The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-30
THE NATAL CAMPAIGN
SIEGE OF LADYSMITH AND EFFORTS
TO RELIEVE THE TOWN. =
Buffers Repeated Failures-Date of
Important Events Since Beers
Invaded the Country.


Nov. 2-Boers. destroy communication be-
tween Ladysmfth and Durham and the
siege is begun.
Nov. 3-In lighting south of Ladysmith
a column of Beers is annihilated.
Nov. t-Boer assault repuised by General
White
Nov. 9-Vigorous attack on Ladysmith is
repulsed with a Boer loss of about eight
hundred. = Nv
Nov. 12-Ladysmith again shelled by the
Beers.
Nov. 13-Joubert moves south of Lady
smith with his main army.
Nov. 24-General White reports all well
at Ladysmith.
Nov. 30-Ladysmith effectively shelled by
the Beers from Lombards kop.
Dec. 2-Boers shell the town with consid-
cradle effect Rations said to be reduced
and much sickness prevalent.
Dec. S-Detachment of British carries
Lombard's kop, capturing a gun.
Dec. u-Another sortie made to destroy
howitzer. Object is accomplished, but the
loss is large.
Dec. 15.-General Butler, attempting to
cross the Tugela and relieve Ladysmith,
meets with large loss at Colenso.
Dec. 19-Provisons at Ladysmith suffi-
Gent for two mOnths;- rations ample and
good.
Jan. s-Boers attack Ladysmith in force,
but are repulsed. Losses heavy on both
sides.
Jan. 1O-Second general advance on the
Upper Tugela river by Buffers troops
under General Warren and Lord Dundon-
aid.
Jan. u-L.ord Dundonald seizes Swart's
kop and a cable ferry at Potgieter's drift.
Jan 16-General Warren forces a passage
at richards drift. part of Gen. Buffers
force also crosses the Tugela at Potgleter
drift.
JAN 19-Dundonalds cavalry defeats the
Beers near Acton Homes on the road from
Oliviers Hook pass to Ladysmith.
Jan. 20-21-General Warren engages the
Beers both days. e.
Jan. 22-General Butler reports "substan-
tial progress on the part of General War
ren 80
Jan. 23-General Warren takes Spion kop.
but with heavy loss.
Jan. s4Spion kop abandoned by the
British. trL
Jan. 26-General Butler retreats to the
south bank of the Tugela, having falled
to force a passage TO Ladysmlih.
THE INVASION OF NATAL.
Ladysmith has been in a state of siege
since Nov. 2, 1892 Even before the declara-
ton of war on Great Britain by President
Kruger the Beers were pouring through the
necks of the mountains into the territory of
Natal, and after the defeat of the British
at Dundee and Elandslaagte the camp at
Ladysmith was surrounded and the siege
begun.
On three sides of Ladysmith rise numer-
Gus hills from two to five miles away. On
these SUBMITS the Beers mounted their
guns. Almost every day since the siege
began Generals Joubert and Schalkburger
busted themselves with small lombard
ments the effects of which were never very
serious.
On Nov. 6 and and Dec. 2 besiegers and
besieged engaged in small skirmishes, and
by Dec. z General White reported his cas-
,ar* Cf,1nz he hnprin NJ r.
ment as five officers and twenty-six men
killed fifteen officers and 100 men wounded
and three men missing.
On Dec the Natal Volunteers and I'm
perial Light Horse under General Hunter,
made a sortie on Gun hill. They destroyed
two big guns and captured field gun and
a Maxim
lieutenant Colonel Metcalfe on Dec IL
made a sortie with the Second Rifle Bri-
gade. He destroyed a howitZer gun on
Surprise hill, but he had to force his way
back with the bayonet. In this sortie the
British lost twelve men killed and forty
one wounded. On Dec. % the howitzer
gun destroyed on Surprise hill by Met
calfe's men was replaced by the Beers.
On Jan. 6 last the Beers attacked the
position in force, but were driven back by
General White with great loss: The Beers
had been reinforced from the SOUTH and
for seventeen hours the battle ragged
fiercely No accurate figures have been
given of the Boer loss, but they were re-
heavy. The British losses were subse-
quently reported TO have been 4SS killed
and wounded, the Earl of Ava being among
the dead. The attack by the Beers was in
terpreted as a final effort to reduce the
place before Butler had time to relieve IL,
and General Whites repulse of the enemy
was hailed throughout Great Britain as
great victory. 1t was felt then that the
Ladysmith garrison had proved its ability
to hold its own, and that as provisions
were not scant there was no doubt that
the city wis safe until Butler could perfect
his plans and release the beleagured troops.
Heavy rains followed the Boer attack. and
for a week the bombardment which the
Beers had kept up continually, was sus-
pended. In Great Britain all eyes were on
General Butler, whose turning movements
was expected TO end the siege.
About Jan. 10 the Beers resumed the bonn
bardment more vigorously than before.
more guns being put in position. But hello
graph messages from the city reported that
little damage was being done. The garrison
kept in high spirits over expectations from
General Buffers operations. heliograph
message Jan. % reported that the bonn
bardment was not doing much damage and
had slackened. Shells from General Bull
ler's guns could be seen bursting near the
Boer camps.
CONDITION OF THE CAMP.
In South Africa this season OF the year
is summer instead of winter. as in the
northern hemisphere. The camp at Lady
smith holds between 1900 and 1900 men.
and the soldiers suffer severely from dis
eases incident to camp life. General White