Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 January 1900 — WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA [ARTICLE]

WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA

CRITICAL SITUATION REPORTED AT LADYSMITH. Report* Say the Boer off Seturday Reaolted in Killies or Wording Nearly One Thonaaad British and About Two Tbouaand Bargbera. The defeat of the Been Saturday in 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, a summary of them has been received in London, in which it is stated that they amount to twelve officers killed and thirty wounded, and 800 men of the rank and file killed and wounded. That is a heavy percentage in a force which probably cannot muster more than 8,500 fit for duty. The Boer losses were placed by the same report at between 2,000 and 3,000." Manifestly there must be a good deal of conjecture about the latter figures, yet it must be remembered that the fighting lasted for seventeen hours and that the Boers were attacking intrenched positions. If these figures are correct they show very dearly the determined nature of the fighting. At this writing no movement is reported from any direction in South AfricaAll the columns are inactive and apparently waiting directions from the new commander-in-chief. I-adysmith is still besieged by the Boers and Baller, with his immense army of 35,000 men, is unable to relieve it- Kimberley still remains 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 operations agaiwt the Dutch- Ma lek mg. 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 Gens. French and Gatacre are unable to obtain any important advantage over the Boers. The reported capture of Colesberg by Gen. French has turned out to be untrue and one of has later reports is an admission of a defeat in which 157 men were killed or captured. Gatacre, after his disastrous experience at Stormbetg, warily keeps out of Boer traps by remaining practically inactive. Thus while the British are justly proud | of Gen. White's heroic defense of Ladysmith. there is nothing in' the general j situation that is encouraging. Everywhere the British are held at bay and although in the campaign thus far they have lost nearly 9.06 H men they have accomplished practically nothing. In no place have the Boers been pressed hack from British territory. The pl>n of campaign of Buller has proved so far a complete failure. a. It would be unwise to conclude, however, that this condition will long remain so. Humanly speaking, the Boers cannot long withstand the tremendous armies that Gens. 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 campaign. A Desperate Fisht. The desperate fighting at Ladysmitb j Saturday disabused the British aud the ■ world generally of a highly erroneous | opinion. It was held 'that while the i Boers fought well 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 themselves against the British positions, chiefly at Caesar’s Camp and Wagon Hill, and though repulsed they returned again and again to the attack with indomitable bravery. Three times the Boers captured the British entrenchments at Wagon Hill and as often they were driven ont at the point of the' bayonet. One position they occupied all day until late in the afternoon, when amid a heavy storm they were driven out by the bayonet. Whether Buller 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 a single step to retrieve his disaster. Even when Gen. White signalled him Saturday that he was hard pressed, the most Buller could do to help him was to order a demonstration at Colenso, which a London paper remarked had as much effect as ordering “a display of fireworks.” It is expected, however, that Buller will attack the Boers soon and is merely waiting to have every available gun and man ready. That he will need all of his 35.000 troops is certain. If he makes a frontal attack he will have to cross the Tugela river, the fords of which are under Boer guns and the approaches to which are defended by barbed wire entanglements. Even the river bed contains barbed wire. Then before him lie a series of entrenchments, some sixteen miles long, nearly as strong as the works of Plevna, where the Turks so gallantly held at bay the Russians. Defending these entrenchments are men as brave and able as any in the world, for under the training of European officers the Boers are now a disciplined army. It is easily apparent that the task before Buller 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 a skirmishing nature and no serious engagement ■my be expected there for the present at least. Later, when Gens. Roberts and Kitchener formulate their plans, it is probable that a strong force will be sent np the railroad from Port Elizabeth, with the object of invading the Orange Free State. A strong British force in that region would call many of the Free Staters from Natal to defend their own soil.