Towyn-on-Sea and Merioneth County Times

THE FIGHTING ON SPION KOP. LADYSMITH GARRISON WATCH THE FIGHTING. LADYSMITH, Saturday (by Special Runner to Estcourt, Tuesday). The besieged people of this town, civilians and soldiers alike, have just endured a period of sus- pense more trying to the nerves and more weari- some to the patience than anything they had experienced since the first day of the blockade. From our commanding heights we have watched the apparently victorious advance of a powerful British army forcing its way to our relief. We have seen the enemy driven from strong positions and preparing to retreat all along the line. Our arms were actually outstretched to embrace onr saviours. In our eagerness and joy we almost persuaded our- selves that we were within hailing distance of the dun-coloured host in the far distance. And now ? Our exultation has given place to settled melancholy accompanied however by a fierce determination to work out our own salvation if need be. We have seen with our own eyes the British advance stayed at what was very clear to us watchers the very moment of complete victory. To-day we realise that Buller's army is no nearer to us than it was two weeks ago. The main facts have already been heliographed to us very briefly. Here are the deatails. The first indication we in Ladysmith had of the presence of General Warren's force at and about Trichardt's Drift was the shelling by the British guns on Wednesday, January 17, of the great mountain about three miles on the side of Pot- gieter's Drift, on the Tugela, known as Taba Nyama, or Black Mountain. From the heights aronnd Ladysmith, crowded with eager watchers at the first welcome sound of Warren s guns, were plainly visible the British positions on the south side of the Tugela. On Zwart's Kop and on the mountain opposite Potgieter's Drift we could see the flash of the British guns, and we followed tne course of each hurtling shell until it burst amongst the Boer trenches on the Taba Nyama. Never were military operations watched with such keen interest and with such spectacular ad- vantage. The shelling continued heavily on Thurs- day, the 18th, and Friday, the 19th. On the latter day we knew from the shrapnel bursting along the ridge running north from Taba Nyama that our field artillery had got to work, and great was our rejoicing. On the afternoon of that same Friday there was cannonading, and later on we learned that the British army had crossed the Tugela in three places. Nevertheless there was no change whatever in the Boer positions on or near Taba Nyama until Wednesday, January 24th. On that day the Boers had two canvas camps, one on each side of Taba Nyama Nek, and also four large waggon laagers further north. On Wednesday, the British gunners shelled the ridge north of Taba Nyama above Pinknev's Farm. The shelling commenced at daybreak, and sharpnel was almost exclusively used. The shelling was severe, and it was continued until the afternoon, when it ceased with strange suddenness. Meanwhile we saw the Boers rapidly inspanning their waggons, and their agitation was palt a le to all experienced watchers. Towards evening large numbers of waggons began trekking northwards towards Van Reenen's Pass, and the news was helio- graphed into the town that Warren had occupied Taba Nyama. On Thursday morning, the 25th, we were de- lighted to observe that many of the Boer waggons bad left the laagers, while most of those left were engaged in inspanning preparatory to joining in the general trek or retreat in the full light of day. Before long the retreat had commenced in earnest, for strings of waggons, extending for miles, weie observed moving across the piains from Taba Nyama, all evidently having the same objective- Yan Reenen's Pass. Numerous mounted burghers were also proceed- ing in the same direction, but the canvas camps on each side of the Taba Nyama Nek remained un- changed, and herds of cattle continued to graze as usual on the pasture within the shadow of the great mountain. Here indeed, was a remarkable phenomenon, which we discussed excitedly. If, as we had been assured, the British soldiers had stormed and cap- tured Taba Nyama, otherwise Spion Kop, the pre- vious afternoon, and continued to hold it, what were the two camps doing on the Nek, and why were the cattle below unmolested P Either the Boers had retreated en masse, abandoning every- thing to the victors, or they intended to return after getting their waggons to a safe distance. In any case it seemed strange that our mea showed no signs of activity. However, no immed- iate solution of the problem was forthcoming. During the Thursday there was a little artillery firing, and several British shells burst over the ridge at the same spot as on Wednesday. Night fell with- out any explanation of the situation, and the staff have professed to be quite in the dark as to what had happened. On the morning of Friday, January 26th the startling circumstances was revealed that the Boer waggon laagers which were broken up on the previous day had reappeared, and were in precisely the same position as before. We could net say whether they were the same waggons which had trekked on Wednesday night and Thursday, or whether they were fresh ones bringing up supplies of food and amunition, passing the empty ones on the road, There was no firing on either side on Friday, and this, together with the continued presence of the Boers in force in the vicinity of Taba Nyama, made the situation decid- edly puzzling us. That night we learned that Warren bad secured the crost of Taba Nyama mountain, driving out the Boers with great loss. But at the same time, a Boer report came in which stated that 100 -if our men had been taken prisoners. There was an entire absence of hostilities on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the neighbour- hood of Taba Nyama, which was sufficiently ac- counted for by the presumption that an armistice bad been agreed to for the purpos-eof enabling both sides to collect their wounded and bury tueir dead. In fact waggons and ambulance carts were seen going and coming from Thursday morning until Saturday afternoon. The scene on the plain between Taba Nyama and Ladysmith was unchanged until Sunday, January 28. On the morning of that day a new Boer laager became visible on the Colenso road nine miles away. The Boers were much in evidence in the conntry between Rifleman's Ridge and Taba Nyama. On Sunday afternoon we learned the dis- heartening truth that after actually taking and holding Spion Kop on Taba Nyama Warren, for some reason, had retired or had been driven back, and that the Boers bad reoccupied the commanding position. We were further told that our losses in killed, wounded, and prisoners amounted to the terrible total of 1,100. Our only consolation in our sore disappointment was in learning that the Boer losses were considerably more than our own, that they also had many of their number prisoners, and that Warren's artillery has destroyed seven out of the eight guns brought on the scene by the Boers. We were told that the Boers were demoralised, but our own eyes did not furnish on Sunday evidence in support of this optimistic statement. On Monday, January 29th, the scene before us was still unchanged, except that the Boer iaager on the Oolenso road had disappeared as quickly as it had come. There had been then an entire sus- pension of hostilities on Taba Nyama since the previous Sunday. On the Monday news was re- ceived by us that while a body of British troops were making the passage of the Tugeia on Satur. day, the 27th, at Skiet's Drift they were hotly attacked by a Boer commando, and that thereupon another British force unexpectedly fell upon the enemy and smote them hip and thigh. We gloried to hear that there had been what we have so long been yearing for-hand.to.hand fighting—and that our men had bayonetted nearly every Boer of the commando.

A SHROPSHIRE MAN AT MODDER RIVER. A letter has been received by Sir Woolrich, of Albrightlee, near Shrewsbury, from Private W N Yaughan, a reservist of the Scots Guards, and formerly in Lord Kenyon's Squadron cf the Shrop- shire Yeomanry. pHe formerly resided at Middle with his father Sergeant E Yaughan, also of the Yeomanry, and is a nephew of Quartermaster Jchn Yaughan and Sergeant R Yaughan, prominent members of Captain Wynne Corrie's troop. This Salopian Guardsman says:—Just a line DO let you know that I am quite safe up till to-day, 30th Nov. We had three very hard battles in five days so that is not bad. We beat the Boers in every way, but their fire was a most deadly one. I was in the fighting line all the time in a heavy cross-fire. The first was at Belmont, second at Honeycomb Hill, and the third at the Modder River. Please excuse more no time up here to write much. Hoping you andfall friends at home are well.

MILITIA FOR ACTIVE SERVICE. SOUTH WALES BORDERERS TO THE FRONT. The 3rd Militia Battalion South Wales Borderers, who are now stationed at Wellington Barracks, Dublin, for garrison duty, on Sunday received notice to prepare for embarkation to South Africa on the 9thof February. Col. Healey immediately addressed the men on the subject of the communication, and they enthusiastically volunteered to proceed to the Cape to join forces with their fellow representatives of the Queen to do battle against the oppressors of freedom in that countrv.

SIR FREDERICK CARRINGTON. Says The Major" in To-Day Considerable mystery exists as to the destination of General Sir Frederick Carrington. I hear it stated that he will ultimately take over Methuen's command. Sir Frederick should have been sent out long since keeping him at home so long is one of the greatest mistakes that the War Office has made. Carrington is a born leader of irregular mounted troops, and has yet never failed to win the entire confidence of troops under him. He is a strong advocate of mounted men for South African warfare, and when he reaches the scene of action he may make con- siderable alterations in any command he takes over. Carrington, like Baden-Powell, is a great heliever in the most systematic system of scouting and the use of native spies. He is one of the very few of our generals who knows the country well right up the Matabele Northern Border. In appearance Carring- ton is a splendid figure—built on a large scale with strong, bold, and weiJ chiselled features, and a heavy moustache—the kind of moustache that. Ouida" used in her early style" to assign to her heavy dragoons. There is not another like it in the British army—or indeed out of Italy. It. Irw en of bite comrades, and it wa our- > > i. i ng aduM,ation and awe t<> the natives, who gav<; t>;e owner the nickname of the Man with the Liou-f.tce. It is now turning to grey, and Sir Frederick is just on fifty-six, but age lias not staled the infinite geniality of his nature and his smile. Carrington is a great smoker. He resembles Mr. Chamberlain in the fact that he is generally to be seen smoking a big cigar of choice kind, and he should be the despair of all the anti-cigar or cigarette societies of Cohoes or elsewhere, for in the spite of all he is as hard as nails and as tough as Kitchener.

A FIGHTING BRITON. The following interview appears in an American paper. The Jeremiah Williams is a brother of Mr James Williams of Forden :—" I notice that an ex- Boer soldier says it will take 12 Englishman to whip one Boer," remarked Jeremiah Williams, an Englishman who lives at North Yamhill, after reading the article in The Telegram recently where- in suoh a prediction was made by aman who fought in South Africa in 1881. Now I want to say that I can find one English- man who can lick any Boer soldier that lives, he continued, showing that his English blood was up, Mr Williams was in the British army for years, and declares he knows what he is taking about when he says that a soldier of Queen can hold his otyn with any fighting man alive. If the Boers are such good shots and so stingy of their ammunition, why is it they have wasted car- loads of it without effecting a captnre of Ladyslllith and the other beleagued towns ? It seems to me that according to the ex-Boer's figuring there are enough Boer sharpshooters round about Ladysmith to have picked off every Englishman there in dozen lots several days ago. Now I have not fought in South Africa, and can not speak from experience, but that story about the blue gas sounds fishy to me, I am aware that hun- dreds of Englishmen do live there without succumb- ing to any such dreaded disorder, and I think our soldiers will find little trouble from this source. In fact, I have noticed that an Englishman can live where any Dutchman can, and I think the Boers will come to this conclusion before many months. As to the honesty and uprightness of which the ex-Boer talks, I want to say that some things have occurred in South Africa which lead me to con- clude that the Boers are not as good as some people think. They may be as honest as some people, but that may not mean a great deal. The people of America did not think it very honest or very upright of England to impose taxa- tion upon them without any representation. That is what the Boers are doing to-day, and is, accord- ing to my way of looking at it, tyranny combined with dishonesty. These honest Boers have stolen the Transvaal from the natives, and made slaves of those who dared object. When the Dutchman wished to plun- der adjoining tribes they used to march their slaves in front of them as moving breast-works. This doesn't look very honest and certainly is not 12 times as brave as the ordinary Englishman. The Boers have done nothing for the world, while England has brought civilisation and happi- ness to thousands of people. She has driven piracy from the seas and made merchantmen as safe in Chinese waters as on the Atlantic waves. England has fought against slavery, while Kru- ger has fought to enslave people. The first war England had with the Boers was mainly on account of slavery, yet a Dutchman dares to stand up and call the Boers an honest and upright people. Perhaps they are upright enough for him, but they don't suit me, and there are hundreds and thousands of Englishmen who are ready to spill their blood to help make a more upright Boer of the unmerciful Dutchman of the Transvaal. The world moves anrl if the sauer-kraut eaters of South Africa don't want to move with it, they must get out of the road.

LETTER FROM A BERRIEW MAN. Writing to his parents at Berriew, Corporal M Bevan, 6tli Inniskilling Dragoons, Maitre Camp, Rehsberg, South Africa, under date January 5th, 1900, says 1 have no doubt you are wondering how I am after reading the account of the grand charge of the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons, of which I was one of the number. We were marching on Colesberg the Sunday before New Year's Day. When we drew near the place we were met by thousands of the enemy who saluted us with a hail of shell and bullets. I am glad to say they only killed one of our fellows, so we had to retire on a big hill. We held that position until the following- Thursday. On the preyious day we made a deadly charge. The Berks Infantry and Cavalry charged in fine style under a shower of bullets and achieved the almost impossible task of gaining the top, from which we made a great slaughter on our enemy. In lancing a Boer through the back I was com- pelled to leave my lance where I thrust it. He previously said—" Me English, me don't fight." I then drew-my sword and cut right and left of me. The place presented the appearance of a butcher's slaughter-house on a day's slaughter, blood flowing like a stream our casualties being 9 killed and 15 wounded. They hoisted the white flag, but we are under orders to ignore the same unless the enemy laid down their arms. I received your most welcome letter, when standing beside four graves of my comrades. I felt it most keenly I can assnre you, only the day before riding side by side. Am glad to hear you intend sending me a parcel. You asked if J Watkin, the Mount, bad come to me as W Battery had arrived. Sorry to say not yet, but should be glad to see him or any other old Berriew chum. I may tell you I have now been in four engagements and up to the present alive and well; thank God for it. It is reported here that Lord Roberts is joining with our General-General French. Write as often as you can as I am so .pleased to receive a letter from Old England. Remember me to all inquiring friends in the dear homeland.

» — g COLONEL BADEN-POWELL, OF EDENHOPE, MAINSTONE. [BY MR R J MORE, M.P.] I lately held a meeting of the inhabitants of this parish, near Bishop's Castle, in order to prove from the Herald's Visitation of Shropshire that the origin il home of the gallant defender of Mafeking was Edenhopt), in the above parish. The fact may l ict your readers as the family were early con- i by marriage with families in Montgomery- shire. One married a How el!, of Newton, which I suppose is Newtown, Montgomeryshire, and a daughter married Richard Lloyd, of Marringfon, whilst another married the daughter of a rector of my parish of More, of the name of Younge or Younger. The pedigree may be seen in the volume of Shropshire pedigrees published by the Harleiau Society, of which there is a copy in the Shrewsbury Free Library, and also in a subsequent book pub- lished by the same Society which contains four subsequent visitations of Shropshire. My atten- tion was diawn to the fact by the family them- selves who informed me that they came from the Ludlow Division. The Edenbope estate passed to a family of the name of Mason, of which Sir Richard Mason represented the Borough of Bishop's Castle, and from them to the Lysters, of Rowton, who represented Shropshire in Parliament, and from them to Lord Rowton, through his aunt, daughter of the Earl of Shaftesbury, who married the last of the Lysters. If the Imperial Yeomanry and Volunteers should be feted on their safe return, it would be most interesting to have a speech from the defender of Mafeking, which might be asked for with better grace if it could be shown that he was honoured in his own county and claimed during his gallant deeds. The first name Baden was acquired in tiie reign of Elizabeth. It is not pro. nounced like Baden Baden, but as if the first syllable was Bay. In case this letter reaches the eye of any who are not aware of the origin of the Harlaian Society, I may state it was and is a s iciety of cultured gentlemen formed to publish the interesting writ- ings of the Harley family, of Brarnptou Brian, near Knighton, who became Lord Oxfords, giving their name to Oxford Street, London, Harley Street, Cavendish Square, and Holler Street, the two latter from ladies they married. The father of Colonel Baden-Powell was a Professor at Oxford in my time, one of the writers of the celebrated Essays and Reviews," of which the present Archbishop of Canterbury wrote another. There are four brothers and a sister living. The eldest, who married an American lady, represented Liverpool. Colonel Baden-Powell and his brother were in Shropshire either last year or the year before. Lord Methuen, Colonel French, Sir W Forbes Gatacre, and Sir Redvers Buller were all in Shropshire last year. The parish of Mainstone is part of the scene of Sir Walter Scott's novel The Betrothed," which embraces Powis and Clun Castles. He stayed with his family at Clun when collecting materials for it. Mr Bacon, a descendant of Lord Bacon and of the Harley's, is going to South Africa on Saturday as one of the Shropshire Imperial Yeomanry.

—■—— v. R. 5TH VOLUNTEER BATTALION THE SOUTH WALES BORDERERS. REGIMENTAL ORDERS By LIEUTENAST-COLONEL E. PRYCE-JONES, M.P., Commanding. Headquarters, Newtown, 3rd February, 1900. ENROLMENTS.—The undermentioned having been enrolled at the stations named are taken on the strength of the Battalion, posted to Companies, and allotted Regimental numbers as stated against their names:—"A "Co, No 693 Ernest Bennett; 731 Robert John Thomas to"E"Co; and 732 Henry Thomas to D Co. PARADEs.-For recruits only will take place as follows :—Newtown, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at 8 p.m.; Machynlleth, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at 8 p.m.; and at Mont- gomery, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, at 8 p.m. SEKVICE SECTION SOUTH AFRICA.-The under- mentioned have been finally approved for active service in South Africa Lieut Harold Alec Kirkby, Towyn. NEWTOWN. WELSHPOOL. 30 Pte Alfred Recs 126 Pte Edwin Williams 400 „ Richard Morris 129 Pryce Baines 185 „ Win E Gritfiihs 218" William James 8 Samuel H Horton 142 „ William Mills 71 „ John E Jones MONTGOMERY. 86 Thomas Garnett 508 Pte Geo H Bunner 558 Bglr Wm T Clayton LLANFAIR. 197 Pte George Latham 372 Sergt J T Astley TOWYN. 370 Pte David Jones 426 Cpl Evan L Jones MACHYNLLETH. 446 Pte William Jones 236 Pte A W Harris 464 „ Robert Richards 364 Hugh Arthur 521 John Morris The active service Company will embark about 10th inqt. The whole of the above-named will be retained on the strength of the Battalion as super- numeraries. RESERVE SECTION.—Owing to the very large proportion of volunteers for this section having failed to pass the physical standard and other necessary conditions it has now been abandoned. CYCLIST.—No 152 Cyclist T E P Jones having accepted service in the Imperial Yeomanry will be borne on the strength of the Battalion as super- numerary. By Order, C WALKER, Captain, Adjutant 5th V.B. South Wales Borderers.

— + THE YORK CONTEST. RESULT OF THE POLL. The result of the poll was declared at half-past ten on Tuesday night as follows Faber (C) 6,248 Murray (L) 4,818 Conservative majority 1,430 Results of previous elections: 1895: J G Butcher (C), 5,516 Sir P Lockwood (L), 5,309; A E Pease (L), 5,214; Conservative majority over mean Liberal vote, 255. 1898 (by-election) Lord C Beresford (C)J 5,659; Sir C Furness (L), 5,648; Conservative majority (reduced on scrutiny), 11. POLICE APPOINTMENTS.

:The following promotions will take place :—P.S. Breeze to be the resident Sergeant at Barmouth vice Sergeant W R Williams, who has nccepted the post of Deputy Chief Constable in the Mont- gomeryshire force. P.O. Richard Owen (Dolgelley) to be Sergeant resident at Dolgelley vice P.S. Breeze. Printed and Published by Samuel. Salter and David Rowlands, at their Offices, 21, Berriew Street, Welshpool, in the County of Montgomery, and Rock View, Towyu, in the County of Merioneth. -Thursday, February 8, 19CO.