Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-01-18
WARINSOUTH AFRICA
CRITICAL SITUATION REPORTED
At LAOYSMiTH.

/ Reports say the boer Onslouxnt Oh out
urday Resulted in killing or Wound
ing Nearly One Thousand British and
About Two Thousand Burghers.
The defeat OF the Beers Saturday II
| their desperate assault upon Gen. White
in Ladysmith has not greatly relieved the
South African situation from the BRITISH
standpoint. Terrible losses on both sides
are reported as the result of the fierce
battle. While nothing official has been
given out as to the British casualties, q
summary Of them has been received IN
London, in which it is stated that they
amount to twelve officers killed and thir-
ty wounded, and 500 men of the rank and
file killed and wounded. That is a heavy
percentage in force which probably
cannot muster more than $500 fit for
duty. The Boer losses were placed by
the same report at between 1000 and
1900. Manifestly there must be good
deal Of conjecture about the latter hg-
ures, yet il must be remembered that the
fighting lasted for seventeen hours and
that the Beers were attacking intrenched
positions. If these figures are correct
they show very clearly the determined
nature of the fighting.
AT this writing no movement is report
ed from any direction in South Africa.
All the columns are inactive and appar-
emily waiting directions from the new
commander-in-chief. Ladysmith is still
besieged by the Beers and Butler, with
his immense army of $4,000 men, is un-
able to relieve it. Kimberley still re-
mains hard pressed by the enemy, and
Gen. Methuen cautiously remains in his
fortified camp to the south Of the Modder
river, evidently afraid to resume opera
tons against the Dutch. Mafeking, in
British Bechuanaland, is surrounded by
Boer forces and the latest sortie of the
British ended in a repulse, which cost
the besieged dearly. In northern Cape
Colony Gems. French and Gatacre are
unable to obtain any important advan-
tage over the Beers. The reported cap
ture Of Colesberg by Gen. French has
turned out to be untrue and one Of his
later reports is an admission of q defeat
in which 157 men were killed or captured.
Gatacre, after his disastrous experience
at Stormberg, warly keeps out of Boer
traps by remaining practically inactive.
Thus while the British are justly proud
of Gen. Whites heroic defense of Lady
smith, there is nothing in the general
situation that is encouraging. Every
where the British are held at bay and
although in the campaign thus far they
have lost nearly 1900 men they have ac-
complished practically nothing. In no
place have the Beers been pressed back
from British territory The plan Of cam
paign of Butler has proved so far COM
plete failure.
1t would be unwise to conclude, how
ever, that this condition will long remain
so. Humanity speaking, the Beers can
not long withstand the tremendous ar
mics that Gems. Roberts and Kitchener
will soon be sending against them and
the result will be that they will be beaten
back into their own territories, where the
fighting will be of even a more desperate
character than any hitherto in this cam
paign.
A Desperate Fight.
The desperate fighting at Ladysmith
Saturday disabused the British and the
world generally of a highly erroneous
opinion. 1t was held that while the
Beers fought we'll from cover they were
not trained enough to attack an entrench-
ed enemy. But they conclusively proved
on Saturday that they are equally brave
and adroit in attack as in defense. For
nearly seventeen hours they hurled them
selves against the British positions, chief
ly at Caesars Camp and Wagon Hill,
and though repulsed they returned again
and again to the attack with indomitable
bravery. Three times the Beers captur-
ed the British entertainments at Wagon
Hill and as often they were driven out at
the point of the bayonet. One position
they occupied all day until late in the
afternoon, when amid heavy storm they
were driven out by the bayonet.
Whether Butler can relieve Ladysmith
may well be doubted. Since his defeat
at Colenso, or the Tugela river, a few
weeks ago he has not so far as known
taken single step to retrieve his disas-
ter. Even when Gen. White signalled
him Saturday that he was hard pressed,
the most Butler could do to help him was
to order a demonstration at Colenso,
which London paper remarked had as
much effect as ordering "a display of
fireworks"
1t is expected, however, that Butler
will attack the Beers soon and is merely
waiting to have every available gun and
man ready. That he will need all of his
81, 900 troops is certain. If he makes a
frontal attack he will have to cross the
Tugela river, the fords of which are UNI
der Boer guns and the approaches to
which are defended by barbed wire en-
tanglements. Even the river bed con-
tains barbed wire. Then before him lie
series of entertainments, some sixteen
miles long, nearly as strong as the works
of Plevna, where the Turks so CALAMITY
held at bay the Russians. Defending
these entertainments are men as brave
and able as any in the world for under
the training of European officers the
Beers are now disciplined army. 1t is
easily apparent that the task before Bull
Ter is not an easy one
In other parts of South Africa the war
situation has undergone no material
change. The nature of the fighting in
northern Cape Colony, where Gen.
French is operating, is of skirmish-
ing nature and no serious engagement
may be expected there for the present at
least. Later, when Gems. Roberts and
Kitchener formulate their plans, it is
probable that a strong force will be sent
up the railroad from Port Elizabeth, with
the object of invading the Orange Free
State. strong British force in that re-
gion would call many of the Free Staters
from Natal to defend their own soil.
Municipal Matters.
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