Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1900-01-13
GIN. WHITE HOLDS OUT
But the British Position at Lady,
smith Is Critical.
AMMUNITION FAMINE PROBABLE.
The BeleREuered Force Cannot he
Furnished with n New Surpiy-The
Difficulties Confronting General
BuIler's Plan of Relief.

/
London, Jan. 9.-Gereral White still
holds out at Ladysmith, or did so 60
| hours ago, when the Lees, ousted
from their fOothOlds inside Che works,
suspended their assaults at nj 2htfall.
| England has ttEen IL rt. Tn sit
uation. hOweYc., is NuIse The be-
leaguered force must have expended
large amounts of ammunition, which
cannot be replenished, and must have
lost a number OF officers and men.
which Is cOunterbalanced so far as the
garrison is cOnt eined, Dy the greater
loss of the Beers.
General White still needs relief, and
the difficulties confronting General
Butler are as great as before. The
formers unadOrned sentences, as read
and rereaa, suggest eloQuently the peril
in which the town was for II hours.
and how barely able his 5000 men
were to keep from being overcome.
The chief concern for General White
is in respect OF ammunition. Sixty
eight days ago, at the beginning of the
siege. his small arm ammunition was
vaguely described as plenty" His ar
tillery then had 300 rounds per gun.
Some of the batteries have been in ac-
ton frequently since then, and all were
probably engaged last Saturday. His
stock of shells, consequently, must be
low, and this will make ii difficult for
General White to cooperate in move
ment by General Butler.
The entertainments at Ladysmith, as
AnCorihnA in On h1t of
or two before the fight. and has just
come through are fortified hills, well
covered with rife pits and trenches.
down which the infantry move in single
file TO the various posts in absolute
safety. Full rations are still served
but no whisky or tobacco.
Mr.. Spencer Wilkinson, in The
Morning Post points out that there is
one division only at Chieveiey, another
at Frere and aGthird at Estcourt. AS
Chieveley is seven miles from ColensO.
the second division would have had to
march IL miles to get into action and
the third division % miles. General
Buffers so. 900 men and 20 guns were
therefore almost inactive on Saturday,
and when General White photographed
General Butler could really make no
move but an ineffective demonstration.
England is preparing fresh arma-
ments, and % transports will be on the
way to South Africa during the pres
ent month. According to the program
$4,000 additional troops and Y guns
will soon be afiOat. The government
has ordered Vickers Sons & Maxim.
Hp,itod to y,,opufoctura &c D,opv 7
inch guns and 6-inch quick frers as
can be turned out until otherwise no
tilted
The BOer agents. according to the
Cairo correspondent of The Daily Mail.
are evading British vigilance respect.
ing the importation of ammunition.
The correspondent says:
"A large quantity of quick firing am
munition goes to Ras Jibeutil, from
which point it is conveyed by dhOws
along the coast or trans-shipped to
vessels bound for Portuguese ports in
East Africa. French steamers touch
ing at Ras Jibeutil before reaching !
Alden contrive to evade search by |
transshipping at Madagascar to |
steamers apparently not connected /
with European lines. In this way /
they escape suspicion"
The Times publishes the following, |
dated Jan 6, from Modder River:
News from Belmont shows that the |
Queensland and Canadian volunteers |
have been so energetic in that neigh |
borhood that large belt Of the Free I
State across the border has been de-
serted by the Beers"
Last Friday came the report Of Colo
mel BadenPowell's unsuccessful attack
at Gametree. 1t was bold effort, but
the Boer fort was impregnable and the
Britons were driven back with great
loss. The British casualties were three
officers and IS men killed, one officer
and % men wounded and one trooper
captured.