The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-10-19
ENGAGEMENT EXPECTEI
rransvaal and Free State Troo e
Advancing on Ladysmith.
STRONG BRITISH FORCE THEr

General Sir George Stewart white II
Twelve Thousand Men and Fort
six Guns with which TO Repel
Assault OF the Allies.
London, Oct. 19-There is still
authentic news from Mafeklng, but
reports tend to confirm the belief d
Colonel BadenPowell is holding
own, and no credit is given to
vague rumor that a flag of truce III
been displayed.
A considerable engagement is o.
ticipated In the vicinity of Ladysm 3
today. The combined advance of BU,
and Free State troops In this direction
has been executed with not inconside
ate skill, and shows a clear apprecia
tion of the British position. General
Sir George Stewart White has 10000
men and 46 guns available, besides 4
considerable force of volunteers, to
hold Ladysmith, and no anxiety is felt
on his account. for the Natal country,
where the engagement is expected, Ia
Iairly open, and although the work of
moving them will be difficult, the guns
are likely to do good work.
The country is not favorable for
Boer tactics. and II will be very diff
cult for them to avoid the exposure of
their fianks to attack by e vigorous
and mobile enemy already occupying
useful positions That is, supposing
they really mean to fight and not mere
ly to attempt to draw General White
farther out with a view of surrounding
him.
General White has a large body OF
excellent cavalry, which will be put
to good use.
The Daily Telegraph's correspondent
at Ladysmith says no newspaper rep
resentatiyes are allowed to proceed
from there either to Besters Station or
Acton Homes, and adds that General
Joubert's forces are moving against
Glencoe and Besters Station on the
! Harrysmith-Lynch line.
According to the same authority
some volunteers, who had Just come
into Ladysmith from Besters Station
and Acton Homes before the dispatch
was sent. reported that 300 Beers tried
| Intellectually to cut off small parties of
| British troops, but the Natal men were
too wary to be caught, and retired
| firing. The enemy as usual, hid them
selves behind piles of rocks and in
| gullies, but were unable to advance.
They used cannon against the Brit
ish rifiemen, who, nevertheless, main
tained a stout resistance. The firing
was very heavy. The country about
Acton Homes being more open, the
British mounted volunteers there are
retiring upon Dewdrop. Two thou
sand Beers were engaged at Acton
Homes and rather fewer at Besters
Station. 1t is reported that the enemy
there is hemmed in and suffering Sc
vereiy.
The Daily Telegraph, commenting on
the foregoing from it's correspondent,
says it is difficult to understand the
references to Glencoe and Besters Sta
tion, except on the theory that Com
mandant General Joubert is dividing
his forces.
The Times' Lobatsi correspondent,
telegraphing under date of Oct. 1S,
says: The Beers were around us all
day yesterday and brought up the line
in several places between Pitsani and
Mafeking. They were attacked and de-
feated by a party of our men from
Mafeking. Thirty Beers were killed
during the night. Another lot broke
up the line a mile north of Lobatsi,
cutting the wires. The station master
have Just restored communication.
The Cape Town correspondent of
The Times, under date of Tuesday
says: All is well at Kimberley, though
communication is almost entirely cut.
There is no means of learning any
thing that happens north of the Orange
river unless perhaps by way of Rho
desia and Beira.
The Daily News LadysmIth CORE
| spondent, telegraphing on Tuesday
says he learns that the discomfort in
Swaziland is taking a form hostile to
the Beers. who quilted Bremersdort
precipitately. According to this cor
! respondent the Beers dread a Swat
rising and most of the Dutch settlers
in that country are preparing to leave
having already sent their wives and
families into the Transvaal.
An official note published at Lady
smith says: A Free State commando
on Tuesday commenced actual hos
tilities The Free State has thus taken
upon itself the responsibility of be-
ginning war and cannot hereafter pose
as the injured party The British
forces came into contact with the
enemy in the nighborhood of Acton
Homes and Besters Station. about 1s
miles out,
The foregoing about exhausts the
actual war news this morning. The
worst features of the situation are re.
garded to be the probability of native
risings, which, whether on behalf OF
or against the Beers, are certain tc
produce serious complications, besides
danger to the few hundred whites In
these districts.
The havoc the Beers are making
with the railway and telegraph lines
will seriously impede the movements
of General Sir Redverss Buffers army
corps. There are conflicting reports
as to whether the Beers have or have
not occupied Helpmakoar. According to
the best accounts the rumor that they
have done so is untrue, but If the
Beers have succeeded in this manoeu-
yer they are completely around the
. right of General Sir George Stewart
Whites position, and will be able
either to attack him at an advantage OF
to move down into Natal behind him
The Daily News points this out and
seems to think that If the Beers looI
| their way through Zulu territory OF
Rastuoland the natives ought to be
permitted to exact respect for their own
territory.