Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1899-11-01
General White Gables the War
Office His Explanation of
the British Defear.
MULES STAMPEDED BY BoERs
Troops Were Left With But Little
Ammunition and Surrender
Was Inevitable.

London, Nov. 1.-The British wa
office today made public a dispatcl
received from General White. describ
ing the operations of Monday. It i,
as follows: "Ladysmith.-Took on
from Ladysmith a brigade of mounted
troops, two brigade divisions of the
Royal artillery, the Natal field bat
terry and two brigades of infantry. to
reconnoitre in force the enemy's posi-.
tion to the north and if opportunity
should offer to capture the hill be-
hind Farquhar's farm, which had on
t-e previous day been held in strength
by the enemy In connection with
this advance, column consisting of
the tenth mounted artillery four and
half companies of the Gloucesters
and six companies of the Royal Irish
Fusileers, the whole under Lieut.. Col.
Carlton and Major Adye, Deputy AS.
sistant Adjutant General was dis.
patched at IL p. M, on the 29th to
march by night up Bellspruit and
seize Nicholson Mex or some position
near Nicholson Mex, thus turning the
enemy's flank. The main advance
was successfully carried out. the OBJ
Jective attack being found evacuated.
An artillery duel between our field
batteries and the enemy's guns en-
sued and our Maxims are understood
TO have caused heavy loss to the en-.
emy. The reconnaissance forced the
enemy to fully disclose his position
and after a strong counter attack on |
our right and the infantry brigade |
and cavalry had been repulsed the
troops were slowly withdrawn to
camp. pickets being left on obserya-
tion. Late in the engagement the ma
val contingent under Capt. Lambley of
the Powerful, came into action and
silenced with their extremely accurate
fire, the enemy's guns of position.
The circumstances which attended
the movement of Lieut.. Col. Carleton's
column are not rot fralIv knnun bat
fruuI Iepurts received the column ap- +
pears to have carried out the night f
march unmolested until within two t
miles of Nicholsons Mex At this
point big boulders rolled from the hill
and a few rifle shots stampeded the
military ammunition mules. The
stampede spread to the battery mules
which broke loose from their leaders
and got away with practically the
whole of the gun equipment and a
greater portion Of the regimental
small arm ammunition. The reserve |
was similarly lost. The infantry bat
talions, however, fixed bayonets and
accompanied by the personnel of the
artillery, seized hill on the left OF
the road two miles from the Mex
with but little opposition There they
remained unmolested until dawn,
the time being occupied in organizing
a. defense of the hill and constructing
stone sangers and walls as cover
from fire. At dawn skirmishing at
tack on our position was commenced
by the enemy but made no way until
$3.50 a. m, when reinforcements en-
abled them to rush to the attack with
great energy. Their fire became very
searching and two companies OF
,noucesters, in advanced POSITION
were ordered to fall back. The enc
my then pressed to short range, the
losses on our side becoming very nu-
merous. At p. m. our ammunition
was practically exhausted, the posi-
tion was captured and the survivors
OF the column fell into the daemy S
hands. The enemy treated our
wounded with humanity, General
Joubert at once dispatching letter to
me offering safe conduct to doctors
and ambulances, to remove thewound
ed. Medical officer and parties .tC
render first aid to the wounded were