IN THE ORANGE RIVER COLONY.

Otago Witness, Volume 02, Issue 2420, 2 August 1900, Page 24

IN THE ORANGE RIVER COLONY.

LONDON, July 24,

Three British officers and 13 men were ! wounded in a sharp fight which took place 10 miles to the west of Bethlehem on Saturday, the 21st. The Berkshire Militia and the Imperial Yeomanry Artillery " failed to dislodge the Boers from a strong position they held , on a hill. TEe Yeomanry had 10 casualties. The Boers, after their flight from Palmietfontein, doubled back through Paardekraal during the night. General Rundle, after a seven hours' engagement, expelled the Boers from their positions in the mountains around Rooikrantz. * July 25. Two - hundred Welsh Fusiliers, with a supply train, were captured near Roodeval. ■ ! Lord Roberts -reports that the railway ! and telegraph lines_ damaged by the Boers have been restored. July 26. * ! General De Wet left Vredefort on Sunday in a north-easterly direction.. General Broadwood arrived at Vredeforfc on Tuesday. He is awaiting the arrival of General Little's force. General Broadwood on Tuesday attacked the Boers entrenched on the hills south of the Vaal River. He '.aptured seven waggons and 20 prisoners. The mounted infantry ' encountered a superior ' force and retired. Six ' British officers and 28 men were wounded. July 27. General Hunter attacked a strongly-en-trenched position in the hills soiith of Bethlehem. Retief's Nek especially wag stubbornly defended. The Black Watch lost 50. including

Boers still under arms in the Orange River Colony is being conducted with vigour.

After two days' severe fighting, Generals Hunter, Clements, and P&get have occupied Brand Water Basin to the south of Bethlehem.

General Rundle reconnoitred the Boer commando stationed at the nek which forms the southern exit from the Brand Water Basin.

After a sharp artillery contest, the Boers evacuated their position at Winck, which is the north-westerly pass out of the Brand Water.

General Rundle believes that this portion of De Wet's commando is now surrounded.

General Rundle has taken the commando that was occupying the nek to the south of Bethlehem.

The balance of the Boers have fallen back on Fouriesburg, the British following with the object of surrounding them.

General Hunter has occupied Fouriesburg, where he found Mrs Steyn, the wife of the ex-President.

P. De Wet, a Free State commandant, and brother of Commandant Christian De Wet, surrendered to the British at Kroonstad. July 28. Two hundred Boers have surrendered at Ficksburg.

July 30.

Le Rorix, the magistrate at Vredefort, who was reinstated by the British, has been sentenced to five years for facilitating De

Wet's raids. General Hunter liberated 100 British soldiers imprisoned -t Fouriesburg. Six thousand Boers, with waggons and stores, are hemmed in in the neighbouring

mountain passes. General Prinsloo and 5000 men surrendered unconditionally to General Hunter at Fouriesburg.

General Hunter captured Commandant Piet De Wet, but the guns and waggons escaped through the hilly country to the Vaal River.