The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-23

rounded - Heavy Casualties Among
Roberts Officers Raising OF Siege of
Ladysmith Expected.
London, February 22-4 a. m-Lord
Roberts list of forty-nine killed and
wounded officers, including two gen.
erals. i'm the engagements up to Sun
day evening, causes anxiety, especial
ly as in the officers list neither the
losses of the Welsh and Essex regi-
ments nor those of the mounted infan-
try are included. This is about the num-
Der that fell at Colenso, where the non
commissioned officers and men brought
the total losses to 500.
1t Is considered strange that when
sending his casualties Lord Roberts
gives no information as to the result
of the fighting. If he has sent such
a report the war office is withhold
ing It,
Moreover, nothing is known as to
what took place Monday, Tuesday and
yesterday This absence Of details
from Lord Roberts dispatch, contrast
ed with his rather full narratives dur
ing the first part of his operations,
produces uneasiness among military
observers. All the comment in the
morning newspapers. both editorial
and critical. is threaded with disturb
ing suggestion that, despite hard fight
ing, General CrOnje has been able to
beat off his pursuers. has escaped, and
is being reinforced by rail from Lady
smith and by forces on foot and horse
back from northern Cape Colony, as
we'll as the late beleagurers of Kimber-
ley.
AS the correspondents with Lord
Roberts are silent the kilograms from
Boer sources receive some countenance.
The latter aver that General Cronje,
while the British were endeavoring to
surround him between Paardeberg and
Koodoosrand, received reinforcements
under Dewitt, and that together the
Boer commanders fought the British
to a standstill. At any rate, while no
one doubts his ultimate success, there
is a fear of a temporary disappointment
and that a lot of hard fighting is yet
ahead of the British.
; BOFRS CLAIM BRILLIANT VIC
TORY.
London, February 2z-The Daily
: Mail has the following dispatch from
Lorenzo Marques, dated February 21st
~'Roer newspapers, dated February
18th report that General Dewitt won q
|. brilliant victory over the British
troops at Midder river.
According to the same papers, Gen
erai Cronje succeeded in getting
through a message to KOffyfonteiT
With the news that he is holding all his
positions and that the Boer Gordon is
around Kimberley again
MORE TROOPS NEEDED
winston Churchill in q dispatch from
Chievelray. dated February Goth, says
he Sill expects fierce lighting before
LadySnlith is relieved, and he agair
urges the imperative necessity OF
pouring q, continual $ ream of men
suns and supplies into the cane H
declares that soldiers ar" wanted il
South Africa and not at Aldershot
MeanWh!le he sees many encouraging
signs that the Beers IRE wearying D
the struggle"
The Times has the following IRON
LourenzO Marques. dated February
21st: According to a Boer account
General Dewitt claims to have captur-
ed In an attack upon the rear guard o
French'S column $50 wagons Of provis
ions and ammunition, 2,S00 oxen ant
fifty men,
WOMEN AND CHILDREN SHOT.
The Daily Mail prints the following
dispatch from Mafeking dated Tues
day, February goth: The houses il
the woElen's laager are riddled witt
bullets. Notwithstanding the Boel
promises. 4 woman who was standing
with n sucking child was snot through
the breast, while among 400 womeT
and children. An explosive 94-pounde
shell burst in the laager, a piece fixins
itself in the spine Of a 9-year-old boy
The explosive used caused blooE pois
onfng and he fingered several Gays IL
agony.
London, February 21.-The war Of
flee has received the following from
General Butler:
"Chievelrey Camp, February 21
The Fifth division crossed the Tu-
gela today by pontoOn and drove back
the enemy's rear guard, our naval IL
FOUNDER silencing all of the enemy's
guns
The following dispatch has ben re-
ceiVed at the war office from LORD
Roberts:
"Paardeberg, February 20.
Between February 10th and Febru-
ary 18th, Major General Knox was
wounded, Major General Hector Mac.
Donald severely wounded and Lieuten.
and Colenel AldsTorth was killed. O1
the Highland brigade, sixteen officers
were wounded. including General Hec-
tor Macdonald, Major the Hon. H. E
Maxwell. of the Black Watch Roya
Highlanders), brother of Lord Farm
ham, and Lieutenant Ackre-Douglass
OF the Argyle and Sutherland High.
1anders, SON of the Right Hon. Areta.
Aekrs-Douglass. first commissioner O.
public works.
CRONJE SURROUNDED.
A private telegram received here
from Berlin this afternoon declare:
that General Cronje is in a bad posi-
tion, bearing out yesterdays Berlin ru
NOR that General Cronje was surround
ed and that a time limit had been Civ
EN- him within which to capitulate.
At a meeting of the town council o
Windsor this morning it was announc
ed that news had reached Windsor
Castle that Ladysmith had been re
Ifeved. The announcement was re
eeived with immense enthusiasm ant