The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-11
ROBERTS ATCAPB TOWN
British Commander Will Soon Be
a.4..sa ,.~~ at the Front.
THEBRITIsH Loss AT LADYsMITH
1t IL Given ss Very Slight, While the
hoer sWas"Heavy''--Free statera
Forced Into DANGEROUS Positions
by Their TransyaaI Allies,

Forced Into DANGEROUS Positions
by Their TransvaaI Allies.
London, Jan. 1.---General Lord Rob-
erts, the new commander of the Brit
ish forces In South Africa, and his
chief Of staff, General Lord Kitchener,
have arrived at Cape Town. 1t Is as
sumed that their clearer vision, sup-
ported by $4,000 fresh men, who are
due to arrive in South Africa within
80 days, will alter the situation and
that 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 Roberts finds 10000 men on
the defensive or watching"for an open
ing. 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 tank in evidence in
South Africa. In addition to the field
marshal there are two full generals,
TOUR lieutenant generals and IL or IA
major generals.
The following dispatch, dated at
frere Comp, Jan. 10. noon, has been
received from General Fuller:
"A Transvaal telegram gives the
British loss at Ladysmith on Satur-
day as four killed and Is wounded,
and this after, as is admitted, they had
endured a whitening fire from six
masked batteries and been defeated
al all points. Natives here assert that
the Boer loss in one commando alone
was $50 killed and wagonloads of
wounded. The heaviest loss is said
to have been among the Free Staters.
who were forced by the Transvaalers
into the most dangerous places"
This curious dispatch is all the war
war office issued. 1t makes not the
slightest mention of the position or
doings of the British forces. 1t may
be interpreted to mean that Ladysmith
is safe, but it is more likely intended
to prepare the British public for ter
rible list of casualties.
The Standard has received the fol-
lowing from its special correspondent
at Frere Camp:
Il hear on good authority that Presi-
dent Kruger sent word to the Boer
headquarters asking why Ladysmith
had not been attacked, and that the
reply was, We should lose too many
men. His answer to this excuse was
the suggestion that the Free Staters
might be put in the forefront. This
hint was taken and the attack de-
livered.
President Kruger's advice was s,
far good that the Free Staters behaved |
better than the Transvaalers have
done. At all events they managed to |
seize hill. Later in the day the |
'rransyaalers retired before General
Whites counter attack amid the jeers
or the Free Skaters, who actually stuck
to their position until they were bay
oneted in the ditch. After this affair
1t Is almost certain that the allies will
quarrel"
A Rensburg, Cape Colony, dispatch
says: 1t is reported here officially.
with reference to the disaster to the
First battalion of the Suffolk regiment.
that Lieutenant Colonel Watson
the regiment in close column
10 the top of the hill at midnight. He
assembled the officers and was adj
lressing them, just at daybreak, when
he enemy volleyed at distance of 80 |
PAGES. The colonel, his adjutant and
Two other officers were killed The
suffolks who had scarcely fired a shot,
lied back to the pickets, about a thou
sand yards away, some one having
shouted retire" About 800 however,
lost heavily and finally sur
'endered.
The Cape Town correspondent of
The Daily Mail, telegraphing Monday,
lays:
THE Boer successes have been fol-
owed by a tremendous outburst of
Enthusiasm and Boer sympathy in the
western part of the colony. Reports
rom Paarl say the whole district is
made hideous at night by bands of
'oung men parading in the villages
md singing the Transvaal vokslied,
While the children are everywhere
'ractcing the national songs of the
epubics. The following are speci-
mems of statements believed by the
western Dutch: Butler and Rhodes
re prisoners and 1000 Beers secretly
allied and captured Cape Town."