The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1899-11-08
SIX XH0URS FOR 1NTENPTBNTSH MEET D|SASTER'
WE'RE LED INTO A TRAP BY THE
BOERS.
Royal Irish Fusileers, Mountain Bat
terry and the Gloucester Regiment are
Captured.

LONDON, October 31.-The War
Office received a dispatch from General
White, commanding the. British forces
at Ladysmith, reporting that the Royal
Irish Fusileers, No. 10 Mountain Bat
terry and the Gloucestershire Regiment
were surrounded in the hills by Beers,
and, after losing heavily, were obliged
to capitulate.
The following is the text of General
Whites dispatch:
'I.ADYSMITH, October 30. 1O:45 o.
nj have to report a disaster to the
column sent by me to take a position
on hill to guard the left flank of the
troops. In these operations today the
Royal Irish Fusieers, No. 10 Mountain
Battery. and the Gloucestershire Regi-
ment were surrounded in the hills, and,
after losing heavily, had to capitulate
The casualties have not yet been ascer-
tanned. A man of the Fusileers, en-
ployed as q hospital orderly, came in
under flag of truce with letter from
the survivors of the column, who asked
for assistance to bury the dead. l fear
there is no doubt of the truth of the re-
port.
81 formed plan in the carrying out
of which the disaster occurred, and 1
am alone responsible for the plan.
There is no blame whatever to the
troops, as the position was untenable."
LONDON, November 1.-The gloom
caused by the British disaster at Lady
smith was in measure relieved by to-
days story giving an account of the
heroic stand made by the decimated
battalions until their last cartridges
were gone. The British nerve was mo-
mentarily shaken by General Whites
use of the word, "capitulate" in his
first telegram, but now that 1t is known
that the Gloucesters and Fusileers
fought against overwhelming odds and
upheld the best traditions of the British
army. the tension has been relieved,
since there is no longer any ground to
dread that the loss of life was accom-
panied by dishonor
The details today show the catastro-
phe in brighter aspect. The full bat
the list of prisoners is materially re-
duced, while the disaster now appears
to have been not SO much the conse-
quence of defects in the plan of action
as to the misfortune whereby the COL
umn was deprived of it's ammunition.
Still, 1t seems incomprehensible why the
plight of luckleSS column was not
known at headquarters. as the scene OF
the surrender was only about three
miles northwest of Ladysmith, and
Lieutenant-ColonelC Carlton must have
expected relief to reach him or, instead
of attempting to occupy defensive po-
sition, he would have retraced his steps
, to Ladysmith when he suffered the loss
of his ammunition.
Apart from General Whites state
ment that the losses are very rSImer-
Gus, there is nothing to indicate the ex-
tent of them except vague report that
the soldier who brought the news of
Ladysmith said the British dead and
wounded were lying in heaps and that
hundreds needed doctors. This, how
ever, is hardly borne out by the long
list of captured officers.
The concluding sentence of General
Whites dispatch, relative to the safety
of Ladysmith, was received here with
a certain reserve, in view of the fact
that similar official assurances were
given recently at Dundee and Glencoe,
and there is intense anxiety for news
of the renewed attack, which is not
mentioned in the dispatches.
! LONDON, November There is
much criticism of General Sir George
| White. The general opinion is that the
| Boer leaders are his superiors in tao
tics and strategy. The situation seems
to have been that the Beers in four
columns were advancing to surround
Ladysmith to cut 1t off from it's COM
munications with Cape Colony. The
British advanced against the Beers
and were led into a. trap, from which
/
selves and retire to Ladysmith only by
the loss of the organizations reported
by Sir George White.
Gen. Joubert has been able to affect
a junction with the Free State troops
No dispatches have been received from
Ladysmith since the one announcing
British disaster, making the inference
natural that the Beers have effected
their purpose of surrounding the town
and cutting off communications. Re-
Inducements cannot reach them for a
week
British troops numbering $4,000 are
expected to arrive at Cape Colony dur
ing the first week in November. This
will raise the number of troops in
South Africa to 10000.
Kimberly and Mafekng are surround
ed by the Beers, but it Is not yet known
that they have fallen.
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