The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-31
THEIR ATTACK UPON LADYsNITB
FORESTALLED BY ADVANCE
OF BRITISH FORCES
OFFER STUBBORN RESISTANCE
GEN. WHITES WELL-PLANNED AD-
VANCE NEUTRALIZED BY STRAIT
EGY OF ENEMY
FIRE WAS HEAVY

Boer Guns Were Well Served, and
British Troops Were at Times
Compelled to Retreat From Posi-
tiOns Attained-ArrfvaI of Gun
Squad From Cruiser Powerful
Turned Tide In Favor of British.
LADYSMITd Oct. 3O.-The Beers open
ed the attack upon Ladysimtn this morn
ing at 5:2O, shelling the place with forty
Founders. After an artillery exchange
that was fast and furious, the Boer bat
terry was finally silenced. The oBers We're
advancing as the British forces went
forth to attack them.
BRITISH ADVANCE.
An advance was made at dawn, with the
object Of shelling the Beers from the po-
sition where they had mounted a number
Of guns. On reaching the spot, however,
it was found they had evacuated the po-
sition. The British continued to advance
and the movement developed into a recon-
naissance in force. The enemy was
posted on range of hills having a 'front.'
age Of about sixteen miles. The British
force was disposed in the following or
der: On the right three regiments Of cav
airy, four batteries of the Royal field
artillery and five battalions Of infantry;
in the center, three batteries of the Royal
field artillery, two regiments of cavalry
and four infantry battalions, and on the
left the Royal Irish fusileers, the Glouces-
tershire regiment and the Tenth mountain
battery. This force had been detailed to
guard our left flank at a late hour last
night.
Gen Whites plan Of action was as the
movement developed the force consdtut-
ing our center, which was disposed under
cover of kopje about three miles from
the town, should throw itself upon the
enemy while the left flank was being held
by the fusileers and the Gloucesters. The
scheme was well devised, but failed In
execution, owing to the fact that the
Boer position, which formed our objec-
tive, was evacuated. Our artillery quickly
reduced the volume Of the enemys fire,
but the attack delivered on our right
flank was the principal one, and the coll
umn was compelled to change.
COUNTER ATTACK.
The Boer attack had been silenced for a.
time and our infantry advanced, covered
by cavalry The enemy now began to
develop a heavy counter attack, and as
they were in great numerical superiority
Gen. White gave orders for the infantry
to be gradually withdrawn The move
ment was carried out with great steadi-
ness and deliberatiOn, under cover of our
guns, which made excellent practice.
Some shells We're thrown into the town
from the enemy's forty-pounders at a
range of over 5000 yards, but no damage
was done.
The engagement lasted several hours.
and resulted on our side in casualties es-
tod
losses must have largely exceeded this
total.
The attack was admirably delivered by
our right, and the Beers were fairly
driven out Of one of their stronghoIds,
near Lombard's kopje 1t was impossible,
however, to push the success much fur
ther, as beyond that point lay a long
broken ridge, affording every kind of nat.
ural cover, of which the enemy took the
fullest advantage.
BOERS FEROCIOUS.
Our shells failed to dislodge the Beers.
and as our infantry moved forward in
extended order they came under a steady
and well directed rifle fire, the effect Of
which was soon apparent. Gen. White,
who was in the center, seeing that the
troops on the right were somewhat press
ed, sent to their assistance the whole CEN
ter column, with the exception of the
Devonshire regiment The battle had then
lasted four hours, during which the ar
tillery fire on both sides had been almost
incessant. The naval brigade, which land
ed at Durham, had arrived at the scene
towards the end of the fight and i'm
mediately brought their heavy guns into
play. Their practice was magnificent. At
the third shot the enemys forty FOUNDERS
had been knocked out of action
The town is freed from further appre-
hersion of bombardment. Throughout the
action the Beers held their ground with
courage and tenacity, and. considering
the intensity of our artillery fire, they
must have suffered severely.
CRISIS IS REACHED.
A dispatch from Durham timed 9:55 this
morning, states that the Boer shells were
chiefly directed at the station, and that
no damage was done up to the time the
message from Durham was forwarded.
That the heavy guns of the T:oers, from
which so much was expected, should be
silenced so speedily is a matter of great
surprise; but the subsequent advance of
the burgher force on the British left
flank shows the attackers were in no way
lismayed thereby and were still full of
the same self-confdence and daring they
have already exhibited on various oc-
casions. Apparently the Beers have con-
centrated fer a supreme effort at Lady
smith. They have withdrawn their forces
from other points, which they consider
momentarily, to be Of less Importance
The case with which they reorganized the
German corps, which was almost ami
hilated at Elandslaagte, and Gen. Lucas
Meyers column shattered at Talana hill,
shows how great are their recuperative
powers and their fertility of resource
NOW OR NEVER
n
In transporting heavy ordnance and post
ing it In commanding positions has
forced admiration even from their
enemies. Unless the present attack Is
merely feint to occupy the British while
the invaders are cutting off communica-
ton southwark, the battle which opened
this morning may decide the issue of the
war, so far as lighting in the open Is
concerned, as, unless the $4,000 or 10000
Beers about Ladysmith are able to
destroy the 1900 British there, they can
hardly hope to cope with Gen. Bullers
army corps; so it may be expected the
Beers will return to the attack of Lady
smith. after they are beaten off, so long
as they have a gun in position, and men
willing to face the British, for they must
be fully cognizant that the news of their
success will, bring thousands of sympa-
thizers and adventurers to their standard.
The active operations Of the last few
days have shown cavalry, under modern
conditions, armed with long range weap-
ems, In an entirely new light, proving
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