THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 81, 9 April 1900, Page 2

THE WAR.

SERIOUS BRITISH REVERSE. i I'VE COMPANIES OAVTURED BY THE ENEMY. By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.] |PBB PBKSS ASSOCIATION.] Received 8, 8 p.m. London, April 7. The following official report is to land:— " A strong Boer force, with four guns, m Wednesday surrounded and cap;ured three companies of the Royal [rish Rifles and two companies of the 3th Mounted Infantry at Reddersburg, 35 miles South of Bloemfontein. " Fighting lasted for 21 hours." NO NEWS OF THE MISSING FORCE. London, April 7. After the battle of Reddersberg, detachments were sent from Bloemfontein and Springfontein, but they obtained no news of the missing force. THE URGENCY OF ENTRENCHING ISOLATED POSITIONS. London, April 7. The Times, commenting on the Reddersberg fight, insists on the urgency of entrenching isolated positions to enable them to stand a short siege. The paper forecasts that it will be a war of «mnll actions equally with great combinations, and possibly the war may be one of detail.

PARTICULARS OF LOSSES. Received 9,1.8 a.m. London, April 8. Ten were killed at Reddersburg, 3 wounded, and 546 taken prisoners. The Boers numbered 3200.

THE FIGHT AT DOORNSPRUIT. SEVENTEEN NEW ZEALANDERS CAPTURED. Hcceived 7, 9.10 a.m. London, April 6. At Doornspruit seventeen New Zeai landers, under Major Robin, were captured. The remainder of the New Zealandera fought their way clear of the ambush. The extrication of General Broadwood was due to four guns of the " Q " Battery. When warned of the danger they retreated from the crescent of the donga, which was spouting fire at the British. The guns then came into action, and allowed Roberts' Horse aad the Mounted Infantry to reform and check the onward rush of the enemy. Afterwards the battery was dragged clear, the Mounted Infantry, among whom were the Queenslanders, covering the retreat. Despite the proximity ef the enemy, the Australian Horse and New South Wales Lancers rose to their feet and cheered the gallant remnant of the Tfcilln-y, A TruLSvaal account cf the ambush claims that the Boers captured, tesides somo cannou, 389 prisoners. All prisonurs captured at Doornspruit have been sent to inburg. Among tha documents capture 3 with f.he convoy at Djoiwpruit were (according to a Boer accouut) phns correcting Dr. Jameson's route from Mifekiug to Pretoria; also a list of Free State burghers who had surrendered. Newspapers discredit the Boers assertion that they captured British plans for the invasion of the Republics. The Boers claim their losses at Doornspruit to be three killei and ten | wounded. | BRITISH CASUALTIES 450. NAMES OF NEW ZEALAND MISSING, (Recoived 8, 8 p.m.) London, April 7. Several members of the Imperial Yeomanry were killed at Doornspruit. The British casualties number 450. It is officially reported that General Broadwood's loss included the following New Zealandera missing:— Quartermaster-Sergeant Sadler Sergeant Harris Private Jewell Private Miller Private Pope Private Powell Private Tarrant Private Valintine Private Wyllio Private Butlers Private Catherall Private Cossar Private Franklin Private Heenan Private Prosser Private Palmer Private Waldie The casualties also included the following Queensland Mounted Infantry : —Killed : Corporal Ooully, Private Reece. Wounded: Dangerously, Private Strong; slightly, Private Logan. Missing: Bombardier W ieck, Privates Breydon, Spurway, H. Johnson, and Staines. I

LIEUT.-GENERAL_METHUEN'S FORGE. OOUNT MAKCBUIL KILLED. FIFTY-THREE OF THE ENEMY CA.PTUIIED. liecciwd 8, 7 p.m. Loxdo-V, April 7. Lieut.-General Lord Methuen, at Boshof, killed seven of the enemy, including Count Da Yillobois M&rceuil, She French strategist. Lord M«t,huen also took 53 prisoners, u.obody escapiug. The fighting lasted for four hours. MORE WHITE FLAG TACTICS. , (Kcceiveil f, <S p.m.) i London, April 7. After the Boers hoisted the white (l ;g at Bjsliof, a Bar* shot Captain Boyle, of the Imperial Yeomanry, dead, I he murderer was killed, ,

A DESPERATE RESISTANCES

GALLANTRY OF FIFTY MEN. (Received 7, 10.5 a. in) London, April 6. Fifty men of the " £ " squadron Kitchener's Horse wore gogi farm at Riet River on March - 15th, when they wore surrounded by 4000 Boers. They offered a desperate resistance and loopholed the walls. They i were three days without food, and then naught a goat. All the horses died of starvation. On the fourth day the men were completely exhausted surrendered. CAPTURE OF BOER CATTLE AUSTRALIANS MASS A. HAUL, (Received 7, 9.80 aon.) London, April 6. • An Australian detachment captured 1000 cattle near Brand fort, GENERAL CLEMENTB' MARCH. THE COUNTRY PEACEFUL. (Received 7, 9.20 a.m.) London, April 0. General Clements marched oontda* uously for fifteen days. The march was without incident, and the country passed through was peaceful. I IN BECHUANAIAHD, A TOWN OCCUPIED BY TBI BWTTn»g| (ReoeWed 7, 9.20 a.m.) London, April 6, A British force has re-ooonpitd Up. . ington, in Bschuanaland, without op> [ position. ' r KRUGER MINTIN6BRITIBH MONEY. ENOUGH TO OOVER COST OF THH \ WAR. Received 8,7 p.m. London, April 7. President Kruger is minting British f money dated 1892. .He dedans * u ** the output of the Transvaal gold } be ample to oover the ooet of the war.

BOER AND BRITIBH PRISONERS. A MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. (Received 8, 7 p.m.) London, April 7. Mr. G. Wyndham, Under-Secretary for War, stated on March 31st that tha Boer prisoners numbered 5000 and the British 3466. THE COLONIAIJROOPB. TWO DEATHS. < (Received 8, 7 p.m.) London, April 7. Captain Hall Owen, of the Victorian Medical Corps, died of enterio fever, ind Trooper Marsden, South Australian, of pneumonia. THREATENED DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY. _J BOERS GIVE A DENIAL. (Received 7, 9.20 a.m.) New Yobk, April 8. * The New York Herald haa been luthuiised to stuto that the Boera do not int end to destroy property at Johanaesburg. It is supposed the announcement has been made with a view to smooth the way to peace, (Received 7. 10.S a.m.) London, April 6. It. is believed hare that the A r ew York Heraid's announcement was made with a vio -v to render easier the of the Borr peace emissaries recently sent to Europe. NEW SOUTH _WALEB BUBHMEN. (Received 8,8 p.m.) Sydney, April 7. The departure of the Imperial Bushmen has been postponed till April 23rd* THE PATRIOTIC FUND. (Reoeived 8, 7 p.m.) London, April 7. The Daily Mail makes complimentary reference to Australian libenlito to the War Funds, especially the MeW bourne Argus' Kipling Poem Fund. Receivod 7,10.10 a.m. s Sydney, April 7, The Patriotic Fund now amounts to £34,900, and the Bushmen's Fund to £30,560. Wellington, April 7. The Post and Telegraph Officers War Fund has reached <£3464. The list will be closed at the end of the month) when the amount is expected to total over £3700. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. Received 7,9.20 a.tn. London, April 6. Two men have been arrested at Beanfort West for attempting to wreck the train in which Sir Alfred returned to Capetown. Major-General Hutton, late commandant of the Canadian forces, has been appointed to the command of a division composed of Carabineers, Australians, and Canadians at Bloemfontein. Mr. Cecil Rhodes has arrived in London. He returns to Rhodesia in a Few weeks. MRS. JOUBBRT AND MAJLBA HILL. When the Vice-President of the I'ransvaal Republic was visiting Chicago u 1890, says tho Chicago Kvcnhvj Post,

he and his wife and Jittle granddaughter were the guests of a wellknown Boer sympathiser. One evening, Bitting around the fire, Mrs. Joubert, who is very proud of her husband, told the story of the British attack and defeat at Majuba Hill, telling how she aroused her sleeping spouse and fairly pitched him (she is a woman of powerful physique) out of the tent before he would believe the British •were fairly upon them. She took credit for the victory, and when she had finished the story her husband, who had never taken his eyes from her doling the narration, laid: "It is true; she is right, and but for her tho story of Majuba TTill would have been veiy different." Mrs. Joubert apeaks no English. Her little granddaughter translated what she said into French for the benefit of the host and hostess. According to her stoiy, the wives of the soldiery and officers had come, as is the custom of the Boer " vrouw " in times of war, to the camp to remain over Sunday and attend "meeting" with the men. Bright and early she was up on Sunday morning to make the coffee for her husband. Going outside, Mrs. Joubert looked up the hill, and saw something gleaming in the sunlight, which she at once decided were bayonets. The night before it had rained hard, and the thick fog which followed was now disappearing in a thin mist. She rushed back into the tent, and called to her husband " The British are on the hill. Get up quick, and out." "Go back to bed, woman," was the sleepy retort of her husband;" the sand isn't out of your eyes yet. What do you think the sentries are doing?' With that he turned over, and was about to resume his nap, when his wife shook him. She is a powerful woman, as has been told, and her gnusp roused her now irate lord. She made him go to the door, and with his own eyes he saw she was right. Cronje was hastily summoned, and within thirty minutes Joubert (without his coffee) and 160 sharpshooters were climbing up the almost perpendicular face of the hill, while the main body of between six and seven hundred Boers advanced in the regular way to sham attack. The British had taken advantage of the dense fog, and by a rapid march had passed inside the sentry line. They advanced, about 600 strong, to meet the Boer force, never dreaming that anyone could attack them from the welled hill behind. Down on their knees Joubert and his 160 sharpshooters dropped, and after one volley 160 British soldiers fell to the ground. The British turned and attempted a oharge. Only one more volley was sent into their ranks by the Boers. Then there were many more dead or wounded on the field. Their comrades turned and fled. The Boers then returned to camp and had their coffee.

JOUBERT AND KRUGER-A CONTRAST. Mr. Kruger, to his credit be it said, | has not the remotest conception of the meaning of fear, and would not know how to begin to give in. Mr. Joubert, " Slim (sly) Piet," as he is called, possesaing a considerable share of the real Afrikander cunning, is yet no match for his rival in diplomacy, and has none of his grit and courage. In later years this has been proved a score of times, and it is, therefore, the more interesting to recall that at the time of the annexation General Joubert refused to compromise his principles by taking office under Shepstone, whilst Mr. Kruger was- not so staunch ; and both before and during the war General Joubert refused to accept less than what he considered to be his rights, and steadily and frequently proclaimed his readiness to fight whilst Mr. Kruger was diplomatising.—Fitzpa f rick's The Transvaal from Within.