Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-27
LADySMiTH HARD PRESSED
Colonial Boers Restrained by Fear,
Not Loyalty, from Rising Against
Great uritain.


New York. Dec. 27.-A dispatch to the
Tribune from London says:
a belatcd bulletin from Labyrinth
was posted In the war office Tuesday.
II was "a three days casualty list with
four deaths from fever and dysrntery.
three men wounded. apparently from
shell IRE. and on a separate entry ten
Killed ana sixteen wounded In what
looked llk. sortic or reconnaissance
last rldHy In which were engaged the
Fifth lancers., who fought no wen ut
Elandslaagtc, and the remnants OF the
Gloucester regiment and the tenth
mountain battery, which were en-
trapped at Nlcholson's Mex. There were
no dctallg and II was possible that a
British gun had burst or that the
entmy's gun fire had been sufficiently
accurate that day to account FOR 80
large q casualty list. but the optlmlsts
chose to Infer that Gen. Whites men
had been again showing their mettle by
Ycnturlng outside their lines. especially
az Lieut.. Col. Fawcett, OF the Fifth
lancers. the officer apparently IN COM
mand, was severely wounded. This fegi-
ment was stationed at Pietermgritzburg
before the opening OF the war, and has
lost heavily In officers during he cam
paiEn In Natal.
Whether the Ladysmith garrison IL
fighting gallantly outside or is exposed
to a closer and more destructive lire
from the cnemy's guns, these casualty
lists. with their fatal cases Of typhoid
fever, are eloquent appeals TO the Brit
iah army beyond the Tugela to rescue
II as speedily as possible from prolonga-
ton OF the siege. The relief 'of Lady
smith has become General Buffers
first objective point, and everything
else has been sacrificed to attain that
Oblect.
There IL no trustworthy news from
Bullcr'a army. and tAc military writer's
are weary OF thar klrss business OF plan
ming his campaign FOR him NJ dis
lance OF 5000 miles, especially when
frontal attack seems the only re-
source OF British strategy In the field.
There II general agreement. however.
among the military men that an ef-
fort To force the passage OF the river
VIII not be attempted the second time
near colenso until full control OF the
southern bank has been secured.
The arrival OF the siege train Is re-
ported at last AT cnpetown. The mill
tnry authorities have at last supplied
their army In Africa with "A dozen
heavy guns after the Beers have been
dragging siege guns from the Pretoria
forts over upper Natal and across the
veldt to Magersfontcin and Mafeking.
and outclasslng the British horse and
field artillery. II IL not yet clear
viii make use OF these guns In attack
Ing the strongly fortified positions In
front OF them.
An outpost affair IL reported from
Chleveley, where picket OF hussars
posted on hill were surprised by
party Of hundred Beers. two troopers
being killed ana Ave or six horses cap
tured.
The Times correspondent at Sterk-
strom describes the general attitude
OF the Cape Dutch. He says that Gen.
Gatacre's reverse and the news OF other
British disasters undoubtedly encour-
aged many vaverers TO Join the Boer
commandoa. although the number OF
those who have done 30 Is greatly ex-
aggerated. Not loyalty. but fear. pre-
vents general rising. The members OF
the Bund are all dlsloyal and the pop
ulation II generally the same with rare
exceptions. Not 10 per cent OF the Dutch
colonists are In favor of British suprem-
ncy. The Free State and Transvaal
Beers. however. are bitterly dlsappolnt-
ed at the small number OF colonials
who have taken up arms against Eng
land.
The last reservists OF all arms and
branches 81 the service have been called
upon to rejoin their cclors. When this
summons has been answered II Will ne
possible to Judge the effectiveness OF
the mobilization scheme as whole, but
apparently the military authorities have
been over-sanguine In assuming that
three army corps can be recruited from
the first line OF reservlsts. They viii
certainly have two. but third win
have TO be pleced out with militia and
volunteers. II has also become nppar-
ent that the militia, which has n paper
strength OF 10000. includes 10000 men
OF the regular army reserve, and In
scaled down to $4,000 men In an emer-
gency like the present one. At least
10000 men have appeared In two places
as reserves and n false impression OF
the country's military resources has
been created.
Left the Knights OF Labor.
ChlcaRo Dec 2I-Ry tho unanimous