The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-03-14
LADYSNTH IS RELIEVED
poERs COMPELLED TO RAISE THE
SIEGE.
Butler by Mastery Tactics and Hard
Fighting Gets His Troops Into the
Beleaguered and Starving City.

LONDON, March 1, 1853 A. M.-The
War Office has received the following
dispatch from General Butler "Lyttel-
tons Headquarters, March l, 9.05
tmorning). Dundonald with
the Natal Carbineers and a composite
regiment entered Ladysmith last night.
The country between me and Lady
smith is reported clear of the enemy.
am moving on Nelthorpe"
LONDON, March $3.50 A. M.-Tha
War Office has received the following
dispatch from General Butler:
'LADYSMITH, Friday, March p
$50 p. Nj find the defeat of the
Beers more complete than l dared to
anticipate. This whole district is COM
pletely clear of them, and except at the
top Of Van Beenan's pass, where sew
eral wagons are visible, l can find no
trace of them.
Their last train left Modderspruit
station about l o'clock yesterday and
then blew up the bridge They packed
their wagons six days ago, moving
them to the north of Ladysmith, so
that we he'd no chance of intercepting
them; but they have left vast uuanti-
ties of ammunition of all sorts, herds.
grass, Camp and individual necessarics.
They have got away with all their guns
except two"
LADYSMITII Thursday, March l.
General Butler, accompanied by his
staff, arrived at 11:40 A. NJ. today. He
entered the town unnoticed, as more
cavalry was coming in during the
morning. The news of his arrival soon
spread, however, and General White
and his staff at once went to receive
him. The two Generals met amid
scenes of tremendous enthusiasm and
General Butler had an immense receipt
ion. 1t is understood that the Boers
are in full flight toward the Free State
and a flying column of Ladysmith
troops are in pursuit of them. The
Beers left many wagons, guns and
quantities of provisions and ammuni-
ton behind them.
Surrounded by soldiers townspeople
and coolies celebrating the relief of the
town, Sir George White, at the Post
office, addressed the throng. He, said
People of Ladysmith, / thank you
for the heroic and patient manner in
which you assisted me during the siege.
II hurt me terribly to cut down the
rations, but, thank God we kept the
flag flying"
Then, profoundly moved General
White led the assembly in singing God
Save the Queen"
LONDON, March 4-Buller's first
work after opening communication
with Ladysmith was the arrangement
of transport for the immediate relief
of the garrison This was promptly
done. for seventy-three wagons trun-
died into the town early yesterday
morning with medicine, hospital COM
forts and general supplies. London
journals published dispatches this
morning revealing the pitiable condi-
ton of the garrison. Between casual
ties and typhoid fever 5000 out of 12.OCC
passed through the hospital Medical
supplies of all kinds were exhausted in
the middle of January and men who
entered the hospital had little chance of
getting out. The total losses during
the siege We're 695, of whom SAG died OF
| disease and 259 were either killed or
died of wounds. There were 500 men
wounded. There were 2OOO civilians,
and during the early part of the siege
several thousand of natives.
The severe privations of the garrison
began during January. when rations
were reduced and thirty horses and
mules were killed daily for sausages
and soup. At the beginning of the
year we had 5000 horses and 45On mules.
Before the end of January we could
only feed 100 horses, the others had
either been converted into joints. soups
and sausages or had been left to forage
for themselves. These poor, emaciated
animals-mere phantcms of horses
We're among the most painful sights of
the siege.
LONDON, March 6-The Standard
has the following from Ladysmith,
dated Saturday, March Sd:
THE Beers conducted their retreat
in most mastery fashion. without the
loss of a single wagon or an on Only
few small companies have fallen into
our hands. In point of fact, we wore
able to make only feeble efforts to in
terfere with their retirement
'Stores are pouring in today. The
progress of relief, however, is slow, as
only sixty carts a day can cross the
pontoon bridge"
LONDON, March G. Winston
Churchill, describing the relief OF
Ladysmith, in dispatch published by
the Morning Post, says:
1T has been effected at cost of up
ward of 5000 officers and men in an
army only $4,000 strong"
! He goes on to pay high tribute to
| Sir RedVers Butler, emphasizing the
confidence his men had in him, with
out which the enterprise could hardly
have succeeded"
OF General Buffers attack on Feb
ruary 9th. Mr. Churchill says: Con
sidered in itself ii was a masterpiece,
soundly conceived, boldly launched and
skilfully executed" He adds. that
'much also was due to the greatly i'm
proved intelligence department"
Churchill points out that the Beers
now hold Van Reenan's pass, but a
majority of the Free Staters have ac-
companied the Transvaalers north
ward