Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-11-24
The War IN South Africa.
Astcourt Now Mensced by the Beers,
VINO are Moving Southwark to check
the Advance OF che British.


Estcourt Now Mensced by the Beers,
VINO are Moving Southwark to Check
the Advance OF the British.
Ladysmith still holds out. and Gen.
Whlte contrives to keep the Beers busv
lot the most part; but there is reason to
believe that some of them have been with.
drawn by Gen. Joubert and sent soutb IN
oppose the advance of the British. Est-
court, to which place the British retreated
from Colenso, is now menaced. and the
Beers have swarmed south from Colenso
with comfortable force and taken mn a
position at Ennersdale "a few miles north
OF Estcourt). On Saturday they advanced
TO attack the garrison, but were driven off
oy the naval long-range gun.
10 drive the British out of Estcourt To
wreck the railroad bridge across the Moot.
and TO destroy the more important bridge
across the Tugela (near Colensol, II com.
PEELED to retreat before the army which
Gen Butler is making ready for the relief
OF Ladysmiht, is evidently the plan of cam
paign which the Beers have adopted.
More thad 35, 900 men have reached the
cape, and about half of them have disem-
parked at Durham ION the east coast) !;
thence they have been despatched to PETER.
marltzourg (7O miles from Durham and 129
from Ladysmith), where they will proba-
oiy be kept till everything is ready for an
advance into northern Natal.
An armored train having on board half
company OF Durham volunteers and COM
pany of Dublin Fusiliers steamed to
Chlevely few days ago. On its return it
was shelled by the Beers and two trucks
derailed. A part of the British got back
10 Estcourt, but % were taken prisoners,
including Lieut.. Winston Churchill, a
grandson OF the late Leonard Jerome of
New York. Young Churchill is now at
Pretoria.
Kimberley and Mafeking have not been
taken by the Beers, but little definite news
has come from the cities.
A despatch Wednesday stated that Jou-
bert's forces in Natal Colony, reinforced
by 5000 Free Staters, are moving south
ward to check the advancing British and
prevent any retreat from Estcourt, which
has been invested. A big engagement
seems imminent
The Latest Phases of the Situation
Ladysmith still closely besieged, Est
court cut off, Pietermaritzburg threatened,
was the story of yesterdays dispatches
from Natal, where the Beers appear TO
have thoroughly outgeneralled the British.
On the west, the Kimberley relief column
has left the Orange River and on Monday
was at Witteputs, halfway to Belmont.
At this latter place cavalry patrol found
the Beers in occupation of the surrounding
hills, on which they had planted their ar
tillery, evidently with the expectation that
the advance would be made in that direc-
ton.
The British force now actually in the
field, including the colonial levies of all
kinds, is about 10000 strong. OF these,
however, quite 10000 are neutralized in
the blockaded towns, and until they are
relieved and set free, the main plan OF
campaign is in allegiance. Meanwhile the
politicians of the Afrikander Bond appear
to be using all their influence to prevent
the Dutch population of the Cape Colony
openly declaring for the Beers. But they
have been only partially successful, for
large numbers of the young men have gone
over and are fighting in the Boer ranks.
Competent critics are saying that the
real danger for the British army is not SC
much from the enemy in front as from
those it may leave in its rear, and in any
case so large force would be required to
guard the lines of communication that
fully one-third of the entire army will be
engaged in that duty. That the British
government is alive to the fact that more
troops are demanded in South Africa is
shown by the calling out of a sixth divis-
ion, which has been ordered to mobilize al
! Aldershot.