The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-11-02
South African War.

The British forces formed a junction
before Ladysmth last week by the
retreat of Gen. Yule from Dundee.
This move was absolutely necessary to
prevent Yule being cut off and his force
captured.
| Gen. Symons who was in command of
the battle of Glencoe died the 9th
instant from wounds received in that
battle. He WAS in the hands of the
enemy, being among the wounded that
Gen. Yule was obliged to abandon. but
it is understood they were well taken
care OF by the Beers.
The large proportion of the officers
killed at Glencoe is the cause of remark.
and protest by many against the ancient
custom of British officers refusing to
take advantage of cover while under
! fire. From figures at Glencoe it is ap-
parent that one out of every four men
killed was an officer, whereas the organ
ization exists upon the principal that
to every twenty-five men there is one
officer 1t is evident that if the same
ratio of mortality is kept up, the British
forces will become seriously under
differed. Among the enlisted men at
Glencoe the proportion of killed to
wounded was 30 to 1856, while 10 officers
were killed to % officers wounded On
the west border
There was an engagement north of
Kimberley Friday, in which the British
! claim to have Iepulsel the Beers The
city of Mafeking some 200 miles north
of Kimberley and only about s miles
north of the Transvaal border is an i'm
poTtant railroad town and is beseiged
by Beers. Whatever is done to capture
this place must be done earley as Gen.
Butler is making all possible dispatch in
landing Large force and running to the
defense of this part of the country.
In London on Tuesday dispatch was
received from Gen. White announcing a
disaster and taking the responsibility of
it upon himself. He stated: ~ have
to report disaster to the column sent
by me to take position on hill to guard
the left flank of the troops. In the
operations, today, the Royal Irish
Fusliers, No. 10 Mountain Battery and
the Worcestershire Regiment were sur.
rounded in the hills, and after losing
heavily, had to capitulate. The casual
ties are large.
A special dispatch from Ladysmith
says the Beers suffered severely during
the engagement, some persons estimat.
ing their loss at 900 to 1000 killed and
wounded.
1t appears that Gen. White advanced
the idea of driving the Beers from
Tintwainyoni Hill, seven miles out,
which Gen. Jouber made an ostentati-
Gus show of fortifying, sunday. The
Boer commander left force sufficient
to draw Gen White on, while the mass
of the Beers he moved stealthily round
the British right, to deliver flank at
tack and to endeavor to cut off Gen.
White from Ladysmth. The British
commander succeeded in beating off the
attack, but only with great difficulty,
and during the turning movement his
troops suffered from thanking fire.
Harsh things are said in military cir
Giles of the British tactics, which have
made possible the ambush of the 18th
Hussars at Glencoe and now the loss of
two fine regiments
The Cape Town correspondent of the
Daily Mail says he learns that Col.
Baden Powell, the British commander
at Mafeking, has laid railway in a
complete circle around Matching and is
running armored trains around the town,
ready to meet the Beers at any point.