Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-12-27
LADYSMlTh HARD PRESSED
Gen. Butler VIII Make Another Effort 10 Re.
Ieye The Garrison,
Colonial Roers Restrained by Fear,
Not Loyalty. from Rising Against
Great britain.

New York. Dec. PA dispatch to the
Tribune from London says;
A belated bulletin from Ladysmith
was posted in the war Office Tuesday
Ii was a three days casualty list with
four deaths from fever and dyssnteFy
three men wounded, apparently from
shell fire. and on a separate entry ten
killed and sixteen wounded IN what
looked like sOrtie or reconnaissance
last Friday in which were engaged me
Fifth lancers,, who fought so wen at
Elandslaagte, and the remnants OF the
Gloucester regiment and the tenth
mountain battery, which were en-
trapped at Nicholson's Mex. There were
no details and ii was possible that
British gun had burst or that the
enemy's gun fire had been sufficiently
accurate that day TO account FOR so
large casualty list, but the optimlsts
chose to infer that Gen. Whites men
had been again showing their mettle ~
yenturing outside their lines, especially
as Lieut.. Col Fawcett, OF the Firth
lancers, the officer apparently IN COM
mand, was severely wounded. This legi-
ment was stationed at Pietermaritzburg
before the opening Of the war, and has
lost heavily In officers during he cam
paign In Natal.
Whether the Ladysmith garrison Is
fighting calamity outside or is exposed
TO a closer and more destructive fire
from the enemy's guns, these casualty
lists. with their fatal cases OF typhoid
fever, are eloquent appeals TO the Brit
ish army beyond the Tugela 10 rescue
Il 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
object.
There is no trustworthy news from
Buffers army, and the military writers
are weary Of tharkless business OF plan
ming his campaign for him at dis
lance Of 5000 miles, especially when
frontal attack seems the only re-
source Of British strategy In the field.
There Is general agreement, however,
among the military men that an ef-
fort to force the passage Of the river
will 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 al last at Capetown. The mill
tary authorities have at last supplied
their army In Africa with dozen
heavy guns after the Beers have been
dragging siege guns from the Pretoria
forts over upper Natal and across the
yeldt to Magersfontein and Mafeking.
and outclassing the British horse and
field artillery. IL Is not yet clear
whether Gen. Mothuen or Gen. Butler
will make use Of these guns in attack
ing the strongly fortified positions In
front Of them.
An outpost affair Is reported from
Chieveey, where picket Of hussars
posted on hill were surprised by a
party Of hundred Beers, two troopers
being killed and five 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 waverers 10 Join the Boer
commands, although the number OF
| those who have done so Is greatly ex-
| aggerated Not loyalty. but fear, pre-
| vents a general rising. The members OF
, the Bund are all disloyal and the pop
J ulation Is generally the same with rare
exceptions. Not 10 per cent Of the Dutch
] colonists are In favor OF British suprem-
! acy. The Free State and Transvaal
Beers. however, are bitterly disappolnt-
ed al the small number OF colonials
who have taken up arms against Eng
| land.
The last reseryists OF all arms and
branches ~ the service have been called
upon to rejoin their colors. When this
summons has been answered il will be
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 reservists. They VIII
| certainly have two. but a third VIII
have 10 be pleced out with militia and
volunteers. II has also become appar-
ent that the militia, which has paper
strength OF 10000, includes 10000 men
| OF the regular army reserve. and is
scaled down 10 $1,000 men in an emer-
gency like the present one. AT least
30 900 men have appeared In two places
| as reserves and a false impression OF
the countrys military resources has
| been created.