Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-08
THE B0ER STRENGTH.
,r mas uErN a GREAT SURPRISE
TO BRITAIN.
1T LEAST Fifty THOUSAND MEN.
r,,c TrnnSvaalcrs Are Also We'll
supplied Win Artillery Of Latest
pa,crn-IIcnvy Fighting Around
Indysmith Friday.

LONDON. November THE confession
a., evening of General Lord Wolsclcy
,... ominandcr-in-chiof. that the Beers
v,ro more powerful and more numerous
chan had been anticipated, sufficiently
cxplairs tho present happenings, and the
Mar Office will hereafter have awkward
,...,.tons to answer I'm regard TO its APP
,srent colossal ignorance OF the Boer
src,cth which. both in numbers Of men
and excellence of artillery, IS apparently
. ,omuStc surprise TO the British MILF
tary authorities
Mail neVs from South Africa shows
how inaccurate have been the estimates
M she Intelligence Department and the
..,.-rmena. experts. Ii is CLEANED
,r,r,.r0m CHAT a fair estimate Of the
B,,r forces ls as follows: Around Lady
smith. 1ol, traversing Zululand. 40oo.
a4,aacuc on Burghcrsdorp, 5000, Coles
uure. 5000, Kimberley, 1850; Mafeking.
4W and on the Northern Trausvaal
border. 300. Exact information about
She Boer artillery is lacking but it Is
known that General Joubcrts detach-
mcnt. before IL was reinforced. consisted
OF sixteen Krupp held pieces of the latest
pattern. and two heavy Crcuzot siege
guns. which. but for the opportune ar
rival OF the British naval brigade, would
have rendered Ladysmith untenabie.
MORE NAVAL GUNS FOR NATAL.
In connection with the naval guns, the
most interesting and important expert
Inent has been successfully carried out
rrsff Of Il.. ia
guns so scryiceable al Ladysmith. one
o. the British cruiser Tcrrbles guns
mounted on "a scott travelling carriage.
was fired in the same way as "a field gun,
with entire success.
rar Terrible. with a number of guns
ilus mounted is on her way to Durham.
and ihough the guns cannot now reach
Lsdyemith. they may be of the greatest
Val-e IN the defence Of PietermautzbuIg.
which. IL seems, Will probable have TO
sssIbd . siege.
me arrival of the Terrible. with the
relief crews. and other available men.
must have placed i'm the noishborhood of
o.Uo mere men AZ the service of the mill
lazy authorities.
MARKED NAVAL PRECAUTIONS.
Interesting news comes from the Cham
Iei squadron. at Gibraltar. showing pre-
plTauOns against AN cventualties. ale
most unknown in European waters i'm
peace time.
ON the way TO Gibraltar the fleet spread
out four miles apart, and a sharp outlook
Was kept for suspicious craft.
AT Gibraltar, extra sentries are posted
at night In different parts of the ships.
with ten rounds of bail cartridges each.
The small guns on the upper decks ana
the lighting tops are kept ready for inn
mediate use, the ammunition being on
deck. a few men sleep at the guns the
search-lights are kept working. all boats
are hailed. and are not allowed 10 app
preach without the permission OF the
officer of the watch.
SITUATION AT LADYsMITH.
LONDON, November THE following
is the text OF dispatch from General
Buher, az Cape Town, dated November
9Th. 1876 +. M:
The following dispatch has been re
Ceived from the general commanding at
Estcourt, dated November 9Th:
" Since Friday there has been cessa-
ton of hostilities. \ note was sent that
day 90 General JOubert by General White.
at the request Of the Mayor, asking per-
mission for the nOn-cOmbatants. sick. and
wounded 10 go South. General JOubert
refused the request, but agreed 90 allow
them TO go 10 a special camp four miles
from Ladysmith. The tOwnspeople re-
fused 10 accept this offer. The sick and
wounded and a few of the inhabitants
were moved yesterday. a few shots were
exchanged yesterday at the OutpOsts. Fri
days bOmbardment was heavy. Shells
fell iu the hospital and one burst m "a
hotel. during luncheon. No one was in
Iured The only casualty in the town
from the shells thus far is <aliir killed.
SMART ACTION FRIDAY.
There was smart action Friday to-
ward DcwdrOp. The troops under Gene
Ial BrecklehuIst drove the Beers back
considerable distance, and disabled gun.
There was also fighting near Bul-
wanna. Our loss. altogether. is eight kill
al and about twenty wounded. Ninety
eight Dundee wounded have arrived. They
were sent here Saturday All are doing
well
The position here is now believed to
De entirely safe. 1t has been greatly
strengthened during the last twenty-four
hours The people have deserted their
dwellings and are living in bombpro0f
places safe from shell-fre. There is
plenty of good stores Of all kinds.
Captain Knapp and Lieutenant Bra
bant were killed I'm Fridays action
The foregoing is an exact copy of
press censored telegram brought here by
IA Kaihr runner. There is no other Off
cial news"
MANY BOERS SLAIN.
ESTCOURT, NATAL. SUNDAY. No
yembcr 5.-lSO j. Ma reliable native
has brought confirmation of fridays
fight south Of Ladysmth a rcconnais-
sanco in force was made by "a British de
vision the object being to relieve INC.
Coenso column, which had been attacked
By the Beers. The British infantry
charged the Beers. who were strongly
posted on GloblersklOof Hin, and drove
them down on the plain. toward the
Tugela river. Then the British cavalry.
executing a fine Ranking movement.
charged the Beers almost annhilaung
them The plain was strewn with sla.p
Beers.
An armored train has again left for
ColensO. with a company of the Dublin
Fusileers. and a railway engineering
staff. 90 repair the line. No fighting is
supposed 10 have occurred saturday as
Ho firing was heard.
10 IS now possible 10 furnish official de-
tails Of Fridays fighting around Lady
smith
FRIDAYS FIGHTING.
The Boer artillery fire was accurate
and well sustained, but ineffective. Inc
British cavalry was constantly out. the
investment not being close enough 20 pre-
vent this. Cavalry and artillery, under
Colonel Br0cklehurst. about noon. drove
Tie enemy toward Maritzburg. our ar
tllery shellcd three of the onemys guns
into silence. The British casualties were
slight.
The Beers are now shelnng the town