The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-02
ALL WELL AT lADYSMITH
THIS CITY AND CAMP CHI EVELREY IN
ULL-G0MMUNlCATI0N.
SIGNS OF AN IMPORTANT MOVE
In the Renewed Activity I'm Chievelrey
Camp Two ritish staff Officers
Killed Heavy British Loss I'm a Sor-
tie - An Artillery Duel - Beers Re-
pulsed In Attempt to Cut a Railroad.
Citizens Of Kimberley Send Greetings
to the Queen-Reiief for Ladysmith.


London, December $3.50 a. m.-
During the night of December 2Sth
Ladysmith and Chivelry camp were in
full communication, the former report
ing 'aI we'll" While the signaling was
IN prog. ass the Beers attempte1 to
muddle the messages with flash lights
from es h extremity of their long en-
trencheC line. The naval brigade she'll
ed the l}oer positions. which were
plainly revealed by thrown lights. The
naval bat cry resumed the sho"'ng of
the Boer trenches on the morning Of
December 29th, but their fire failed to
elicit any sign Of life.
\ dispatch from Cape Town, dated
Wednesday, December 27th, announced
that an armored train had restored
communication with Dordrecht where
the Free State flag had been hauled
down
TWO STAFF OFFICERS KILLED.
Pretoria, Friday, December -29-Three
British prisoners from Malapo report
that Captains Vernon and Sanford, of
Colonel Baden-Powells staff, were kill
ed during the engagement in WI rfch
Lords Edward Cecil and Caver ish
Bentinck We're wounded. The object of
the sortie was to capture Boer cannon.
Thz losses of the British were very
severe. The Long Tom injured at
Ladysrlith has been repaired and is
being replaced.
TIL. +l,z
of dynamite instituted by the Raad
in August was registered December
2Sth between the gvernment and the
factory.
HEAVY BRITISH LOSS IN A SOR-
TIE ~
Lorenzo MarqT December 2S.-Ad-
vices received from Pretoria un-
der date of Wee day, December 9th,
say that an off : dispatch from Ma
feking announcej that in the sortie
which the British made from that place
December 25th attacking one of the
Boer forts with cannon, MaximS and
an armored train, so persistently, that
the fightirg ragged up to the walls of
the fort, the British losing 109 men
killed and wounded, while the Beers
only lost two men killed and seven
wounded.
The dispatch adds that Captains
by Boer scouts near Colenso and were
being sent to Pretoria.
Ten unloaded shells inscribed ''The
Seasons Greetings" have been fired at
Ladysmith.
MEDICAL SUPPLIES FOR THE
BOEGS.
Ten South African medical students
from Edinburgh have arrived at Pre-
MI
of medical stores.
dispatch from the Boer camp at
the Modder river, dated Thursday, De-
cember 18th, reports an artillery duel
lasting an hour. December 27th Brit
ism reconnoitering party made a sortie,
but did not come within the Boer
range. The British, December 2Sth,
commenced a steady bombardment of
the Boer position.
ATTEMPT TO CUT THE RAILROAD.
Cape Town, December 29.-The troops
in the British camp at Victoria West
turned out last night to repel an at
tempt of the Beers to cut the railroad
near the station. A patrol reported
early in the evening that they had
sighted the Beers in the neighborhood.
AIT 10 o'clock at night the Beers opened
a heavy fire near the station. The Brit
iSh replied and the Beers retired at
-
out a failure.
London, December 3U.-The reported
sortie from Ladysmith resulted in the
capture of a Boer position is not con-
firmed. A Chievelrey dispatch dated
yesterday shows renewed activity of
British, apparently preparatory to some
important movement. The Boer posi-
ton eastward of the camp was thor
oughly re&onnoitered Thursday.
The naval guns are engaged in daily
practice and it is said on good author
ity that thirty or forty Beers have
been killed by the firing during two
days.
A dispatch from Durham predicts
that Ladysmith will be relieved on or
about January 7th. There is some dis
position TO believe General Butler is
preparing another attempt to advance,
this time by an attack on the Boer po-
sition on Inhlawe mountain.
The government has accepted 125
Ceylon volunteers, mostly planters. ard
has also accepted the offers of Indian
princes to supply horses.
KIMBERIEY'S GREETING TO THE
QUEEN.
The war office issued dispatch
dated Cape Town. Friday, December
18th, evening. saying that Colonel Ke-
kewich wired, through the general
commanding at Modder river. Deceru-
Der 2Sth. as follows: .ss
Il am desired by the mayor and
council to forward the following for
Transmission through the proper chan
nels- -
" TO Her Most Gracious Majesty, the
Queen:
The inhabitants OF Kimberley beg
to send your majesty New Years
greetings. The trouble they have pass
ed through and are still enduring only
tnds to love and loyalty towards your
majesty's throne and person.
'R. n. HENDERSON,
Mayor. on behalf OF Inhabitants
The war office also issued the fol-