Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1899-10-27
THE BACK TRACK.
English Troops Take 1t to
Escape Disaster.
DUNDEE is ABANDONED.
Glencoe Has Also Been Left to
the Mercy of the Beers.
A SHORT ARTILLERY DUEL.
the English Succeeded in Covering
the Retreat of gen. Yule's Command
from Dundee.


the English Succeeded In Covering
the Retreat OF GEN. Yule,s Command
from Dundee.
London Oct, 2j.-The following dis
patch from Gen. White to the Mar
quis of Lansdowne, secretary OF war.
received last evening at IL o'clock, was
posted at the war office soon after
midnight:
"Ladysmith, Oct. "a, 0 p. m.-Infor-
nation received yesterday showed that
the Beers had established themselves
in considerable numbers in an exceed
ingly strong position west of the main
road leading from Ladysmith to Dun
dee. l also had information that the
Dundee force, formerly commanded
by Gen. Symons and since
his wounding commanded by
Gen. Yule, was falling back on
Ladysmith by way of the Helpmaltaar
road, Beth and the valleys of the
Waschbanl< and Sunday rivers and was
expected to reach Sunday River val-
ley to-day. / therefore moved out
with a strong force to cover the move-
ment of Yule's column. The enemy
was discovered about seven miles out
of Ladysmith in a position of great
natural strength west of the road.
When he saw that preparations were
being made against him, he opened fire
with one gun with great accuracy.
Our artillery soon got into position
and the gun was silenced. Our troops
were ordered to occupy n strong ridge,
parallel to the enemy's position, but
nearer to the road. / confined my eff
forts to occupying him and hitting
him hard enough to prevent his talk
ing action against Yule's column.
Numbers of the enemy fled to the west
and the firing had practically ceased
at 2 o'clock"
The war Office dispatch seems to
realize the worst fears. Gen. Yule
has abandoned not only Dundee but
Glencoe also, and, so far as present
news would indicate, he has neither
| joined Gen. White nor reached Lady,
smith. Gen. Whites successful ac-
tion" announced in parliament by Mr..
| Wyndham, seems to resolve itself into
| n mere engagement of the attention
of the Free State troops, while Gen.
Yule is slipping southwark. Tt is evil
dent from the official dispatches that
both Commandant Joubert's column
| on the north and the Orange Free
| State troops on the west now occupy
strong positions and that nothing him
| dcrs the Beers from following up Gen.
Yule's retirement and getting around
I4adysmith from the southeast. Until
reinforcements arrive it seems that
Gen. White is obliged to concentrate
on Ladysmith. 1t is believed that the
government has other dispatches that
have not been published.
The combined forces at Ladysmith.
now amounting to some $4,000 men,
will be amply sufficient to act on the
defensive. A few more victories Ike
Glencoe and Elandslaagte, however,
would leave the British troops without
officers. While the Beers have failed
to take advantage of their strategic
! position, owing to the incompetency
or haste of their leaders, the British
have no cause for congratulation over
the results of the Natal operations,
They have suffered heavy losses in
men and their victories have practical
ly gone for nothing, the whole of nor
thern Natal being now abandoned to
the Beers. 1t would have been bet
ter to have concentrated on Lady
smith in the first instance. but Gen.
White and Gen. Symons had to yield
to political eNigencies and to the local
reluctance to abandon an inch of ter
ritory more than was necessary. It
is not expected that the wounded left
at, Dundee will suffer except in being
prisoners of war. The news of unrest
in Pasutoland causes much anxiety.
The colonial Office has received a
cablegram stating that President
Steyn, of the Orange Free State, has
issued proclamation annexing that
part of Cape Colony which is north of
the Vaal river. This means Griqua-
land west and Bechuanaland and is
apparently in consequence of the Free
State forces having seized the railway
and all stations north of Kimberly ex-
cept Mafeking.
IT is rumored at Plymouth that the
admiralty is about to mobilize re-
serve fleet in home ports and that this
and other naval undertakings are due
to the intention of Russia to seize a
port in the Persian gulf.
Cape Town. Oct. 25.-A message re-
ceived last evening from Mafelsing, by
way of Lorenzo Marquee, says. "All
well in MafelIing."
4 private telegram from Dclagoa
Bay says man who has just arrived
there from Johannesburg asserts that
the Transvaal government has appro-
priated $50 beds in private houses in
johannesburg for wounded troops
from the front The 5oer organs, ac-
cordinP to this Information. are doing
everything to minimize the Boer losses
and all sorts of mi"statements and
misrepresentation are employed.
Horse Thief Shoots Constable.