The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-12
CHARGE A FLOCK OF SHEEP.
Difficulties of Campaigning in South
Africa Described.

Correspondence of Associated Press.)
London, Jan. 30.-The Times CORE
spondenee with Gen. French thus writes
anent Colesbers:
This is the first serious reverse (al-
though our position is unaffected) that
has occurred to Gen. Frenchs hitherto
successful advance and that on the eve
of the reOccupatiOn of ColeSberg town.
1t appears that only a few hours after
it had been decided to make the night
attack the intention was known to the
Beers, who occupied the hill and waited
for the SuffOlks. Until the charge was
made and being already in position,
while our infantry were stumbling up
the hill in the dark over loose stones,
the enemy naturally held great adj
vantage and were able to shoot our
men down as fast as they advanced.
The SufEOlks had been ordered to wear
soft shoes, but only about half were
doing so. Their bayonets were fixed,
but none got near enough to use them.
The experience gained by these night
attacks in such rough country so far is:
"First-That the Dutch or half-breed
Dutch employed in our Cape police and
in some companies of scouts find means
of acquainting their blood relations of
the intentions of our generals and so
prepare for whatever is going to occur.
Some foreigners also have found billets
on the scouts, whose relations with the
enemy previously have been very close.
tSecond-That fewer lives would be
sacrificed if such rough kopjes as those
a position were attacked in the day
light by infantry-foot and mounted
with bayonetS fixed men advancing in
very open order under cover of as heavy
fire of Shrapnel as can be poured in
on the ridges where the enemy lies
ready to fire. Shrapnel and cold steel
the Boer does not relish and the more
he sees of it in daylight the more he
will try to avoid it.
The general is to be congratulated
on the cautiousness with which he had
advanced against the enemy and on the
manner in which he has out-manoeu-
vered rather than driven him from his
positions, both at Arundel and Rens-
berg. AS matter of fact he is using
their own tactics. AS the enemy ex-
tends his flank the general throws out
his men and Outfianks him again. There
has been a very small list of casualties
considering the number of brushes we
have had and this is greatly accounted
for by the general having personally
recOnnoitered the BOer positions before
advancing his men and having his
scouts constantly in touch with the
enemy and so preventing surprises"
The correspondent of the same paper
with Gen. Gatacre forwards this
scathing entry from his diary:
The correspondent with Gatacres
force writes on Dec q:
Field day this morning. de-
Voutly hope that the men will not be
severely handled in actual fighting No
regard whatever for ground; shut eyes,
put the head down and go straight like
a bull at gate; but such loose order
that the gate would probably survive
the shock. To give any idea how de-
ceptive is this veldt on a misty day
1 need only to mention that a flock of
sheep which the thunder storm had
caused to close up in a block was act
ually mistaken for a Boer lager. This
misconception was not dispelled until
/ after our scouts, advancing with the
utmost caution, had approa ched within
r6C f-AO oil
| of US were prepared to certify that we
could see wagons, oxen and mounted
men"
Mr.. Whigham, the American CORE
| spondent, continues to send interesting
| articles to the Morning Post. Dealing
with disloyalty in this section, Mr..
| Whigham says:
But since the Stormberg disaster and
| our other repulses the disaffection al
ways slumbering throughout the east
ern counties is thoroughly awakened.
and it merely requires another Storm
| berg incident to bring the eastern half
OF Care Colony down on US to the very
sea about our ears. Information on
this point is very exact. Around Grad
! dock and AIicedale, through which |
have just passed, the feeling is in
tense, and it is a great mistake to inn
agine that the farmers are not armed
TO Il man, or that they lack ammuni-
| ton.
1T is a mistake TO suppose that only
the Dutch are against US. There are
| 0ameS on a certain list which are as
English as any to be found between
London and York. That the colony will
/ rise en- masse 1 do not for a moment
| suggest, because it is impossible to i'm
agine that the StOrmberg affair which
has so heartened the disloy al farmers
can be repeated. But as to the actual
| feeling and the potentia1ity of the stu
/ alton, there is no room for doubt what
| ever, the names of many leading citi-
zens are already on the blacklist, and
the list might be extended almost in
| definitely.
And through this district we hold
! our line of communication from Port
Elizabeth to Naauwport, a distance OF
nearly $50 miles by rail with a force
Of LOO volunteers. You may imagine