New-York tribune., 1899-12-24

| garrison. They are nearly three to one their guns
| are heavier and have longer range. the town
| lies at their feet. and our only means Of reach
s rG@ T1Sfe 6e Fee Pen STATE held by strong
Despite these apparently desperate conditions, 1t
| would be wrong TO say that have any doubt as
! to the issue. Thanks TO Colonel Ward and TO the
untring energy Of Major Morgan, we have pro
rival Of General Butler at Cape Town, moreover.
Will be relieved and that the Beers from the Free
State will be on their way TO defend their hearhs
that the fate Of South Africa does not depend on
this small column, We are prepared TO resist 10 the
| last.
BOER sHREwDNEss AT LOMBARD's KoP.
In a previous letter I have described the course
! Of events that has brought US 10 this pass Inc
fight at Lombards op-characterized officially as
| a reconnaissance in force-was really pitched
Beers have never been at a loss TO discover our IN
! tentons. With customary shrewdness and celeriy
! attack failed and We driven back into Lady
smith under the e Of ooKe5 the and had the
Roers followed up their success they might even
have taken the town. Happily they are content
more happily. the naval brigade from the fo"etLu ~
guns into action. knocked out Long Tom, whose
exploits at Dundee had caused nany eT9Pe e tre ,'
! We slept soundy enough that night Al oaWn 45ti on
Tuesday the roar Of Long Tom from % nnr [n
nearly six miles away reminded us tia' i IN. tire G{u
are early rsors. few shots fell IN me Town, NIL
II Ing 6esan General Joubert had sent flag Of truce
with letter, granting US PERMISSION 10 DuS @
ear a.
regiment and the Irish Fusiliers Then ior tnT
first time heard the true story OF tne d IoaSteg
morning while awaiting the attack on the Beers,
told b. two men Of the GIoucsstet ~ rcrn
rades had been either killed or captured on d9e 3
previous night h. after 1r,1iio5 ftampSGe mSes oi
The story seemed so improbable that laI! hardy
neegcH % ts recey T With caution Yet It was in sub
stance a true version Of the most 9egIoIabSTd co
Hnns during the war OF lSSO-sl seemed TO havgG
been forgotten and on SUNDAY hignI nm 1 to seize
Nichoisons Mex about six miles from {oWn. VIZ on y the
ment was 10 protect our left flank during the as
sault on the Boer position. IN b 0Iuel terv df1cu
country Their guides were trustwDrthy ana knew new
every inch Of The ROAD But on 1e and were waiting
on a kOpje about two miles from Nichoisohs' s
STARTLED IN THE DARKNESS.
Moving as cautiously and as noiselessly as the
nafure OF the ground would allow, the doomed reg
mems "eie Tpe sur3rse was Complete. Confusion
seized the column. Terrified by the morse anu -
tbe mou5tain battery Dashing through the ranks
with the guns trailing behind thefn tne b,Ir
Ing some into the ditch and injuring others; Ine
mnnjfion also caught fright. and lashng out on az
sides ran amuck among the men 80 ~ 80 jT
realize what had befallen the two 6attaons were d 5
a state Of hopeless disorder and theiE s guIs ae ~
reserve OF ammunition were flying throush '"e
coloHei Carlton and Major Adye did their utmost most
TO rally the men ana kopte on the left Of the
road Here they were allowed 10 rehaln ulu 5nnsr
turbed during the night Inc nOurS yi ibjnrench-
ments and b1eastworks Of stone When dayn9gho l9 n
came they d found anee Eopss on which the Beers
had established themselves. ana were "a,di5 L1r 60 ~
attack The trap was well laid and ;,ye haylhs oI He
surrounded his prey the & isoe ON nur light fank at
Lombard's Kop were heard The nghI vi "l mil
INT desperate Our soldiers held out manluly un.ii @
wa almost exhausted, anu hul
r1aeres onJy after forty -four had been killed and
esgbfYsx wounded The Beers took SO prisoners
our wounded the bombardment OF Ladysmlth Was
ohs foT tep P depart1re There rush for
the trains end the Paocmb bs was rs fo esye We're
the members of the Town Guard As !ong as Sour tne
ageoIsy turned out every afternoon on paIaoe ~1iw MIN
their rifles but when the critical hour arrived @ Only
ten SoulG 0e oTaeg was issued for the town to be
cleared Of civilians. nobody imagining tns' ne Inc nne
Beers would succeed in cutting our lIhe u CUM
II was not until Wednesday that the authorites
Number OF persons whose antecedents and syHlpa-
thies doubtful and who might be SseiGi 70
dents and unauthorized people were accordinsy
too 5nat wd followed BY the arrest Of several
dutch and German residents whose movements ,h1 ndd
that spies were numerous. and that every move
ment on our part was Immediately mace known 10
When these sources Of Information were limited.
Of the Geneva Cross on Thursday they sent In an
ambulance with some OF wounded In order 10
effect an exchange. The ambulance instead or
halng AT our outposts until Il could be taken over
by our army medical corps, was allowed 10 enter
The town f'he driver was afterward recognized as
a German gunner. who made the most or MS time
10 discover our vulnerable points and 20 judge me
ranges He roamed the town al his own sweet Will.
and went so far offer Transvaal money At
the stores When told that coins bearing the ef-
Ngv Of Mr. KRUGER no longer accepted ne
imnudently replied "Oh. you'll soon be compelled
to take them in Ladysmith"
The consequences Of this extreme indulgence were
seen next day when the town was subjected 10
severe cannonade. Nor this the only instance
Of the manner in which the enemy have taken un-
fair advantage Of the Red Cross. / dismiss many
stories which. though apparently AUTHENTIC, nave
not come under my personal observation. For TWO !
aerant abuses vouch. on Monday. while the !
poers shelled one of our ambulances which nap |
nened to be at some distance behind a neld bat |
tery they protected large aager OF their own by
statIoning an ambulance in front. Again, when IN
trenchne themselves in the hills around the town.
they masked a gun with Geneva Cross Only |
after the ambulance was removed did we discover !
tbat II concealed gun. around which breastwork |
Of powders had been bullt ,,--. =. |
on wednesday We expected the bombardment TO |
hegin in earnest During the night our stores OF |
ommunition and provisions were distributed over |
on .nr few shots were fired from Al gun.
Sa,"S ca. SostlitIes were suspended II be
a pu. known that wounded Gloucesters and
S.h E,,siliers were being brought in. The day
IIlsI a. making empleccments for the guns. The
tptiit -. ,hofr book Durham and cOsed