The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-02


the Delagoa bay cable route, combined
with the monopolization Of the avail
able telegraph wires by the government
and British staff officers, is responsible
for the fact that nothing further has
arrived from South Africa. The gov
ernment has received dispatch recti-
flying the casualty lists. These will be
published to-day
| UP to midnight nothing had been re-
ceived concerning Mondays casualties.
The war office officials are working un-
der great strain. Captain Perrott, staff
captain to the military secretary, has
just died. his end being fastened by
anxiety and overwork
An unconfirmed statement is publish
ed that General Redvers Butler has
left Cape Town for Ladysmith.
A belated dispatch from Ladysmith,
describing Mondays fight, says: "A
couple of squadrons Of hussars had a
narrow escape from disaster early in
the day. They found themselves sud
denly confronted within easy range by
an overwhelming force of Beers. who
seemed to spring from the bowels Of
the earth. The hussars were splendidly
! handled and were eXtricated with only
| one man wounded"
| The queen is credited with expressing
pity for Sir George Stewart White and
the officials are in no wise inclined to
judge him harshly. So far as the pub
lie Is concerned however, while graft
fcation is felt at the manner in which
the Isolated battaliOns surrendered,
there is still severe criticism of General
White and Lieutenant Colonel Carlton
for allowing the column to get out of
touch, from the absence of proper
scouting, and for not retiring when the
ammunition was lost. In favor of
Lieutenant Colonel Carlton the ex-
PLANTATION is hazarded that he believed
1t was imperative to the success Of Gen
eral Whites operations that he should
hold the position at Nicholsons Mex.
The Morning Post comments severely
upon the British contempt for the en-
emy, as shown by the belief that the
large Boer force at Acton Homes could
be held in check by Cartons small col
umn. 1t points out that even If the
British forces there had been supplied
with ammunition, they could have held
out only few hours longer, inasmuch
as they We're in the most complete
sense detached, and because nobody
apparently at Ladysmith had any idea
of their distress or took any measures
to rescue them.
"The column was sacrificed" says
the Morning Post, because it was
sent into action gagged and blindfold-
ed. 1t had neither scout nor patrol.
Twelve hundred men were thrown
away for lack of cavalry which would
not have been missed from another
part of the field"
The Standard, which comments in
similar terms upon the fact that
General White made no effort to extri-
cate the column from the impossible
situation into which he had thrown
II, draws a sad picture of the men
hoping for relief and then realizing
with bitterness Of heart that some one
mad blundered that they had been for
gotten by their general and his staff,
ana that nothing was left but surren-
der and imprisonment at Pretoria un-
til the end of the war"
The Daily Chronicle saws: TT is ev-
ldent 1hat somebody blundered, but
more &tails are required before the
olame can be apportioned."
Inc Ilmes says: THE dangers of Sir
George Whites plans are patent even
to civilians, but it is not impossible
INA. me cape boys in charge of the
mountain battery have been tampered
with by the Beers. Otherwise such a
large and comprehensive stampede is
avery extraordinary occurrence from
such a slight cause. General Whites
movement, so far as it can be under
stood from present information, is open
to criticism, especially in the complete
absence of communication from the
main body"
Ihe morning papers comment with
the greatest satisfaction upon Canada's
action in sending second contingent
to South Africa.
A careful consideration of the Brit
ish losses in all the engagements since
the outbreak of hostilities, excluding
the casualties among the non-commis-
stoned officers and men in Mondays
disaster at Ladysmith, which are thus
far unknown here, gives a total of GIG,
to which probably 1900 will be added
when the details reach here. This to-
tai is made up as follows: Officers.
133 IS being killed. 81 wounded and
SO captured. Men, 1888; 1877 being killed.