The Boer War.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 26, 31 January 1901, Page 1

The Boer War.

PLUCKY. COLONIALS.. -

By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. London, Jan. 28. Four hundred Boers on Wednesday attacked one hundred and twenty New Zealanders and Queenslanders commanded by Major Tunbridge, patrolling the railway near Balmoral. Everything depended on \yho first reached and seized a kopje commanding the railway and the camp. - The colonials won, and held the position until reinforced, losing two killed and six wounded. Two colonials on the extreme left maintained such a steady fire that they pievented the Boers outflanking their comrades. • ' General Cunningham on Friday engaged Delarey at Cofferfontein. Four British were killed and thirty-nine wounded. General Babington threatening the flanks, the Boers retired west. General Smith-Dorrien had a five hours fight and defeated a considerable force between Wonderfontem and Caroline. One of the British was killed and fifteen wounded. . The Boers summarily ejected all British subjects from Petersburg. General Cunningham’s Brigade expelled a large force from a strong position at Olifant’s Nek, Magaliesburg, eastward, after several days’ continuous fighting. The Boer losses were considerable at Slyklip. The cattle captured by the Boers have been re-taken. General Kitchener has selected General Dartnell, who guided General Yule’s column through the Biggarsberg Pass in the famous march from Dundee to Ladysmith, to command a mobile column consisting of Kitchener’s bodyguard, the Johannesburg Bifles, and Colonel Gough’s mounted men. a Twenty newly-recruited police, being surrounded at Devondale, north of Vryburg, surrendered unresistingly. They were stripped and released. George Brand, leader of the Eastern raiders, threatens to prove that hundreds of Cape Dutch'rnvited the Boers to invade Cape Colony, and when they got;there refused to join them. Eighteen German field guns of the newest model procurable have been landed at Queenstown for South Africa, with carriages and waggons complete. Nine hundred Hungarian horses have been shipped at Fiume for the Cape. Some Dublin Fusileers were captured by the Boers when the first train was seized at Slyklip. The Australian and New Zealanders’ casualties near Balmoral on the 23rd were as follows: New Zealand Mounted Infantry : Private F. W. Kedrail, killed; Private E. A. Wigmore, dangerously wounded, since dead ; Private W. Paul, Corporal Seavill, Captain G. Crashaw, severely wounded; Sergeant- S. J. Henderson, dangerously wounded. DeWet and Petersen, commanding 500 Boers, crossed the line between Ventersburg and Holfontein during the night of the 23rd and escaped. Twenty-five British caught in an ambush killed five Boers, A careful estimate places the Boor losses in December at 450 killed, 400 wounded, and 200 prisoners. One hundred surrendered. The losses in January were about the same. Botha’s headquarters arc at Boostcnkal. Viljoen commands'the eastern districts north of the railway, Tobias south of the line. A Band mine-owner is paying <£30,000 a month for 1200 men as mine guards. The damage to the mine is estimated at £300,000.