TRANSVAAL WAR

New Zealand Mail, 5 February 1902, Page 33

TRANSVAAL WAR

IN tough with de Wet.

LONDON, February 3. A sharp engagement took place on oLh ult. at Leeuwspruit between a De Wet’s force.and Colonel Lett’s'column, comprising the South Km Light Hourse, the New Zealanders Queensland Bushmen and Yeo-

m men a hundred of Wessels’s com"j 0 had rushed and driven in the Sgtrfof the South Africa,, Light Horse, seventy of De Wet’s bodyguard, firing British cavalry cloaks, under cover of heavy rain, opened fire. Another force on a hill in the vicinity charged boldly on the Light Horse, hoping to capture their pompom The New Zealanders, with a Maxim and a pompom, scattered the Boers when within five hundred yards of their objective. Five of the enemy were killed, and many wounded. The British loss was p'e Wet fled up the Liebenbergvlei n [The Liebenbergvlei flows from near Fouriesburg, in eastern Orange River Colony, northwards to its junction with the Wilge river, near Frankfort, east of Eeilbron. Throughout the greater part of its course it flows through the zone enclosed by the Harrismitlnßethlehem and Vrede-Heilbron blockhouse lines. De Wet penetrated the Harri-smith-Bethlehem line at the time of the fight at Tweefontein and the scene of the recent action is probably, therefore, on the portion of the Liebenbergvlei south of this zone, that is, south-east of Bethlehem.]

Except a lew hundred in the south of Orange River Colony, all the Free Staters in the field are confined to the north-eastern portion of the colony. They show plenty of fight, though they are constantly hustled. Rains prevent the British co-operating columns from heliographing. Prisoners report that a pompom killed ten Boers on the 19th ult. at Liebenbergvlei. Fourteen Boers were captured at Blaauwseschspruit. Reports from Vienna declare that Lord Lansdowne’s reply to Dr Ivuvper asserts that only unconditional surrender can be considered.

Colonel Eimington on Thursday surprised a Boer laager north of the Orange river, and captured twenty-two of the enemy, sixteen waggons and a quantity of provisions.

_ Mr Fischer, one of the Boer delegates in Holland, in an interview, asserted that Mr Steyn, in a recent order to the commandoes, stated:—“ We will drain the cup to the dregs, though we believe in our final success.” The death is announced cf Private Thomas Drenton (? Thomas Drennan, of Outram, Otago). Seventh New Zealand Contingent, from chloroform poisoning, and of Sergeant William Moore (of Dunedin), Sixth Contingent, from enteric fever.

'’Three hundred burghers joined Viloflelle’s Scouts during the week. Many surrendering burghers are requesting to be permitted to retain their anus and horses for the purpose of join--IDg the corps.