The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-08

gin until the guns on our right flanl
 at Lombard's Kop were heard. Tn
 fight was brief, but desperate. Our sol
 diers held out manfully until their am lmunition was almost exhausted, anC tsurrendered only after forty-four hac ibeen killed and eighty-six wounded
 The Boers took S7O prisoners.
 While we were burying our dead ant bringing in our wounded the Lombard ment of Ladysmith was suspended. ano the people began to make preparations for their departure. There was rush 1 for the trains, and the platform was crowded with women and children Among the first to leave were the mem
 bers of the Town Guard As long as the
 enemy kept at a respectful distance the Guard courageously turned out every
 afternoon on parade with their rifles but when the critical hour arrived on- ly ten could be found. Although many
 people went south, no 'order was issued
 for the town to be cleared of civilians,
 nobody imagining that the Boers would
 succeed in cutting our line of communi- cation.
 l
 authorities awolSe to the fact that we
 had in our midst large number of per
 sons whose antecedents and sympahties were doubtful, and who might be use- 1 ful to the Boers as channels of informal | tion. Non-residents and unauthorized people were accordingly told they must | depart This precautionary measure was followed by the arrest of several Dutch and German residents whose | movements had laid them open to sus-
 picion There can be no doubt that spies were numerous, and that every movement on our part was immediate ly made known to the invaders.
 When these sources of information were limited, the Boers did not scruple to abuse the privileges of the Geneva Cross. On Thursday they sent in an
 ambulance with some of the wounded
 in order to effect an exchange. The ann
 buanee instead of halting at our out
 posts until it could be taken over to
 our army medical corps, was allowed
 to enter the town. The driver was afterward recognized as German gun
 ner, who made the most of his time
 to discover our vulnerable points and to judge the ranges. He roamed the town at his own sweet will, and went so far as to offer Transvaal money at the stores. When told that coins bear ing the effigy of MT. Kruger were no longer accepted, he impudently, replied, "Oh you'll soon be compelled to take them in Ladysmith.'
 On Wednesday we expected the bonn k, the night our stores of ammunition and provisions were distributed oyer the town, and a depot was established in the old camp. A few shots were fired from our AZ gun, but hostilities were suspended as soon as it became known that our wounded Gloucesters and Irish Fusilers were being brought in. The day was spent in making supplements for the guns. The banks removed their books to Durban and closed to the pub lie, the military authorities having communicated the cash. The price of bread rose to one shilling a loaf. It was reported that fighting had taken place in the direction of Colenso; but this rumor discredited when the mail train from Ladysmith was signalled as udNlflS HITlNeu at MuTllXDuIB E.
 Again we slept undisturbed. At 6:30 o'clock on Thursday morning the Boers sent half dozen shells into town to remind us of their presence Gunnery Egerton had both legs shat tered by she'll and was carried out of Cove Fort in dying state. Hitherto the investment had been incomplete. as l have said in q previous letter lies in an ampitheatre of hills, with broad plain on the west watered by the Kip river. This open coutry ] the Boers, according to the habit, were 1t much pains to avoid. The 9th Lanc- ers and the 69th Field Battery seized the opportunity to make a raid on a Free State commando which was nov Ing in this direction. They caught the | Boers at breakfast, shelled them out of | heir laager, and returned with sixty | horses. Once more the heavy artillery m Pepworth Hill opened on the town, md two batteries were sent to reduce | heir fire.
 Meanwhile two trains were dispatched | outh. The second, which left after loon, carried General French and his | taff. At Pieters they had to run the gauntlet of the enemy's Mausers but | hey managed to get through safely to At 3,S0 o'clock the tele- graph wire was cut, and we realized for he first time that we were in for iege. The effect of the days cannon de was insignificant, though one or wo houses in the main street were hattered to fragments. Fortunately, 10 one was at home.-War correspond nee of the London Standard.