The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-06


the Cavalry After tho Enemy's Position
Had been sheiicd-Camp Equipment
Captured and Beers Lose Heavily
other sortics Keep the Beers Engnged-
Artillery Duel Continuation. White
send. out Reports by Pigeons-Trsops
an Good Health and spirits-An Es-
change of wounded Prisoners Made.
Sptclil cable De,pdtch<, to Tar Sun
Ioypov. Nov. 6,--News from Natal Is still
,c,pty and what has been received Is mixed.
the main feature being three accounts
a, Thursdays fighting around Ladysmith.
IN. Of which describes the taking OF the Beers
ann A. Besters Hill in such a fashion as
Won 4 mean. II It were true. q distinct check
% ,hs Free State burghers. The other two.
Including an official pigeon-post despatch, do
not indicate anything beyond a successful
lt;e skrmi'h.
The most important news. though 1t Is scan
~ refers TO the movements OF the Free State
Beers in tho northern part OF Cape COL
opv. While the British still hold De
AR and the Orange River bridge
the Beers have the latter undermined. thus
commanding the route from Cape Town to KIM
ter'ey. They also hold the Colesberg bridge
over which passes the main road to the Cape
They have Possession OF the bridge Mt Nor
vaTs Font, carving the Port Elizabeth line.
and the Rethulie Bridge. carrying the East
London lines
The beers now seem to be pausing. but
their natural objective will be the juno
tons at Stormberg. which has already been
evacuated, Naauwpoort. and De har. The inn
por,ancs OF these points. on which converge
the railways connecting the Free State with
the coast, is such that the first available troops
are expected to be sent thither.
LONDON Nov 5-Shortly before midnight
the War Offlce posted the following message
received from Gen. Sir Redvers Butler from
Care Town. dated =. 40 o'clock tonight
The following message by pigeon post was
received to-day through the commander at
Durham:
ION Friday Gen. French went out with cav
airy and field artillery and effectively shelled
a Boer lager near Ladysmth. There was no
loss on our side.
Lieut. Egerton OF the naval battery. who
was wounded. is dead. Gen. Joubert sent In
N.jor Kincaid OF the Royal Irish FusIliers and
nine wounded prisoners. Eight Beers were
sent In exchange. No others were At to travel.
To-day Gen. Brocklehurst. with isld artl-
lery, cavalry. the Imperial Light Horse and the
Natal Mounted Volunteers, engaged the enemy
southwest OF Ladysmith. fighting for several
hours. Our loss was very small. The bonn
bardment continued yesterday and to-day.
many shells pitching into the town. The
troops are in good health and spirits.
The wounded are doing very well.
The following details OF the fighting at Lady
smith have also been received:
THURSDAY. 240 7. M.-Yeste.day and last
night som- Of the British guns were quietly
in ~.
Brigade getting three powerful quick
hrers on high ridge close to the
western side OF the town. The Beers also
dragged one OF their forty Founders to an eI-
ee,lNnt new position and replaced their dis
abled guns with new ones In the old positions
They also placed a new battery on hill fou
miles southwest NJ the town. Gen. White anC
h.sstatf were astir before daybreak and i'm
portant movements were effected.
Al $40 the blueIackets opened on the ridg,
where the Beers had a forty-pornder and
furious cannonade ensued. After four hour,
the torty-pounder was silencsd. Meanwhile,
the other batteries were busy. the British hav.
Ing the better OF the fighting.
Gen. French. with the Lancers. Hussars
Natal Carbniers and Border Rifles. started a,
dawn and got within striking distance OF the
Boers' camp on Bester's Hill before
the enemy noticed them. field bat.
tsry also managed to take up a position
commanding the enemy's camp without m oes.
tatou The camp was a large one. surrounded
hy wagons and other distractions. Bester's
Hi, was well fortified and hero wern good guns
there About O'Clock the British guns
opened fire. The Beers replied spiritedy
hut their guns were not well served
an! their fire was ineffective. The British nre
Wa very good. for within "A short time forty
two shells burst right in the midst of the camp
in'ctihg heavy loss and demoralzng the de-
Tenders
Then tho cavalry suddenly charged and
tw"F. over the lager. driving everything
irresist.bly before them. Tho Beers fed
rrec'ptately. leaving many dead and
wounded on the ground. The shell
fire had punished them terribly. The
entire camp equipment fell into tho hands Of
the British. The scheme was well devised and
brilliantly executed. 1t is hoped that It viii
considerably minimize tho efficiency OF tho
Tree State Beers to the westward"
despatch 10 tho Central News says thai
while the blueinckets at Ladysmith wer,
hombar!Ing the Boer batteries Thursda,
afternoon party Of cavalry volunteers crep
around the hills aud surprised and captured
one 0! the camps OF the enemy. 1t was {
brilliant piece Of work
LoNroS. Nov G.-The CORRESPONDENT OF the
Han4lri at LNdysmith. 'elcgriphing under
oa'" o Thursday. min mics the result Of the
Fighting which took place there on Wednesday
he says the British scored "a slight success tina
was sufficient to show the enemy that they re
'tlil equal 70 taking the offensive, He add.
that the Fifth Lanccrs ani some field artillsr,
drove commando OF Free State Beers from
their lager Ave miles to the northwest Of the
town Only three OF the British soldiers were
hI