The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 11 January 1900, Page 2

The Transvaal.

THE ATTACK ON LADYSMITH Further particulars have reached herd on the assault made by the enemy upon Ladysmith on Saturday. It appears that General Joubert directed an attack upon the beleaguered town from all sides at about three o'clock in the morning. The fighting which ensued was of a desperate character, and Was almost continuous throughout the day, a tremendous rifle and field gun fire being keep up. It was the fiercest struggle that has hitherto occurred during the War. At nine o'clock General White heliographed to Sir Eedvers Buller (who is with his army to the southWard of the Tugela river) — " Enemy repulsed." Two hours later, however, another message was flashed from the British general — " Fighting continues. The enemy has been reinforced from the south." At one o'clock Sir George White transmitted a message saying — " The enemy has been again beaten off, but are still around in great numbers." Again 1 , -at half-past three, the heliograph signal- read — "The attack has been again renewed, and I am very hard pressed." Unfortunately at this stage the sun failed, and Sir George White had to stop attempting to signal the Commander-in-Chief. A private heliograph message is reported tb have intimated that during the engagement the burghers pressed so close to the Gordon and Manchester regiment that the latter used the bayonet in repelling them. General Buller has cabled a report to the War Office with regard to the attack upon Ladysmith. He mentions a camp rumour that the Boers were defeated, and that four hundred of their number were taken prisoners by the defending troops. The war correspondents agree that the Boer losses were heavy. All General Buller's available troops made a demonstration towards Colenso, on the Tugela river — sixteen'miles south of Ladysmith — but found the Boer entrenchments occupied. REPULSE OF THE ENEMY AT LADYSMITH. A report has been received by the War Office from General Sir George White with reference to the assault made upon Ladysmith by the investing Boer forces on Saturday. General White states that the garrison succeeded in repulsing the enemy everywhere with heavy loss, their casualties greatly exceeded those pn the British side. Owing to heliograph communication with Ladysmith having been interrupted at a critical period of the Boer assault on Saturday afternoom there was naturally widespread anxiety in Great Britain as to whether the garrison had succeeded in repelling the attack. This suspense was, however, relieved late this afterooon by the War Office publishing the text of a heliograph message flashed from Ladysmith to the relieving army south of the Tugela river, i In this message General White j states that the attack, which commenced at three o'clock on Saturday morning lasted for seventeen hours, the Boers pushing on in their attempt to storm the town with the greatest courage and energy. " Some of our entrenchments on Wagon Hill." says the general, " were thrice taken and re-taken, The enemy held one point throughout, but at dusk were ejected most gallantly during a heavy rain storm at the point of the bayonet by the Devonshire Regiment, Major Cecil W. Park leading. Colonel lan Hamilton rendered valuable services at Wagon Hill," The concluding part of the message states that the troops had a very trying time, but behaved excellently, and are elated at the services rendered by them to the Queen. General Sir Redvers Buller's inactivity is attributed to incompleteness of his transport arrangements and the lack of concentration of his forces,

During General Buller's demonstration in the vicinity of Colenso on Saturday he shelled the enemy's trenches with ehrapnel without receiving any reply. REINFORCEMENTS. The War Office has begun the arrangements for the mobilisation of an eight infantry division for service in South Africa. It is to be ready for embarkation in a fortnight. Fourteen hundred of the volunteer force formed at the instance of the Lord Mayor of London will sail between the 13th and the 30th inst. A dozen batteries ot field artillery have been warned to hold themselves in readiness to proceed to South Africa. Wernheir Beit and Company, the South Africaa diamond merchants, have donated £50,000 towards equipping the Imperial Yeomanry Cavalry. Six thousand troops and six guns land at South Africa at the end of the present week.