Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-11-05
C0LENS0 EVACUATED.
This Means Complete Investment
ofladysnith BY Beers
WHITE CUT OFF FROM AID,
No Relief Can Reach Him for Some
Time al Least.
BRITIsU SITUATION CRITICAL.
A Burgher Force Marching In the
Direction of Durbnn-Terribic Ar
tiIIery Duel mt Lndysmith Thurs
day-The Beers shoot straight.

'
of Colenso is undoubtedly most serious
matter for the British in Natal, as it not
only testifes to the complete investment
Of LaGysmth by the Beers, but makes
the relief Of General Sir George Stewart
White an extremely difficult operation.
Colenso is the point where the railway
from Ladysmith crosses the Tulega river,
which is now in flood. The town itself is
Of small Importance 1t is dominated by
the hills on the north side of the river,
and 50 was untenable If the Beers have
advanced, as they seem to have done.
Moreover. only small naval and Colo
NAL force was stationed at Colenso.
The seriousness Of the evacuation, how
ever, lies in the fact that Commandant-
General Joubert, while completely invest
ing Sir George White at Ladysmith. can
seize this Tugela bridge, and if he has
sufficient troops can detach a force and
send it southwark on Pietermaritzburg
and, in any case, by destroying the
bridge and railway, can prevent any re-
lief expedition from reaching Sir George
White for some time.
JOUBERT MASTER OF SITUATION.
Military men optimistically predict that
| General Joubert will Withdraw from
Natal Immediately Sir Redvers Buffers
force enters the Orange Free State, but
| the latter cannot be far on his way for
at least three or four weeks, and even
then General Joubert may not decide TO
intercept the British on the Free States
open veldts, which would suit the British
admirably. but he may wait until the last
moment and then proceed by train back
| to Pretoria, and take up strong defensive
positions on the range Of hills lying In
| front OF johannesburg and Pretoria
| Thus. General Joubert might remain IN
| Natal several weeks longer, endeayoring
10 force Sir George White into capitula-
| ton the destruction of the Tugcla river
bridge helping him by cutting of British
| relief Moreover, another BOer force Is
reported TO have marched through Zulu
land in the direction Of Durham, and al
| ready to have reached the Natal frontier.
Thus it will be seen that the position in
Natal. taking into consideration a posi-
bic uprising of the disaflected Dutch, Is
most disquieting. and, in fact, may be
described as critical. British reinforce
ments in any number cannot reach Dur
ban before the end Of next week
! ARTILLERY DUEL.
A special from Ladysmith, dated NO
vember ID, morning, says;
During the night the Beers moved
closer to the British positions and mount
ed guns in fresh places Meanwhile, the
naval guns have been moved TO morS IA
! yorabla positions near the town, ana
commanding some Of the BOer batteries.
"At o'clock this morning General
| Wbita ordered the bOmbardment Of the
enemy. and the bluejackets opened the
oau. The Beers replied vigorously. They
fired straight and some of the British
were hit.
"A terrible artillery duel has been pro-
ceeding for over three hours. SO far the
| naval guns are the only ones thdI nave
| engaged the enemy"
| EVACUATION OF COLENSO.
| LONDON, November 4.-The War once
has issued the following announcements
rrhe colonial Office has received infor-
nation 10 the effect that the British
troops have withdrawn from COlensO ana
| nave concentrated farther south, but we
have no news of any engagement In that
neighbOrhood.'
Colenso is south of Ladysmith.
ROCKS BODY TAKEN HOME.
CAPE TOWN. November 2.-Delayed
in transmission )-According to an I'M
dated dispatch received here from Lady
smith. the body cf General Kock, the
! Boer commander. who was wounded IN
| the battle of Glencoe. captured, and
taken to Ladysmith, where he died re-
Gently, has been taken TO Pretoria.
EGERTON PROMOTED.
LONDON, November 4-Gunnery-Lleu-
tenant Egerton. of the British cruiser
| Powerful. who was wounded by the ex-
plosion Of a shell at the bombardment or
Ladysmith has been promoted 10 the
rank OF commander, for services In the
field His legs have been amputSlted, as
a result of his wounds. The officer is a
nephew of the Duke OF Devonshire.
Beers IN CAPE COLONY.
LONDON, November 5.-Another special
dispatch from Ladysmith, bearing date
OF November "a, says:
"The artillery duel is proceeding splen-
didly The British guns are firing three
shots to the Beers one"
A special dispatch from Cape Town,
dated November ID says the Beers occu-
pied Colesburg. Cape Colony, on Wednes-
day. meeting with no resistance from the
local police who yielded to superior force.
LARGEST TROOPSHIP IN WORLD.
The sailing of transports for South
Africa. loaded with troops, is now an
event Of daily occurrence, but the depar-
ture Of the steamer KildOnan Castle from
SOUTHAMPTON last evening merits notice.
! as she is the largest troopship Nj the
! world. and has more than 5000 souls on
board, with their kits and weapons, bal
| looms. bridge pontOons, machine guns,
ammunition. wagons, and hundreds Of
thousands Of other artillery necessities.