The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-26
BoER MARKsMANsHIP BAD.
Otherwise the Loss to the British at
Belmont Would Have Been Great.


New York, Nov. PA dispatch to
the Tribune from London says: The
local papers publish further details of
the battle of Belmont. They show that
1.-The behavior of the British infantry in
charging strong positions held by the
Beers was magnificent. In the face of
a tremendous fire, the British guards
| three times drove the Free Staters in
flight from their kopjes. The war cor
respondent of the Chronicle, however.
says that the Boer craftsmanship was
wretched. otherwise not single
guardsman out of the two battalions
| OF ColdstreafnS. who carried the posi-
ton at the point of the bayonet could
have lived to reach the summit of the
ridge.
The censorship has let in fresh
series OF Kaffir rumors respecting
great victory by the Ladysmith garri-
son on Sunday, but it has kept out
definite information relating to the
anamolous military situation in lower
Natal The rumors of victory come
from many sources, but are untrust-
worthy and are discredited by an Of
fetal report from General White via
Durham, showing the situation at
Ladysmith unchanged on Nov. %, al
though based upon a strong inherent
probability that a trained Indian
fighter like General White, discovering
that the lines of investment have been
weakened by the withdrawal of large
force southwark. would not remain
idle, but would attack the enemy's posi-
tons without delay. This is what
soldiers of the Indian school say that
Lord Roberts would do under the same
conditions, and they know that Gen
eral White is a man Of action, anxious
to retrieve his record of having
brought on a disastrous reverse by a
tactical error.
Ali the news from Ladysmith must
be discredited. unless it comes by
pigeon, when there are three missing
links in the broken chain of communi-
cation with the coast. A fourth break
has not yet been reported between the
capital of Natal and the seaboard. But
at the. worst Englishmen will be able
to console themselves with the ref1ec-
ton that the Beers cannot go outside !
of Durham without plunging into the !
sea
There are vague reports of heavy |
artillery firing here and spirited skirIn- /
ishing there, but the curtain was not |
lifted at midnight high enough to en-
able any one in London to obtain a |
clear glimpse of what is going on.
The situation in Natal is not so |
critical as the panic mongers imagine.
The raiders have not entrapped any
detachment of the relief column nor
made an effective attack at any point
Every important river crossing below
Estcourt has been securely guarded,
and the column is receiving reinforce
mentS rapidly from the coast and is
slowly pulling itself together. General
Lytton has taken command of a por-
ton of the brigade on the Nottingham
road. Pietermaritzburg is safe and the
Boer demonstration is hardly more
than a hazardous if ingenious and eff
fective method of harassing and block
ing the British advance.
Lord Methuen's victory at Belmont
remains as complete as when reported
twenty-four hours earlier. Later Of
fetal reports show that the enemy was
taken by surprise and forced TO
abandon ammunition and supplies
while retreating In good order. The
casualty list has not been seriously in
creased and the number of officers is
not out of proportion 70 the whole
force, owing to Lord Methuen's sensf-
BILE measures for compelling them to
protect themselves.
The Daily Mails correspondent paws
l fine tribute today TO the gallantly of
he guards in carrying position after
position at the point of the bayoret,
md there are other accounts of this
brilliant charge, Among the killed :
we're Captain Eagar. one of the heroes
If Omdurman. and Lieutenant Farmer.
| popular officer of the Grenadiers. !
Among the wounded the most con-
'picuous officers We're Lieutenant
Colonel Crabbe. who received medals
md honors in Egypt and the Soudan:
Major Hamilton, one of the best known /.
nen in the Scots guards and q veteran
# many campaigns; Major Eastwood. :
mother hero of Omdurman and Lieu
enant Willoughby.
General French's movement toward $
,olesburg is explained by military ex- c
eI'ts as maneuver to occupy the
nemy and prevent raiding against
General Methuen's long line of com
But Sir Alfred Miners
roclamation shows that there is seri-
us danger of a Dutch uprising and
hat General Gatacre needs to drive
ack the hostile forces as soon as pos
ibe. Reinforcements were sent yes !
erday to Port Elizabeth for him and n
mother small detachment of cavalry 7
ras sent to Durham.
The unsanitary condition of MAIZE Il
ing is causing great uneasiness. !
About 10000 troops are still afloat y
YER $4,000 having arrived in South s
-frica. of whom 1858 have been sent L
D Durham. The first battalions of the
ew division sailed yesterday on three '
-ansports and the Warren starts to- a
ay. q