Arizona silver belt., 1899-11-02
DISASTER FOR BRITISH.
Two Entire Regiments and Bat
 tery Captured by the Boers.


 LONDON. Oct. 3l.-rhe following Is the text ol the dispatch sent to the war department by General White:
 LADysMITH, Oct. 30, 1U:4O p. m. have to report disaster to the column sent by me to take position on the hill 1 to guard the left flank of the troops. In these operations the Royal Irish Flu siliers, No, 10 Mountain Battery and the Worcestershire regiment were sur rounded in the hills, and after losing heavily were obliged to capitulate, The casualties have not been ascer- talned.
 A man of the Fusiliers, employed us hospital orderly. came III under n flag of truce with a letter from the surviv- ors of the column, who asked for as- 1. sistance to bury the dead, fear there is no doubt of the truth of the report. l formed a plan, in the carrying out of which disaster occurred, and | alone am responsible for the plan. There Is no blame whatever to the troops, as their position was uatennble.
 The dispatch further says: The enemy are again closing in and the slt- nation Is one of grave anxiety. Beyond doubt the Boer movement yesterday (Monday) was rnse to draw General White into the hilly country and away from the British camp This last sell tence is significant and confirms the opinion of military experts here that General White is allowing himself to be outgeneraled by Commandaut Gen eral Joubert. From the scaut advices received up to II o'clock p. m. 1t seems toerably certain that the disaster was simple repetition of the battle of Ma iuba hin, though on larger scale. | The two regiments were allowed to march into n trap set for them by the Boers. It is is simply case of Boer spider and guileless British fly. In fact the whole engagement of Monday seems to have been brought on by Com mandant General Joubert who skill fully conceived gigantic trap, out of which, as the oitisia dispatches show, Sir George White only escaped with difficulty. General White advanced with the idea of driving the Boers from hill seven miles out, which General Joubert made all ostentatious show of fortiiying on Sunday. The Boer com mander left n force sufficient to draw General White on, while the mass of the Boers he moved stealthily around the British right to deliver flank at- tack and to endeayor to cut off General White from Ladysmith. The British commander succeeded in beating off the attack. but only with great diff culty. and during the turning move ment his troops suffered from the flank ing fire. Harsh things are said in mil itary circles of the British tactics which have made possible an ambush of the Eighteenth Hussars at Glencoe and now the loss of two fine regiments.
 It appears that Sir George White is DO match for the Bners in that cunning by winch the Boers are conceived, and it is pointed out that if the British commanders continue to lead their men into obvious traps further disas- ters must be looked for The disaster cost the British from 1,500 to 2,000 men and six 7-pounder screw guns !; and as the Boer artillery is already stronger than imagined the capture of these guns will be great help to the Boers. Forty-two English officers were captured.