The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-05
WAR OFFICE STATEMENT.
British Troops Have Evacuated CO.
Ienso-No Word from Ladysmith.

ment:
THE Colonial Office has received infor-
nation to the effect thar the British troops
have withdrawn from Colenso and have
concentrated further south. but we have no
news CT any engagements in that neighbor-
hood"
Later in the day the War Office posted
the following:
NO news has been received from Lady
smith up to 2 o'clock this afternoon. We.
therefore, presume that the wire is still in
| terrupted.
In spite of silence the officials do not
! credit the various rumors as to the position
of the garrison and no grave anxiety is
felt at present regarding the ability of Gem
eraI White 40 hold his own.
Nothing has been received to corrOborate
the reiterated reports from Berlin of the
/ eapituIation Of General White. dispatch
to the Exchange Telegraph Company from
! PietermaTitzburg. dated Nov. /, said Lady
| smith was perfectly quiet that morning and
another dispatch from the same place TO the
| Exchange Telegraph Company said numbers
| OF women and children left Ladysmith
| Tuesday evening on passenger train, es-
| corted by an armored train. A third dis
| patch to the Exchange Telegraph Company,
| dated Cape Town, Nov !, announced that
| the Beers had entered Cape Colony at Nor
valspruit. destroying several bridges.
| News that Colenso had been evacuated
was another bitter pill for the British pub
| lie and is arousing fears that the conti-
| mental statements of a second serious de-
| feat of General White may prove true. A
significant fact is that the War Office does
not say when Colenso was evacuated. so
| the statement which emanated Thursday
from DR. Leyds, the diplomatic representa-
| tive OF the Transvaal, who is located at
! Brussels, that the Beers had occupied CO.
| lenso was possibly true. There is much ap-
| prehension that the War Office Is suppress
| ing bad news.
1t is believed, however, if General White
| had been captured by the Beers, CONT
| mental rumors say, General Joubert would
be only too glad to forward General Whites
announcement of the fact to the nearest
| telegraph station, while, 1t is added, had
news Of such a serious character reached a
foreign government in cipher it would un-
doubtedly have been promptly conveyed to
| the British government. As the Mozambique
cable is still broken ii is impossible for any
uncensored messages to reach Europe, with
the exception Of the dispatches of foreign
governments, and in view of the fact that
an important victory would be of the great
est moral assistance to the Beers, 1t seems
obvious that the Boer sympathizers would
make such an event known as quickly and
| widely as possible The War Office is MAX
| Ing every endedvor to communicate with
Ladysmith, SO news may arrive at any mo-
ment- In the meanwhile the best opinion is
| satisfied that IL General White keeps strict
ly on the defensive he will be able to hold
his own.
The British experts smile at the Boer plan
of campaign, which contemplates seizing
Durham In order to prevent the landing of
British troops there. They say it has one
fatal defect, namely, that 1t ignores the
British fleet under whose guns it is alleged
the seizure of Durham will be impossible
Ine dispatches to-day show that the
forces Of the Orange Free State are at last
prepared to invade Cape Colony. These
forces are not overwhelming, but the Dutch
In the neighborhood of Colesburg and
Burghersdorp are exceptionally pro-Boer.
and their support is evidently expected The
objective of this force of Beers will prob
ably be Naauwpoort, one of the most i'm
portant strategic railroad points in South
Africa, and which will probably be the first
advanced depot of the Second Division of
the army corps. Naauwpoort is understood
to be well garrisoned and able to take care
or Itself. Trains thence to Colesburg have
been almost suspended
The dispatches from Ladysmith. though
three days old, are regarded as being more
cheering and as indicating that the Beers
are not disposed to come to close quarters.
On the other hand some people assert II is
more probable that the Beers are recuper-
ating prior to fresh onslaught on Lady,
smith, as. according to the latest news.
after the artillery duel and ineffective skir-
mish OF Tuesday the Beers took up good DO
sitions on signal hill and Umbulwani noun
tain.
The two commanders continue to exchange
courtesies General White, In response to
General Joubert's request Tuesday, lent the
Boers an ambulance to assist in the con-
veyaace of the Boer wounded.
1t is understood the feeling OF securitv at
Ladysmith has been greatly increased since
all the Natal guns have been mounted.
Advices from Cape Town show that the
people there are beginning to realize the
seriousness OF the situation in Natal The
merchants are apprehensive of the Beers
overrunning the entire country. and II Is
reported that many OF them have instructed
their representatives to leave Pietermaritz.
burg In spite of the optimism of the mil
itary men. there is feeling of general anx-
iety at Cape Town. The Orange river Is
reported to be swollen that the drifts
are impossible and the Beers hold the
wagon bridge at Philoppolis, which is the
| only means OF crossing.
dispatch from Cape Town. dated Nov
?, says: According TO an undated dispatch
received here from Ladysmith the body OF
General kock. the Boer commander who
was wounded in the battle OF Glencoe, cap
, tured ard taken TO Ladysmith, where he
died recently, has been taken to Pretoria
The dispatch adds that the Ladysmitf
townspeople including the women, wit.
messed the battle at Ladysmith. 1t was alsc
said that the resumption of fighting was
hourly expected.
THE Beers are traversing Zululand. hoist.
ing flags over the British magistrates"
Artillery Duel at Ladysmith.
LADYSMITH. Nov. .. 10 a. m. DELAYED II
transm!ssion)-An artillery duel has been II
: progress since o'clock this morning. bu
SO far no damage has been done. the Britist
fire preventing the Boer guns from makinc