THE BOER WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 33

THE BOER WAR.

THE STORMBERG DISASTER. ; 670 PRISONER^ TAKEN BY THE . - - BOERS. . • . SPLENDID WORK BY THE INFANTRY. IMPREGNABLE POSITION- - CAPTURED. . FOUND TO BE UNTENABLE -, THE AUSTRALASIAN :GOS.; TINGgTS; , : • _ OUR BOYS UN |)ER FIRE FOB. N FIVE HOURS. ;/ - * NO CASUALTIES REPORTED. TIIE'LATEST FROM MAPS'KING-. NOTHING CAN STAND AGAINST LYDDITE.. . X „ NORTHERN , FRONTIER. CAPETOWN, December 11. When General Gatacre's force were sm> prised the infantry behaved as coolly as on parade. After, three hours' desperate fighting against 6000, they succeeded in carrying an almost impregnable position to find h untenable, the location being, commanded by fort and rifle fire from three directions. ' » During the retirement incessant shelling caused - some disorder. , . ; <■ The British artillery worked " splendidly 'and .ave.rted'V-great a disaster. ' ■ "»'_<;••. ~ ijEolteno „' was regained- v afteiv 30-, hours' hard work. , - ' It is feared' the missing me_n were- captured. ■' • -■ CAPETOWN, December 12. '- Artillery and &. battalion of "the Scots Guards "reinforce Sterkstroom. , \ There are 2000 Boers 1 near Colesberg breaking the railway communications. DURBAN, December 12. Pretoria announces that 672 Britisi were captured at Stormberg. The New South Wales and New Zealanders in the centre, with the Dragoons on the flanks occupied Arun'del. They were under fire isv five hours, but came through scathless. The New South Wales men reinforced the first line after two hours. They only had a horse killed. ' The Australians, while scouting, captured a troop of horses. ; The New Zealanders prevented the Boers seizing a kopje, killing three of the enemy.