Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-11-03


pears to have carried out the night
march unmolested until within two
miles Of Nicholson's Mex. At this
point two powders rolled from the hill
and a few rifle shots stampeded the In
fantry ammunition mules. The stam-
pede spread to the battery mules,
which broke loose from their leaders
and got away with practically the
whole Of the gun equipment and the
greater portion of the regimental
small-arm ammunition. The reserve
was similarly lost.
THE infantry battalions, however,
fixed bayonets and, accompanied by the
personnel of the artillery, seized hill
on the left of the two road, two miles
from the Mex, with but little opposl-
lion. There they remained unmoles:ed
till dawn, the time being occupied in
organizing the defense of the hill AMI
constructing stone sangars and walls
as cover from fire. At dawn skirm-
ishing attack on our position was COM
menced by the enemy, but made no
way until $3.50 a. m, when strong re-
endorsements enabled them to rush to
the attack with great energy. Their
fire became very searching and two
companies of the Gloucesters in an ad.
vance position were ordered to tai
back. The enemy then pressed to
short range, the losses on our side be-
coming very numerous.
AT 3 p. m. our ammunition was
practically exhausted, the position was
captured and the survivors Of the CO..
umn fell into the enemy's hanis. The
enemy treated our wounded with hu-
mainly, Gen. Joubert at once dispatch
ing letter to me offering a safe con-
duct to doctors and ambulances to re-
move the wounded. A medical officer
and parties to render first aid to the
wounded were dispatched to the scene
of action from Ladysmith last night,
and the ambulance at dawn this morn
ing.
THE want of success OF the COL
unn was due to the misfortune OF the
mules stampeding and the consequent
loss OF the guns and small-arm am
munition reserve.
'The official list Of casualties and
prisoners will be reported shortly. The
latter are understood to have been sent
by rail to Pretoria.
1.-THE security Of Ladysmith is In no
way affected"
The details today show the catastro-
phe in brighter aspect. The full bat
talions were not engaged, and there
fore the list Of prisoners is material
ly reduced, while the disaster now APP
pears to have been not so much the
consequence of defects In the plan OF
action as to a misfortune whereby the
column was deprived Of it's ammuni-
ton. Still it seems incomprehensible
why the plight of the luckless column
was not known at headquarters, as the
scene of the surrender was only about
three miles northwest OF Ladysmith,
and Lieut-Col Carlton must have ex-
pected relief to reach him or, instead
of attempting TO occupy a defensive
position, he would have retracted his
steps to Ladysmith when he suffered
the loss of his ammunition.
Apart from Gen. Whites statement
that the losses are very numerous,
there is nothing to indicate the extent
of them except vague report to the
effect that the soldie" who brought the
news to Ladysnith said the British
dead and wounded were lying in heaps,
and that hundreds needed doctors.
This, however, is hardly borne out by
the long list of captured officers.
The concluding sentence OF Gen.
Whites dispatch, relating to the safety
of Ladysmith, was received here with
a certain reserve, in view OF the fact
that similar official assurances were
given recently at Dundee and Glencoe,
and there is intense anxiety for fur
Their news of the reported renewed at
tack. which is not mentioned in the
official dispatches.
Cape Town, Get. 81 delayed in
transmission).-The guns of the Brit
ish naval brigade have knocked the
Boer forty FOUNDER clean off its plat
form and have silenced the Boer guns
on Hepworth hill. The Beers aban-
doned their positions.