The Transvaal War

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 3141, 13 February 1900, Page 3

The Transvaal War

i The yrMt^MrW&ym .the n^fr?l 'Boiler's army oro^lnsf tie Tugela ttfvei* He ftofdVV gooS •n4 Tr now aavanolog towatds^adyßmithY'' « : "> < Ranter's correspondent at Spearman's omp sfys that the Bailors with the naval gun : opened fire at 7 o'clock ;en, Monday morning, tjiree battalions of infantry and aiz batteries niaklDg a feint aktaok from four poaitloni toward* Braokfontein, a Httle to the west of Greeblert Kloof. ! Theßoeraat llo'olook sen* sheila anftMgfct the Infaotry, Who retired, at »oon. Meanwhile General BnUer made a vigorpaa atUok on the extreme rights the Engineers haying, (jonstruoted . a pontoon bridge. . Cannon hidden among trees on Swartz Kop bombarded the Boer^.poritipn hei^fly/ 1 '• The infantry then ' "orodsed, completely surprising the Boers, and capturing Krant's Kloof. Hill, belongUig to, the Brafcfontein Range. The ' operatlona <were exoellently placed, . „ '7J" j The British resumed the bombardment on Tuesday morning ; 'The erieray :* worked a disappearing gun > on Doornskloof Height*, to the northeastwards The British gun. exploded its magazine, and the gun itself waa disabled till a late hoar. * An intermittent musketry fire was meanwhile maintained. r -" The Boers in the afternoon made a determined effort to recapture the hills, but British reinforcements, advancing with oheera, repulsed the enemy. The British then advanced along, the ridge. Another account of the engagement states ithat-General -Buller -evidently made a feint of crossing the lugela, River at two places. The Boers, imagining' he -actually intended to oross at both places, claim a viotery. At the Nolen Drift, where ihe adtnal crossing took place, the cannonading is described aB the fiercest of the war. General Buller, before starting, obtained from Durban 100 additional stretcher-bearers. There is a great movement pending among our forces in South Afrioa. Lord Roberta and Lord Kltohener have left Capetown for the (front. General Gataore's mounted forces are in touohwith those of General Kelly-Kenny atThebus. General Heotor Macdonald, at Koodoosberg, is entrenched on both aides of the Riec River—strongly on the left, the bank entrenchments commanding the drift. The Boers, who were in a strong foroe, fell baok at the British approach. Saturday. The Boers eooupied three miles of kopjes eastward from Splon Kop, with their eastern extremity onr^ed^outhwjird- towards Swartz Kop. Strong batteries of the British naval, field and mountain artillery were massed at the latter place. '■"]": Major-general Wynne operated on the British left, and Major-general Lyttelton on their right. Major-general Lyttelton captured the southernmost kopje on the northern bank. i The Boers on Doom Kloof HilHheiled the British column, and succeeded in arresting its advance, maintaining a long-range shell fire throughout Monday!' > ' > •* . ' > ? I, '' i » ? >_ '$ • On Tuesday the battle was resumed, but it was difficult to looatse the Boers, owing to ' their; usWg*sm6keleßß pVtfdf pjr-{ ■■ ■ The Boera having recaptured the northern end of the kopje, which Lyttlelton's men had parried on the*.Monday, tjhe position wa^etormed, and" 'recalled by *he Brlfeeh infantry at the point of the bayonet. Daring General Wynne's attaok his force* were heavily shelled by the Boers. The British casualties are estimated at 250. General Buller used 72 guns in his attaok. Thoworkof the British artillery was superb, guns raking the Boer trenohes continuously. The. Durham Light Infantry carried -Vaal Kraatz at the' point of the bayonet. It la the key of the lower ridges. General Boiler's field foroe numbers 34,000 troops with 100 guns. In Monday's fighting the first battalion of ; the Durham Light Infantry lost 80 men, the first battalion of the Rifle Brigade 70, and other regiments 60. :.:":■ - President Kroger and Steyn are reported as complaining of General Joubert's inactivity. The latter, by way of reply, invited themselves to command look at General Builer'* gone.' •*■ -• - ~~i *•■-■> * .. -i President Kroger has sent 90 additional guns to the front,. having denuded Pretoria of artillery in order to do so. The 'Cape Argus ' ia responsible for this statement. The Channel squadron has sailed for Gibraltar to relieve the Particular Service squadron, which proceeds to the Cape. , The aoarolty of transports is delaying the despatoh to Seuth Afrioa of the new yeomanry foroe that hai been raised in England* I_ ; , The French press and a section of the French people are chagrined at Mr Chamberlain's increasing popularity and influence. The Boer aoheme of flooding Ladysmith by damming the Klip River ia regarded as Impracticable, although there are 1300 natives at work on the dam. The • Daily Obroniole ' says that if the Boers oontinue to arm the blacks Britain may consider the employment of Indian troops for garrison and police duties. In the House of Commons, Mr Redmond's motion, that the war ia unnecessary, unjust, and ought to be ended on the basis of the recognition of the, independence of the Dutch Republics, was rejected by 368 to 66. Mr T. W. Rußsell, the member for South Tyrone, lamented the faot that the representatives of a oonntry claiming to be oppressed ohamploned the cause of one of the most odious and tyrannous Governments of the oentury. Sir H. Oampbell-Bannerman and 60 other Liberals voted against the motion. The only Liberals who supported Mr Redmond were Sir Wilfrid Lawson Mr John Burns (whole opinions on the war were cabled lyeßterday), Mr Roberts (there are two Robertaea in the House, both Liberals), and Dr Clark. Daring the debate Commander G, R, Bcftbfl (Conservative member of Holder*

n< is) created a sensation by dedariag that :*Be war was unjust, ,. = a J»oial ooiffitdV^ajncl ' tl at it would be impossible to settle it by tte sword at ■BgM.dfatance. K> s 1 . jAt a meetin#l^^^4Q^#Mi#f i [ttf dlsouss^he Government's war policy, Mr lUbouohere, the member .toj^Jhe_diatript^ was not allowed to speak. The platform Was iteMMd. Rew)lat^M were carried in fivorof^f^proiefCiaticto^war. *&'■ : >f, ! It has l^jlfilß: deolged<tO;in.oiease the fo'nrt§ >I *ol>nWfaJpn%"fe 'fsW^ftte' necessity for this will be seen to be apparent when it oan be stajbed pretty gonfidenjflSnfihit 100 fnlly equipped men are already |«a|a§** toed. I * 'lv £3 KI J. ££$$!s?* a ' f The Boers expeoted" that General Bailer Would have at Skiet^ Drift, kiid nndrt ttte beHet^he^.maaoodj thousands of their men on Doern Kloof, Stationing ■ only a ... few. . hundred on Vaaj Kr»ntz. tDoorfr Kloof Tnust -not be oon'. founded with ' Doom- Kop, on the south: side, <jf the Tagela River.J > vA:, • , .... j The heavy Boer fire from SpionKop op, Monday imperilled the safety of the 78th Battery, but v tfre coolness^ of OapfairiDn Platt Taylor, who^wjf -wjounded, enabled aiafe withdrawal to i bVniaaifli;' i - - • ! The Beers auaerfc that they^ compelled an armored train with 2000 tnafa which was threatening right l on taesday, to re* 'torn to OWeveley.ib •> ■••.■-• ] The Boers report that General Bailers after being heavily shelled, agalnMHhdrem aoroßß the Togela. The War Office has since received confirmation- of the' retirement. Prior to the confirmation of this news, Mr Balfonr, in theaouae of Oommone, ; aaid General Boiler was not pressing his • advance on Ladyamith from the position he ooonpied on Wednesday. The Government were not pressing him for information while the operations were in progress. ■* ' < The Boers were found in great .strength, at Brakfontein espeoiallyi Masked gnug kept np an incessant &re, and rendered Vaal Kraatz nntenable by the British. .Several ahella from "Long Tom" fell among th e transport*, while ethers reached Swartz Kop. The Boers report heavy firing? in the direction of Ladysmith. The garrison were attempting a sortie towards the Free State laager. The • London Daily News ' correspondent reports that on Tuesday the Westralians, under Captain H. G. Moor, had an engage* ment at Pottsberg, near SHngerßfontein. They attacked the enemy's position, then feigning a retreat they drew many of the Boers on to the veldt. When the latter had advanced into the open the artillery effectively shelled them and the Boers fled back to their oover. A Boer prisoner states that so many horses of the enemy have been killed that they are forming infantry oorpa. A Beater's mesßage^tates tbatthe foreign attaohes have left Capetown for the front. On Friday. 50. Australians and Tasmanians, under Major Cameron, made a reconnaissance near Colesberg, and drew fire from a large force of Boers. ' The colonials retreatedstabbornly, fighting from kopje after kopje.. Peers, aTaßmanian, was slightly wounded. Mr Lamble, the war correspondent of the < Melbourne Age,' ia missing, General Maodonald was engaged all Wednesday repelling the attacks of the enemy. His casualties numbered 50. His brigade encountered a strong force west of Koodooßberg ; -heavy fighting ensued and the Boers abandoned their trenohes daring the night. General Maodonald would have surrounded the enemy if the cavalry and artillery reinforcements despatched from the Modder River nnder Colonel Babington had arrived. Lord Roberta explains with reference to General Maodonald's retirement that he fulfilled hia mission of dispersing the Boer a » who had expected to traverse the Riet River Drift and cut General Methuen's line of communications. General Macdonald also covered Colonel Broadwood'a column and all arms operating in the vioinity of Sunnyside. bettors from Colonel Baden-Powell state that he has taken 40 Fenian prisoners, including Jameß Quintan, late stationmaßter a* Mafeking, The men were arrested On a charge of carrying on a treasonable correspondence.- • Experiments ate being conduoted at the Bandwiok range to test the statement of Mr . Laoelles Soott, the eminent British chemist, that the smoke flash of smokeless powder is deteotable through blue glasß of a oertain abade. The teats were partially ancoeaefal, but further and more elaborate ones will soon be made. Lord Roberts has arrived at the Modder 1 River< ______