THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2086, 16 July 1901, Page 6

THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

LONDON. July 8. Reuter’s Agency reports that a squadron of Rimington’s Guides routed Ackerman’s commando at Brakfontein. Ackerman was wounded in the shoulder.

The Rimington Guides next attacked Pretorius’s commando, 200 strong, at Kootzepoort. After twenty minutes’ fighting at close quarters amongst the rocks and bushes, during which several Boers were wounded, Pretorius being shot in the eye, the enemy fled. Five British columns, during several weeks’ operations clearing the banks of the Orange River, captured 127 Boers, including several leaders, S2 rifles, 18,000 sheep, 7,000 cattle, 500 horses. They also collected 1,200 refugees.

Further details of tlie attack on blockhouses at Bruispruit on June 26 show that 200 of Ben Viljoen's commando attempted to cross the Delagoa Bay Railway northwards. One of the blockhouses fell into the hands of the enemy, but the others held out. An explosion partly derailed an armored train coming to tire assistance of the British. The Boers, thinking the train wrecked, attempted to rush it, but encountered, at a distance of ten yards, a terrific caseshot fire, and thereupon withdrew.

The ‘ Standard ’ states that Viljoeu and 400 men have broken across the Delagoa Bay Railway northward, and are now at Botlmsberg.

Two thousand refugees were brought to Edenburg in a fortnight.

Mr Edward Wallace, the well-known war correspondent of the 1 Daily Mail,’ sends a. communication embodying the sensational charge made by an eye-witness, apparently an office]', of the battle of Vlakfontein. This eye-witness alleges that he saw two of Commandant Kemp’s Boers deliberately shooting the wounded, four of whom were killed, including a sergeant slightly wounded and an ofiicer to whom the sergeant was offering water.

It is reported that an additional ten men of the Gordon Highlanders were wounded bv the wrecking of the train at IN abconispruit. Three of the Marquis of Tullebardine’s Scottish Horse were killed and nine wounded at Elandshoek on the 3rd. The War Office promptly honors the New South Wales drafts on account of the Imperial Bushmen, the Agent-General having received within a month tiie sum of £60,000. Rimiugton's Scouts took a position on the sth, capturing nineteen Boers, including Barkhuisen, an oath-breaking, trainwrecking commandant. The fight was a sharp one at close quarters, and the bayonet had to be used. One Boer was killed and two wounded. ALBANY, July 9. The Orient was not allowed to beith owing to a case of scarlet fever and several cases of measles amongst the troops. There are over 1,000 Australian Bushmen aboard. They bring two captured Boer guns with them.