Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-01
GEN. WHITES CONFESSION.

He Takes All the Blame for the Disaster to
His Troops-List of Officers Taken Pris-
acknowledgements Lost Heavily Before
Surrendering.
LONDON, October 31.-The following
is the text of Gen. Whites dispatch TO
the war office:
BLACKSMITH, October 30.-10:35 p.
nj have to report disaster to the
column sent by me to take position
on a hill to guard the left flank OF the
troops. In these operations to-day the
Royal Irish Fusiliers, No. 10 Mountain
battery and Worcestershire regiment
were surrounded in the hills, and after
losing heavily, had TO capitulate. The
casualties have not yet been ascer-
tanned.
"A man of the Fusiliers, employed as
hospital orderly, came in under a flag
of truce with a letter from the sur
vivors Of the column, who asked for
assistance to bury the dead. l fear
there is no doubt of the truth of the
report.
Il formed a plan in the carrying out
of which the disaster occurred, and l
alone am responsible for the plan.
There is no blame whatever to the
troops, as the position was untenable."
Gen. White, in a subsequent dispatch,
gives the following list of the officers
taken prisoner:
Staff-Major Adye.
Irish Fusiliers-Col. Carleton, Major
Mum, Major Kincaid, Captain Bur-
rowes, Captain Rice, Captain Silver,
Lieut.. Heard, Lieut.. Southey, Lieut..
Phibbs, Lieut.. McGregor, Lieut.. Hol
mes, Lieut.. Kelley, Lieut.. Dooner,
Lieut.. Kentish, Lieut.. Kineahan, Lieut..
Jeudwine, Chaplain Matthews
OF the above Captains Rice and Sill
yer and Lieut.. Dooner were wounded.
Worcestershire Regiment - Major
Humphrey Major Capel-Cure, Major
Wallace, Captain Duncan, Captain Con-
ner, Lieut.. Bryant, Lieut.. Nesbit, Lieut..
Ingham, Lieut.. Davy, Lieut.. Knox,
Lieut.. Temple, Lieut. Radice, Lieut..
Breul, Lieut.. Hill, Lieut.. Short, Lieut..
Smith, Lieut.. Mackenzie, Lieut.. Beas-
ley, Lieut.. Gray.
Of the above Captains Duncan and
Conner were wounded.
Royal rtillery-Major Bryant.
Mountain Battery-Lieut. Wheeler,
Lieut.. Nugent, Lieut.. Moore, Lieut..
Webb.
The war Office has sent the following
dispatch to Gen. Butler: Three extra
battalions of foot and one mountain
battery, with reserves, will leave Eng
land during the course or ten DAYS to
make good the casualties"
special dispatch from Ladysmith
says the Beers suffered severely during
the engagement, some persons estimar-
ing their loss at 900 to 1000 killed and
wounded.
1t is learned that the war office has
ordered second army corps to be in
READINESS to be called out The mill
tary officials have not yet decided
whether the contamination of the plan
VIII be necessary, but they are deter
mined TO have everything in readiness
either for demonstration in Europe
of Great Britain's capabilities or for
sending even larger force to the
scene Of action. Until the receipt of
the news of the Ladysmith disaster the
latter course was considered out of the
question. But now there is no know
ing what steps will be decided upon
LONDON. October 31.-While minor
reverses were not wholly unexpected.
nothing like the staggering blow Gen.
Joubert delivered Gen. Whites forces
yesterday was anticipated. The full
extent Of the disaster is not yet ac-
knowledged, if 1t is known at the war
office. The loss in effective men must
be appalling to d general who is prac-
tfcally surrounded Two of the finest
british regiments and a mule battery
deducted from the Ladysmith garrison
weakens it about fifth of its total
strength and alters the whole situation
very materially in favor Of the Beers,
iwho have again shown themselves
stern fighters and military strategists
OF no mean order. The disaster cost
the British from 1900 to 1000 men and
six seven-p pound screw guns, and as the