanders
seemed to be confident of their ability
to defend themselves but the situation
appeared rather dark for them than
otherwise.
The British war Office returns up to
the close of October 25, showed that
the total casualties from the COM
mencement of hostilities, numbered is
officers and 76 men killed, and 55 Off
GERS and 435 men wounded, with l3
men unaccounted fora total loss of
579. This does not include squad
ron of hussars that went after the
Beers at Glencoe. The squadron con-
sisted of 80 men, of whom only about
80 in command of second sergeant,
succeeded in reaching Ladysmith.
The latest information from Kimber-
ly was sent out by daring scout on
October %. At that time the town
was completely surrounded by Beers
and the British were prudently econo-
mizing their rations. Cecil Rhodes
was represented as being serene over
the situation and confident that the
town could hold out until relieved.
The dispatches published yesterday
morning relate principally to matters
about which more or less information
had already been received; but they
do not yet give clear idea of the
situation for the reason that all of
them seem to have been censored to
color that make them conform to what
the British war Office thinks the public
ought to know.
The death of General Symons was
reported to parliament on Thursday.
The news was conveyed to the British
by General Joubert,' substantating
what had already been suspected, that
all the British wounded at Glencoe had
been left in the hands of the Beers, and
that as the result of the battles of
Glencoe and Elandslaagte the Beers
had come in possession of consider
able quantity Of artillery, ammunition
and other war supplies.
The British prisoners captured by
the Beers at Dundee, after the battle
of Glencoe, are now in Pretoria, and
are being we'll taken care of. On ac-
count of the heavy loss of officers in
the fighting so far, 135 additional Of
ficers have been ordered to set out from
England as speedily as possible.
The bombardment of Mafeking by
the Beers was commenced a few days
ago; but so far no results have been
reported. General Cronje is in COM
mand of the Boer forces here.
Immediate concern is now centered
on developments at Ladysmith. The
Beers are understood to have the town
pretty we'll surrounded, and it is ex-
pected that there will be some heavy
fighting there. If they succeed in
taking the town, they will have COM
plete command of the entire situation
until tho arrival of General Butler