The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-12-12
GATACRE'S
GRAVEERROR
Will Probably Delay British Inva-
sion Several Weeks.
TOTAL BRITISH CASUALTIES.

In the Nine engagements Fought
Britons Have Yielded 60 the Beers.
over Five Hundred Being KILLED.
/ London, Dec 12.-No further official
news has been received to remove the
| mystery overhanging General Cat
/ acres retreat from Stormberg. He has
not yet forwarded the promised ad-
| ditional message, and the censorship
/ has prevented the correspondents from
/ explaining the matter. While It ap-
pears to be generally admitted that
( General Gatacre is inclined to over
work his men, Lord Durham's re-
marks are considered as in rather bad
taste. Until General Gatacre has given
his explanation it is felt that consider
able allowance must be made for the
extreme difficulty Of getting tntelli-
gence in a country whose inhabitants
are in strong sympathy with the
enemy.
Stormberg Is described as a stronger
position than Laings Mex The only
road winds through lofty hills and
fianking is impossible Colesberg Is
also said to be an almost impregnable
position, and as no troops are avail
able to reinforce the columns acting
In those directions, It becomes evil
dent that General Gatacre's misfor-
tune or error will delay the invasion
Of the Free State perhaps some weeks.
1t is exceedingly probable that he will
be compelled to retire on Queenstown
and to wait for reinforcements. which
can hardly reach him until Sir Charles
Warren's division arrives at the cape.
The first detachments will sail Satur-
day next. Even If General French is
not compelled to retreat he will be
Obliged to pause in his advance
No news has yet been received con-
firming the Boer report of the capture
of 80 prisoners at Modder River from
Lord Methuen's column
1t is Just two months since the
| Transvaal ultimatum was delivered
Nine engagements have been fought
/ and the British have lost 566 killed,
2,O27 wounded and 1877 missing or
prisoners.
The war office has issued a notice
that after Jan. l a deduction will be
made from the pay OF soldiers serv-
Ing in South African the case OF
privates, four pence per day for wives,
and a penny for each child; In the
case of sergeants, pence for wives
and pence for each child. The order
indicates a belief that the campaign
will be a long one
1t is announced from Cape Town
that the Beers have succeeded in re-
pairing the Leuwfontein bridge, be-
tween Stormberg and Burghersdorp,
which the British had destroyed on
retiring.
A Pretoria dispatch says that 672
British prisoners were taken at Storm
berg and that the Beers captured three
British guns.
In the fighting at Modder River Sun
day evening General Cronje maintain
ed his position and captured so British
soldiers.
The sortie at Kimberley last Sat-
urday was an attempt to take the
Boer position at Kamperdam and to
secure the water works. All the Brit
ish shots fell short
Details are expected from the Boer
outposts in the direction of Modder
River. There is a report that the
British are advancing on the plain, and
heavy fighting is anticipated. General
Prins Loo and General Cronie COM
mand the Boer forces.
The following dispatch has been re-
celved at Lorenzo Marquese from the
Boer lager near Ladysmith: Several
kafflr runners from Ladysmith to EST
court have been captured. They re-
ceived from els to e40 for the trim
The intercepted messages show that
men and horses in Ladysmith are now
on half rations, that whisky is G1 a
bottle and that beer is exhausted,