The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-30
Ladysmith is now practically impreg-

Ladysmith is now practically impreg-
nable.
Owing to the dry weather the fever
has diminished and the number of con-
valescents returning from the In
tombi Camp exceeds that of the pa
tlents being gent there. The supplies
are spinning out splendidly, all the
troops having sufficient wholesome
food. The heat is terrific, the Their
mometer registered 1O7 degrees in the
shade
London, January 26.-Under other
circumstances the news from Lady,
smith showing greatly improved sani-
tary conditions, the plentifulness OF
provisions and the Strengthening Of the
Qualifications until the place is regard
ed as impregnable, would have inspir-
tied the nation, but these good tidings
to the British are overshadowed by
anxiety as TO the situation on the upper
Tugela, and the thought that the heavy
losses suffered during the struggle
Tuesday night have counted for
naught. Military circles made no ef-
fort to conceal their chagrin, express
ing the gravest fears as to the ultimate
fate OF L~adysmith. Such authorities
as Major General Sir Frederick Car
rington, who is under orders for South
Africa, and Lord Clifford, who won the
Victoria Cross while scouting for
Lord Woolseley during the Zulu war,
would not be surprised to near of the
capture of General Whites force with
a week.
Lord Gifford's who knows the coun-
try like a book could not understand
how in the world General Warren ever
got to the top Of Spion kop without as
certaining what positions commanded
il.
While General Warren is not blamed
for ratrcatinD I1ndnr what ia cInnnSai
to have been heavy shell fire, he is Sc
! verely criticised for occupying a posi-
ton to which he could not bring up his
artillery.
CASUALTIES AT SPION KOP.
Special dispatches from Durham say
the Boer losses on the upper Tugela
during the fighting on Sunday last
were very great. General Warren's
men captured 160 prisoners, and $50
Beers were found dead in one trench.
General Butler reports that the Brit
! ish casualties Wednesday, January oath
were: Killed, officers 6, non-commis-
| stoned officers and men IS; wounded,
officers Il, non-commissioned officers
and men 142; missing 81 men.
Probably as an immediate effect Of
the receipt of the news of the abandon
ment of SpiOn kop by the British force
under General Sir Charles Warren, Or
ders have been sent to AldershOt to
| have the Fourth cavalry division in
| readiness to embark for South Africa
J early in February.
RELATED REPORT FROM GENER-
AL WHITE.
The Gazette today publishes a num-
Der of dispatches from General Butler
to the war office, enclosing reports
from Generals While, Hilyard, Methuen
and other generals regarding their va
! rious operations, but containing moth
/ ing later thaa the record of occurrences
to the middle of December. 4 dispatch
from General White dated November
End says:
Il was so greatly impressed with the
exposed position of the garrison Of
| Glencoe that l determined, October
18th, to ithdraw from there and con-
! centrate all the troops at LadySmith;
but the governor represented that this
would involve such grave political re-
suits that 1 determined to accept the
military risk of holding Dundee, as the
lesser of two evils"
General White then proceeds to de-
scribe the subsequent attack by 1000
Beers of whom about 500 were killed
or wounded, three of their guns being
left ~dismounted at Talana hill, but he
adds- there was no opportunity Of
bringing them off. He also describes
how the Beers were seen streaming
away in bodies of from so to 100.
DURHAM, January 24-One hundred
and sixty Beers captured during Gen.
eral Buffers recent operations have ar
rived here. 4 Free Slater. who is
among the recent arrivals, says that
President Steyn has been removing his
! furniture to Pretoria, where several
of his officials have taken houses.
1t is also reported that no big guns
are now left in the Pretoria forts n
that the Beers hav exhausted their
| stock of good MauSer cartridges and
are now issuing cartridges formerly
condemned by Gener Joubert. They
are said to be manufacturing 1000 car
tridges and 200 shells daily at the dyna
mite factory.
THE BOERS' LAST CHANCE.
London, January 27.-The Times pub
fishes the following dispatch from
Frere camp, dated Wednesday morn
ing, and evidently written before the
capture of Spion kop was known. At
ter describing the positions of the
Beers. who were actively intrenching
and bringing fresh guns forward, the
correspondent says:
Their front extends ten miles, and
we shall have to try to break it in the
middle. Every prisoner says the Beers
will never let us reach Ladysmith. This
is their last chance of preventing US,
for behind this hill lies open country,
without a single fortifiable position.
Therefore, they will strain every nerve
to throw us back here"
What's in a name?" Everything,
when you come to medicine. When
you get Hoods Sarsaparilla you get