The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-11
SUFFOLK REGIMENT SURPRISED
BOERS VOLLEYED WHEN THE ENG
LISHMEN WE'RE WITHIN ONE
HUNDRED YARDS
PANIC WAS THE RESULT
COL. WATSON. HIS ADJUTANT AND
TWO OTHER OFFICERS WERE
AMONG KILLED
REMNANT THEN SURRENDERED


Lord Roberts and Gen. Kitchener
Arrive Mt Cape Town-Their Pres
ence Expected to Revive Spirits
of British In South Africa-Sus-
pected In London That n Long
List of Casualties Is Forthcoming.
RENSBURG, Cape Colony, Jan. 10
1t is reported here officially with refer
ence to the disaster to the first battalion
of the Suffolk regiment that Lieut.. Col.
Watson marched the regiment in close
column to the top Of the hill at midnight.
He assembled the officers and was ad-
dressing them just at daybreak, when the
enemy volleyed at a distance of 100
PAGES. The colonel, his adjutant and
two other officers were killed. The Suf-
folks, who had scarcely. fired shot, fed
back to the pickets, about 1000 yards
away, someone having shouted "retire. -
About $50, however, remained, lost heavi-
ly and finally surrendered.
Our operations since have been unim-
portant. Several reconnoissances have
been made and these show that the
enemy is jealousy guarding his COM
munications to the north.
LORD ROBERTS ARRIVES
LONDON, Jan n.-During the inter
lude of apparent military inactivity and
official secrecy, Lord Roberts and Lord
Kitchener have arrived at the seat of
war. 1t is assumed that their clean
vision, supported by SO 900 fresh men. who
are due to arrive In South Africa within
thirty days, will alter the situation and
the fourth month of the campaign will
witness the beginning of victories for the
British arms. They are not, however,
expected to produce definite results for
some days, but their mere presence will
restore the shaken confidence of the men
at the front in their generals.
Lord 1Roberts finds 10000 men on the
defensive, or watching for an opening.
Lord Methuen's health, according to the
Daily Mail, has broken down and the
field marshal may relieve him. Possibly
some others will be relieved of important
commands There is certainly plenty OF
rank in evidence in South Africa. In ad-
dition to the field marshal there are
two full generals, four lieutenant gen
erals and twelve or fourteen major gen
erals
There Is an uneasy suspicion that when
the Ladysmith casualties are announced
they will be disheartening and will par
TALLY destroy the glow caused by Gen
Whites victory"
SITUATION SUMMED UP.
The list e victims of disease issued by
the war office gives twenty-five deaths
from enteric fever ard dysentery in Lady
smith in four days, revealing the fact
that the besieged are existing amid bad
sanitary conditions The Standard sum-
marizes the general situation thus:
well, the campaign has lasted three
months. We have something like 120,00(
troops in South Africa. With this huge
army distributed over the country we are
still powerless to relieve three garrisons
from investment. We have still to sec
large portions of both colonies in the
hands of the enemy. we have driven the
invaders back at no single point We
are actually further from the hostile from
tiers than we were on the day that tht
ultmatum was delivered. The work whic2
ministers believed could be effectuall2
performed with $1,000 men has not beer
done, not even begun, by four or five
times that amount. To admit this is {
grave miscalculatian or facts and forces.
The war office has authorized a specia
yeomanry corps Every trooper joining
will pay for his own kit and mount, fo
transport and for all other expenses un
til his arrival in South Africa, and will
then give his services to his country ant
pay for the privilege into the fund fo
widows and orphans the amount he woul;
receive as a trooper. Several inf1uentia
gentlemen have already enrolled. The au
thorities have urged tha committee of tn
yeomanry hospital fund to provide 52
Instead of $50 beds, and the committe,
Is appealing for at least 950,C0 more
The Times, in an editorial criticising a
great length the governments conduc
of the war, alludes to the stupid anC
perverse mistakes &hat have b3en made
and demands that the policy of non
revelation of facts be abandoned" 1t in
sists strongly upon knowing the truth
and the whole truth about the situation,
and finds fault with Mr.. Balfour's dens
piecemeal.
LOSSES AT LADYSMITH
The war office announces that the lis
OF British casualties at Ladysmith las
Saturday has not yet been received
Camp. Jan. 10, noon, has been receive
from zen. Butler:
"a Transvaal telegram gives the enc
nys loss at I.adysmith on Saturday q
four killed and fifteen wounded, and thi
after, as they admitted, they had endure
a withering fire of six masked batterie;
and been defeated at all points. Native
here assert that the Boer loss in on
commando alone WAS 100 killed and wag
onloads of wounded. The heaviest los
is said to have been among the Ere
Staters, who are forced by the Trans
vaalers into the most dangerous places. u
This curious dispatch is all the war OF
flee has issued tonight II makes not tn
slightest mention of the position or IL
ings of the British forces 1t may be In
terpreted to mean that Ladysmith
safe, but it is more likely intended t
prepare the British public for terribl
list of casualties.
FAMILY QUARREL
The Standard has received the follow
ing, dated Jan. s, from it's special cor
respondent at Frere camp:
II hear on good authority that Presi
dent Kruger sent word to the Boer head
quarters asking why Ladysmith had no
been attacked, and that the reply was:
"'We would lose too many men,
"His answer to this excuse was tn
suggestion that the Free Staters Nigh