The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-11-10
THE BRITISH VICTORIOUS
IN AN ATTACK UPON THE BESlEGERS
At lADYSMITH.
ARTILLERY FIRE OF THE Beers
iye-They are Driven from Their
Position ON the Hills and Attacked
by C~avairy-The Bocr strength u
6reater Thar Supposed by the Brit
ish- British Precautions at GIbralter

London. November 1T is annonuc-
ed in a special dispatch rom Cape
Towp. dated Sunday. Novembe~ 5th.
that the British hav been victorious
in an engagement al Ladysmith and
that the Boer loss was very heavy. in
Guiding 1900 prisoners.
The following is the text OF a dispatch
from General Butler from Cape Town.
dated November It'll. 1855 p. m:
THE following dispatch has been re-
ceived from the general commanding
at Estcourt, dated November 9Th:
Since Friday there has been a ces-
sation OF hostilities. 4 note was sent
that day 10 General Joubert by General
White, at the request of the mayor,
asking permission for the non-combat-
ants. sick and wounded TO go south.
General Joubert refused the Tue
but agreed to allow them to go to a
special camp four miles from Lady
smith The towns people refused TO
accept this offer. The sick and wound
ed and a few OF the inhabitants were
moved yesterday. n few shots were
exchanged yesterday, at the outposts.
Fridays bombardment was heavy.
Shells fell in the hospital n one burst
IN a hotel, during luncheon. No one
was injured. The only casualty in the
town from the shells thus far is o KAT
fir killed.
her was a smart action, Friday.
toward Dewdorp. h troops nde
Genera Brecklehurst drove the Beers
back a considerable distance and disa-
bled a gun.
There was also fighting neal Bull
wanna. Our loss altogether is eight kill
ed and about twenty wounded. Nine
ty-eight Dundee wounded have arrived.
They were sent here Saturday. An are
doing well.
THE position here is now believed
TO be entirely safe. 1t has been x
ly strengthened curing the last twenty
four hours. The people have deserted
their dwellings and are living in bomb
proof places safe from shell fire. There
is plenty of good stores of all kinds.
Captain Knapp and Lieutenant
Brabant were killed in Friday
The foregoing Is an exact copy of
a press censor telegram brought here
by a kaffir runner There is no other
official news"
THE BOERS DEFEATED.
Estcourt, Natal, Sunday November S.
"A reliable native has brought confir-
matory evidence of Fridays fight south
OF Ladysmith. A reconnaissance in
OIS Wdo lHdut ~ d bIFllSH uINlSlOHt
the object being to relieve the Colenso
column, which had been attacked by
the Beers. The British infantry charg-
ed the Beers who were strongly posted
on Globlerskloof hill and drove them
down on the plain, toward the Tugela
river. Then the British cavalry, exc
cutting a fine thanking movement, charg-
ed the Beers, almost ~annihilating them.
The plain was StreWn with slain Beers.
An armored train has again lelt for
COlenSo, with a company of the Dubli
fusileers and a railroad engineering
staff to repair the line. No fighting is
supposed to have occurred Saturday
as no firing was heard.
Durham, Saturday Novemne" "a
native eyewitness OF Thursdays battle
neal Ladysmith says me Beers were
caught on the open ground and raised
several white flags. The British then
advanced without firing to accept the
surrender of the Beers, but were receiv-
ed with a volley at close range. en-
ragged at this treachery, the lancers,
hussars and Dragons, followed by the
infantry with fixed bayonets, charged
through and through the enemy and
did great action A lot of prisoners
and looters were captured.
Another battle on Friday with the
Beers was proceeding, according to the
native, in the south with a similar re-
suit.
SOfSffIoE Al boEtSS SIftENG III.
London, November THE confession
last evening of General Lord WoQseley.
the commander-in-chief, that the Beers
were more powerful and more numer-
Gus than had been anticipated, suf1-
GENTLY explains the prestent happen
ings, and the war office Will hereafter
AVE an awkward question to answer
in regard to its apparent colossa! ignor-
ance of the Boe strength, which, both
in numbers of men and excellence OF
artillery. is apparently a complete sur
prise to the British military authorities
Mail news from South Africa shows
how inaccurate have been the estimates
of the intelligence department and the
governmental experts. 1t is CLEANED
therefrom hat a fair estimate of the
Boer forces is as follows: Around
LadySmith Is, 900, traversing Zululand
1000, advancing or Burgherdorp 5000,
Colesburg 5000, Kimberley 1000, Ma
feking $500, and on the northern Trans
vaa1 border, 1000. Exact information
about the Boer artillery is lacking, but
it is known that General Joubert's de-
tachment, before ii was reinforced,
consisted Of sixteen Krupp field pieces
Of latest pattern two heavy Creu.
got seige guns, which but for the oppor.
tune arrival Of the British naval brig
ade. would have rendered Ladysmitf
u~ntenable.
PRECAUTIONS AT GIBRALTAR.
interesting news from the channe
squadron at Gibraltar, showing pre-
cautions against all e~ventualities al
most unknown in European waters In
peace time. On the way to Gibraltar
the fleet spread out four miles apar'
and a sharp outlook was kept for sus
picious craft
At Gibraltar extra sentries are posteC
at night at different parts OF the ships
with ten rounds of ball cartridges each
The small guns on the p deck a
the fighting tops are kept ready for i'm
mediately use, the ammunition beint
on deck; a few men sleep at the guns
the searchiights are kept working; al
boats are hailed and not allowed to ap
proach without the permission of tn
officer of the watch
NATAL DUTCH SIDE WITH TIT
Beers.
Escourt, Natal, 10 a m, Sunday, No
-ember 5.-An rmored train went owe
the Tugela bridge yesterday, fou
Colenso intact and also found the roal
and railway bridges strong. Al
Orange Free State force was sighte