New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-18
LETTERS FROM STEVENS
"A DIARY OF DULNESS" WRITTEN IN
IADYSMTTH.

pathetic interest attaches to the letters written
to 'The London Daily Mali from Ladysmth by 6.
w Stevens whose death from fever a severe
loss to Journalism. In issues that have just reached
here THE Mall prints some of the letters. Ger
tain of them dated in November, and were
consequently nearly three months In reaching Lon
dom Just how they got through the Boer lines
would doubtless be an interesting story in itself
Most likely native runner carried them to the
British camp Perhaps only few OF those writ
ten and dispatched reached London; the others
may have been intrusted to Kaffrs, who were una
BILE to eude the vigilance of the Beers. Following
are extracts from the letters
A DIARY OF DULNESS
November n.-Ugh! What day. Dull. cold.
dank and misty-the spit OF an llth or NorenloeI
at home. Not even smell from Aohs A'iA ~
The Highest. looks doubly dead: only sodden
orderly FLASHES up its spreading emptiness on a
sodden horse. The roads like rice pudding al
outside the hotel drip the usual loafers with the
usual fables Yesterday hear the br front at
410 yards; each emptied his magazine ane
the smarter sO hen they went out and Counted
the corpses2SO. 1t is certainly truemthe nafraeor
While a private of the regiment who was not
there himself, but had it from friend told the
Altogether. coatng the various authorities Les 81
make out the enemy's loss yesterday at l'2O IN
The Road is as safe as Regep fT6m
the haunting gunners on Bulwan Up IN s tte
70 escape the pitiless drizze. Only one sentry
stands up in long black oveTcoat and gray woolen zen
nightcaP pulled ad doK Knn over MS ears anu
Hbt "nnsItion Is safe enough with green
field OF fire before it and the sturdy shell haroeheo
But Lord poor Tommy, His WATERPROOF sheet
Is spread out mud slmed over the top OF the wall
Of stone and earth and sandbag and pegged cow b
1y5iIe in miry hole Nothing keep out this
n nTas al and nose half manfn half He is
earning the shilling a day.
WELCOME SMELLING.
At luncheon time they began to shell us a bit ana
ibim 70 see and listen TO- They were dead off Null
berry grove to-day but they dotted me Oh Smeis
ally good-a couple of mules and a cart, a tennis ennis
of the pompon heard In the land; but ne
bagged nothing-never does A., r. Ia Ao.s
but in the main the usual calm The sky is neither
obscured by clouds streak4 Vi shells ,I nTte
that Of the city Of London iz double and treble
IonC rom Clipped a corner off the church yester
day to-day the archdeaGon preached a sermon 5d
strument to scourge the Beers Very sound, but
November 1S@Iaid three sovs to with THE
Graphic yesterday against today being the most 6s
in aching cold the SSsnts ,,,nr. POST
At bcs 6eed aHd Re Ha
talions of the 1st Goth and Rife Brigade take day
Post which Is the continuation Of Cave Redoq6ts
To-day the 6oth was on Leicester Post When sne t
shell burst, fzZing inside schanZ with steaIiy,
curly tail. and spnters that walled quarter OF q
mile the road below us; the men only raced 10
pick up the pieces
WHAT is LEARNED
When this siege is this force ought to be the
best fighting men in the world. We learning
lessons every day from the Boer. We getting
TO know his game and learning to play 1t our
selves.
Our infantry are already nearly patient and
cunning he; nothing but being shot at will ever
teach the art of using cover, but they get
plenty of that nowadays.
Another lesson is the of very very thin firing
lines of good shots, with the supports snugly con-
cealed the other day fourteen men of the Man
chesters repused two hundred Beers. The gunners
mandant and cheerfully split up batteries. They
also lie beneath the schanzes and let the enemy
lombard the dumb guns If he will-till the moment
| comes to fire; that moment you need never be
afraid that the r. A. will be anywhere but with
the guns.
The enemy's shell and long range rife fire dropped
| at $50 o'clock. The guns had preached a new
epaulement on Thornhilps Kop-to the left of Sur
| perhaps knocked over a Boer or two-perhaps not.
| None of people hurt, and good appetite for
| breakfast.
| In the afternoon of guns on Caesars Camp
| smashed q pompOn, ''Fiddling Jimmy has been
| waved away. it seems. The Manchesters are cOsey
behind the best built schanzes in the environs of
| Iadysmith. Above the wall they have a double
| course of sandbags-the lower placed endwise
! a series of loopholes at the height of a mans
! shoulder
| The subaltern in command sits on the highest
rock inside the sit and lie about him sleeping
| smoking. reading. sewing, knitting. 1t might almost
! be a DorcaS meeting.
November 1.-The nveHest days bombardment
| yet.