The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-13
His Little Force Lost Heavily in
Fighting Its Way Back.
Beers Cannot stand Cold steel, ana
Run Invariably From . Dnyonet
Charge--The Repulse Of Gatacre
Interferes seriously with the
British Plans, a. HIS Forward
Movement Was simultaneous
with That OF French, who IL Now
Obliged to Rest ouiet--No Further
Fishtins reported q Modass.


Fishtins reported ~ Modass.
LONDON. Dec. is. As a. m.-with the
exception Of Sundays sortie at Lady
smith. which the morning papers are
unanimous in regarding as brilliant
piece OF work. there are no further adj
vices from the seat Of war.
Mafekinw short Of Provisious.
A war office dispatch reports that Mafe-
king was safe up to December I. but that
the Beers had been shelling the town
since November "a with increased effect.
Rations had been reduced. meat by half
a pound and bread by a quarter Of .
pound. In view Of probable long siege.
Water, however, was still plentiful.
Beers Fear the Bayonet.
The Beers fear the British bayonets
This is illustrated in the full accounts
now arriving OF previous sorties. It seems
that In Sir ACCOMPLISHMENTS sally from
Ladysmith to capture the Boer guns the
British did not carry bayonets. While
they were storming. the Beers. suddenly
aroused from sleep, rushed 10 the edge
and opened an indiscriminate FIRE upon
them. But just before the British secured
a footing on the top OF the hill someone
among them shouted. Fix bayonets and
give them cold STEEL At this the Beers
turned and fied into the darkness.
Loss OF Horses Heavy.
Little mention Is made in the war office
dispatches Of horses, but 1t is understood
that the losses in this respect have bean
ole hn ~
alone from 20 to 80 per cent. OF their
mounts have been shot from under them.
the Boer tactics being to shoot first az
an officers horse and then the rider when
dismounted.
Maps OF the Country Scarce.
Gen. Gatacre's disaster at Stormberg
has been blamed to lack Of knowledge OF
the country. but. according to the Daily
Telegraph. when the war began there
were no available maps at Cape Town.
and therefore It is probable that Gen.
Gatacre is still without them.
Afraid Of the sorties.
The Times. while praising Col. Net
calrs brilliant feat at Ladysmith, ex-
presses the opinion that relief being now
so near, such sortie was rather peril
o.s, and 1t would be better for Gen. White
to avoid them as far as possible.
More Troops Needed.
The Morning Post again endeavors, edi-
torially, to arouse the British people to .
recognition of the serious nature Of the
struggle and of the grave position In
which matters now stand" 1t urges the
government to prepare Immediately to
send more troops to South Africa.
Memorial services.
Lord Mayor Newton. the alderman OF the
city Of London, and other prominent Off
cials of the corporation. together with the
high military authorities VIII attend tho
memorial service to be held In st. Paul's
cathedral for the men who have fallen In
the war.
MctcaIf's brilliant Feat.
The war office publishes the following
despatch from Gen. Butler;
dispatch from Gen. White dated Decsun-
ber II says:
last night Col. Metcalf and 800 of the
second rife brigade SORTED to capture .
Bocr howitxer on HILL They reached tho
crest without being discovered. drove on
the enemy and then destroyed the howit-
ger with gun cotton
"When returning Metcalf found his re-
his way through. using the bayonet freely.
The Beer losses were considerable. The
British losses wero as follows:
Lieut.. Ferguron and eleven ren killed:
Capt Paley, Second Lieut.. Davenport. Sec
ond Lieut. Bond and Il men wounded; six
men captured, who had remained behind
in charge Of the wounded"
Gatacre's official Report.
The war office received the following
from Gen. Forester w alker. dated today:
"Capetown--Gatacre reports as follows:
1.-The idea to attack Stormberg seemed
to promise certain success but the dis
lance was underestimated by myself and
the local guides. The policemen took us
round some miles and consequently we
were marching from $50 p. m, until O.
m, and were landed in an impossible posi-
tion. do not consider the error inten-
tional. The BSers commenced firing from
the top of an unscaIable hill and wounded
a good many of our men in open plain
The Second Northunberiards tried to
turn out the enemy but failed. The Sec
ond Irish fusiliers seized kopje near and
held on, supported by the mounted infan-
try and Cape police. The guns under JET.
freys could not have been better handled.
But regret to say that one gun was over
turned in a deep nullah and another sank
in the Quicksand. Neither could be extri-
Gated in time TO be available.
Seeing the situation q dispatch rider
was sent TO Moltena with the news. coll
lected and Withdrew our force from r.dge
70 ridge for about nine niles The Boer
gsnS wera remarkably Nell segyad Tia