Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-11-09
WITHHOLDING HISOWN
Cessation of Hostilities at Lady
smith Since Friday.
LONDON VIEWS OF THE SITUATION
Press Reports of Heavy Boer Losses
Doubted-Investme of Ladysmith
Believed to BE Less Effective Than
Has Been Supposed.

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Beers had been captured. The war de-
partment, however, had given out moth
ing to affirm or deny the report all day,
which confused the newspapers as well
as the reading public.
In the evening the war department
posted dispatch from General Butler,
dated Cape Town, Nov. Z, 1925 D. M,
containing the report from the general
commanding at Estcourt through the
governor of Natal. Commenting on this
telegram, The Daily Mail this morning
says:
1T seems singular that an apparently
official message should be subjected to
censorship, but the probability is that the
message is not official, the general at
Estcourt in the absence of official news,
remitting the above in order to alay
anxiety regarding Ladysmith.
Odd Features of the Dispatch.
I'VE imagine the correspondent who
sent the official message was a colonial,
for he specially and solely mentioned as
the chief loss that of the Light Horse,
which is II local force. The British force
at Estcourt is believed to be 1900 strong
This dispatch, which carries the news
from Estcourt and probably from Lady
smith down to Monday, is remarkable as
omitting all mention of the heavy Boer
losses reported through unofficial sources
to have occurred presumably at earlier
dates.
by comparing this dispatch with that
of General White of Fridays date and
that of The Daily Mails special corre-
spondent at Ladysmith it is clear that
two actions of some Importance were
fought by the troops under Colonel
Broeklehurst, one on Thursday probably
ut Bester's or at Tatham's farm, and the
other on Friday at Dewdrop or Bester's,
most likely at Bester's farm, not Bester's
Station, for the former is four or five
miles west of Ladysmith and the latter is
IA miles away. 1t is not at all probable
that small force OF British would risk
attacking the Beers ut that distance from
their base.
"Dewdorf, mentioned in the Estcourt
dispatch, is evidently Dewdrop, which is
shown on the map to be five miles south
west of Ladysmith. 1t would correspond
to the indication given in General Whites
dispatch. Fridays engagement seems to
have been the more important of the two,
for Colonel Brocklehurst's force is de-
scribed as driving the BofSs back con-
siderable distance and disabling a gun,
with comparatively slight loss on our
side.
ut seems to make it doubtful that the
Beers lost as heavily as is unofficially re-
ported. On tins point, however, we shall
have to await further official dispatches.
Bullwana is probably Umbulwani hill,
where the Beers planted Long Tom.'
1t is just possible that the engagement
at Umbulwani may be that in which the
severe punishment of the Beers occur
red. This action took place on Friday.
Beers May he Resting.
THE statement that there has been a
cessation of hostilities since Friday may
mean the Beers have had enough fight
ing for time.
The officers reported killed, Captain
Knapp and Lieutenant Brabant, were
both of the Imperial Light Horse. Cap
tam Knapp had seen a good deal of
lighting in Rhodesia with the notable
mounted police. He was a mining man
by profession. Lieutenant Brabant was
a son of Captain Brabant, n member of
the Cape assembly and president of the
South African league"
1t is generally conceded by all the Lon
don papers this morning that General
White Is holding his own, notwthstand-
ing the fact that Ladysmith is invested.
The various papers differ, however, as
to the result of the engagements at Lady
smith during last week. The Daily Tele-
graph does not see how q fight of sew
eral hours with cavalry the field artil-
lery, the Imperial Light Horse and the
Natal mounted volunteers engaged could
be small matter, as Thursdays fighting
has been variously reported to have been
Serious Bocr Reverse.
1t turns out, says the Daily Telegraph
to have been very serious reverse for
the Beers and adds that their war cor
respondent counts the Boer losses at 800
killed and wounded and 40 prisoners.
The Daily Telegraph further traces the
additional action with cavalry and field
artillery engaged, this time apparently OH
the northern side of Ladysmith on FRI
day and Saturday.
The Daily Telegraph in summing up
makes the following deductions:
Accounts to hand are naturally brief
and incomplete. They are gathered from
runners and natives, from severely CEN
sored press dispatches and from the mes
sage brought by Kaffir to Estcourt,
where the general in charge Of the Brit
ish force seems to have commandeered it
for the benefit of the war office.
The details are ample enough to yield
two important concusions-that the gar
rison at Ladysmith is more than able to
take care of itself and that the invest
ment is by no means as stringent as was
supposed. 1t is certainly not severe
enough to compel Sir George White to
sit still and await e-enforcements. He is
compelling the enemy to show the utmost
they can do in weakening him."
A Less Optimistic View.
On the other hand. The Daily Mail this
morning concludes that Fridays bonn
bardment at Ladysmith did little dam
age. 1t places the British loss altogether
at eight killed and about 80 wounded. 1t
believes that the Beers have sustained re-
verses, though probably only small ones.
SO confused are the various messages
that it is difficult to discover where the
lighting around Ladysmith occurred or
on what day.
I'VE read" says The Mail, "of move
ments toward Bester's farm, seemingly
only five miles from Ladysmith-not Bes-
ter's Station, IA miles away-and of 9th
/ q mo &c IL II