Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-11-24

vided with plenty Of guns, The ground
they chose to defend was cleyerly
selected, and In driving them from their
position the British troops had TO carry
three ridges In succession, which seems
almost repetition OF the battlefield Of
Elandslaagte. The last ridge was car
ried at the point q the bayonet by the
guards, after the defenders had been
shaken out with shrapnel. The Brit
lsh losses, as officially reported, were
three officers killed and % wounded In
GLIDING General Felherst0nehaugh 80
men killed, 100 wounded and q MISS
ing,
The Beers lost heavily and 10 prisons
ers We're taken, besides a great quantity
OF stores.
This victory Is Of special importance
because IL Is the first blow dealt by
the British force, acting purely on The
offensive and Is part Of The develop
ment Of the British plan OF campaign.
II will doubtless open up the road 70
Kimberley, at all events as far as the
Moddcr river. where The advance OF
the column VIII again probably be OPP
posed.
Further details Of the fighting viii be
anXlously awaited by the British public
although II Is already clear that the
victory Is decisive.
4 dispatch IS also at hand from Gen
eral Gatacre. who In reporting the
latest disposition VI the British troops,
makes ominOus mention Of the contln-
ued Dutch risings In the Broken Nah
district A party Of armed Dutch is
said TO have let CradoCk on the east
orn line 10 Port Elizabeth TO join the
Beers taking armed natives with them.
General French. who was reported TO
be moving east from De Aar. has found
the Beers holding a strong position at
Arundel Jew miles north Of Noauw-
port The British force withdrew with
three wounded
There Is no news from Estcourt but
a rumor has reached PietermaritzbuTg
that Gen. White made q successful SOL
tie from Ladvsmith, capturing some
Boer positions with guns and material,
and nflcting loss on the enemy
Big battle was placaraed In large
letters on newspaper posters last night
but II turned out 10 be one o. the
old kind in the Soudan, where $500
Dorvishes had been attacked by Gen.
Wingate with an Egyptian force and
utterly routed, after n sudden, lrresls-
tlble onslaught, over 400 being killed.
The Anglo Egyptian loss was three
men wounded-a low price for a corr
plete victory This is the training
which the British armies have had for
a generation In fighting savages or
semi-civllzed foes. and II has untitled
them FOR battling with the Beers, who
do not mass their forces and cannot
he rushed
The situation In lower Natal offers
a striking contrast 10 all conditions OF
warfare TO which the English people
are accustomed. The Dutch allies, az
ter investing Ladysmith, have
turned about 10 deal with the British
relief column piecemeaL BY dividing
their forces into mobile bands Of raid
ers and cutting In between Estcourt
and Moot river, and threatening TO dash
in at Howlck, between the Mool and
Pietermaritzburg, they are isolating
one British detachment after another
by their superior mobility, without
making a decisive attack at any point
or concentrating their forces for SUI
preme effort IL Is guerilla warfare,
with long raags guns and howitzars
added for keeping the British at a dis
lance. and is varied by such diversions
as horse stealing, cattle raiding and
looting on a large scale. John Bull Is
naturally lrritated by these irregular
tactics but he ought not 10 be amazed
by them, for General Joubert during
the war Of independence dealt IN pre-
clsaly the same way with one British
detachment after another and pre-
vented union Of the various commands.
He then had the immense advantage
Of superiority OF numbers. But condi-
lions are now reversed, for the British
force IN lower Natal viii be 5000 GER
tainly and possibly 10000, when the last
transport reaches Durham, and General
Whites garrison Of 1900 troops Is SIN
unframed In reserve. Moreover, Jou-
bert. while blocking the advance OF the
relief column by separating the var
ious links IN the chain, Is scattering
his own forces without obtaining any
marked advantage
While the situation In Natal was
most conflicting several points were
clear at midnight. The Ladysmlth gar
rlson remained safe and cheerful at the
end OF last week. as was shown by the
Stars special dispatch from Capetown,
based upon the message brought by a
runner General Hlldyard was not help
less AT Estc0urt. for he had made a
sortIe and was engaging the enemy.
The bridge was resolutely held by Bar
toms battllions at the Mooi river, after
two DAYS skirmishlng, and there were
Guns 10 defend Il. Pietermariizburg
was well garrisoned, and fresh infan-
try. Dragons and naval guns had been
nut on shore at Durham. General Bull
Ter. moreover. was not showing any
signs Of uneaslness or panic. for the
only force sent from Capetown TO
Durham yesterday was a small body Of
dragons.
News from the western frontier Is
stirring. The war Office has received
reports from Kimberley 20 Nov II. an
nounclng a weeks Ineffective lombard
ment and two dashing midnight sorties
by the garrison The Dutch forces are
concentrating south Of Kimberley In
anticipation Of the approach Of Lord
Methuen's column. which win have ar
duous work cut out for H. as the
enemy are on good tghtlng ground.
From Mafeking there is message TO
the Pail Mall Gazette dated Nov %,
with the disturbing report that fever Is
rife In the town. Lord Sallsbury's son
is station "a there with dozen well
known british officers who are fighting
under Baden-Powell
Signs OF active operations are multi
plying on the Orange river north and