THE TRANSVAAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 3539, 25 January 1900, Page 1

THE TRANSVAAL.

Capetown, Jam 22. Colonel Plummer defeated a patrol at Gaberones. Lord Roberts has forbidden the soldiers to molest, or loot.

Lord Roberts’ body guard consists of the colonial troops.

Sir William MacCormac, tho eminent surgeon, who for some time has been at the front, considers that the arrangements for dealing with the British wounded are almost perfect. The Boers Lave decided to place the Cape disloyalists in tho forefront at Burghcrsdorp and Stormberg, where further fighting is expected, because they preferred ambulance work to fighting. Capetown, Jan, 23 Lord Roberts has ordered cash payments for all supplies, and the giving of receipts for everything commandeered for the use of the armies. Three batteries and 5000 soldiers have arrived at Capetown since Friday.

Sir W. MacCormac states that at the battle of Tugela, when General Buller was driven back in his first attempt to cross the river, the fighting finished at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. By 6 o’clock in the evening SOO of tho wounded were placed in hospital. Most of their wounds had been well dressed on the field under fire. Ho also states that there are improvements in the comforts for the wounded.

The Marie, which was seized at Delagoa Bay, has been released. I.' urban," Jan. 21.

The barque Marie i’ort Augusta, South Australia, with Australian flour for Kruger, has been seized by the British authorities at Delagoa Bay and brought to Durban.

December 22. Ihe Boers bold another semicircular position on the main ridge at Spionkop behind the one they evacuated. Coionel Dundonald holds the approach to Olivershock Pass. The Boers in tho recent fighting showed loss tenacity, seldom using their cannon. It is suspected that they are short cf ammunition.

Swinging his column round and occupying the vacated Boor points of vantage, General Warren has secured the rough table land constituting tho key to tho Boer position. The British casualties at Yontorspruit on Saturday, when Generals Warren and Clery pushed tho Boers back on their main lines, include 11 officers and 271) men wounded. Few Britishers have been killed during this past advance. London, Jan. 21.

Eight hundred of the volunteer force raised bj r the Lord Mayor of London attended service at St. Paul’s Cathedral and supped with tho Benchers of Gray’s Inn and Lincoln’s Inn, and sailed for South Africa amidst immense enthusiasm.

Pretoria reports states that Colonel Plummer, commanding the Rhodesian Horse, with three armoured trains, is at Gaberones, about eighty miles north of Mafeking. The War Office reports that it was Victor Jones, a Queenslander, who was killed at Sunnyside. Arthur Jones, a Victorian, who was reported to have been killed, is alive and well.

Lady Duff, widow of Sir Robert Duff, at one time Governor of New South. Wales, and a number of Anglo-colonial ladies, are shipping comforts and tobacco for the New South Wales Contingent.

The Government have chartered the White Star liner Afric to transport troops to South Africa during February. It has been ascertained that Kruger’s American food imports have been doubled since March.

Fresh stringent ticket regulations have been adopted in connection with the departure of Hamburg steamers for Delagoa Bay. Colonel Brabant, the officer commanding Brabant’s Horse, a regiment of irregulars recently raised in Cape Colony, has been promoted to the rank of Brigadier, and now commands a strong division of colonial irregulars. Sydney, Jan. 22. Mr Chamberlain has cabled that Lieut. Dowling, of the New South Wales Lancers, who was captured with tho patrol at Reusberg, has been sent to Pretoria, wounded in the cheek and leg. Tho bushmen’s contingent fund is now .£22,700. Five Norfolk Islanders have arrived to join tho Contingent. Mr Phillip has informed Mr Lyne that Queensland proposes to contribute 150 men to the Bushmen’s Contingent, the Government bearing the whole expense. Three hundred horses are to be sent, half as remounts for the Queenslanders at the front. South Australia contributes fifty horses to the Bushmen’s Contingent. Melbourne. Jan. 22. The Government entertained tho New South Wales, Queensland, and Tasmanian contingents iu tho exhibition building. Wild enthusiasm was shown. The Tasmanians shipped by the Moravian. Adelaide, J«n. 22. Largo shipments are being made of breadstuffs for South Africa. With reference to the Mario, seized at Delagoa, the agents state that she carried 1500 tons of flour and 20 tons of pollard shipped to the order of a well-known English house with branches iu various parts of South Africa. Half the cargo was for Natal and the balance for Delagoa. Tho agents have frequently done business with the same firm.

ADVANCE OF THE BRITISH. Loudon Jan. 21. General Buller has cabled that MajorGeneral Glory, with part of General Warren's force yesterday had thirteen hours hard fighting. By judicious use of their artillery they fought their way up, captured ridge after ridge for three miles, bivouacking on the captured ground. The main Boer position, however, is still in front of the British vanguard. The British casualties were net heavy, but 100 wounded were brought in by an early hour in the evening. The number of killed is not ascertained.

The Boer trenches are being shelled continuously. Major-General Lyttelton lias occupied a kopje within 2000 yards of the Boers’ position at Bralifonteiu.

Ladysmith was jubilant at bearing the guns of the relieving columns. The engineers pontooned the Tugela tor the passage of the Ladysmith relief column in two hours, which is a record. January 22. Nows has been received that General Warren on Saturday with field artillery attacked a strong force of Boers which was occupying the northern ridge at Spionkop. The Boers replied with machine guns and rifles. The British infantry fired at long range. The fight was kept up till dark. Meanwhile a demonstration was made on the Boers’ front, the sailors shelling the trenches and silencing the enemy’s. In the evening the British infantry occupied an excellent advanced position. On Sunday General Warren found himself again confronted by strong entrenchments. He bombarded and captured three more positions, the Lancashire Regiment and Irish Brigade steadily advancing in face of tho enemy’s fire. Sir Red vers Buller lias cabled that General Warren was engaged the whole of Sunday, chiefly with his left flank, which swung forward a couple of miles over difficult ground, the fighting being all uphill. Substantial progress was made. Durban, Jan. 21.

A company of Major-General Lyttelton’s Mounted Rifles with a balloon section oncounted a heavy fire. The trenches were shelled, and the grass fired. January 22. The turning of tho main Boer position has successfully begun. The enemy’s extreme right, east of Acton Homes, occupies a ridge four miles north-west of Trichart’s Drift.

General Warren with the principal column, and General Clery operated on Saturday near where the Oliver StockLadysmith road crosses at Venterspruit. During General Warren’s turning movements, the Boers on tho western slopes of Spionkop were engaged on the right and rear. General “Warren drove them to higher crests, the Boer defences, which are semicircular, consisting of stone sangars. Tho York and Lancaster Regiments and the Lancashire Fusiliers advancing on the left along tho uneven spurs entered tho semicircle under a heavy fire from three directions. Taking advantage of all available cover, they came within 500yds of the enemy’s right wing. The masked batteries of tho British periodically silenced tho enemy’s intermittent artillery fire. During the night, the enemy evacuated portions of their right wing position. Durban, Jan. 22.

Major-Generals Woodgate, Hate, and Hildyard co-operated with Sir Charles AVarren in making bis movement. Major-General Lyttelton’s demonstration on Saturday and Sunday bad the effect of compelling the Boers’ loft wing to remain in full strength in the trenches. The Naval Brigade did good work, punishing tho enemy severely.

The details of Lord Dundonald’s engagement west of Acton Homes on Thursday, show that during the action a party of 160 British, posted on a kopje, surprised 350 Boer?. The latter, who had been concealed in a donga, leisurely marched up the hill with their arms slung. The British allowed them to approach within short range, and then poured in a volley which killed six. The majority fled. The Dublin Fusiliers on Sunday carried a strong position at the poinc of the bayonet. January 23

The Generals acting under Sir Redvers Buller have escheloned tone division more advanced than another], compelling the Boers to subdivide their forces. MajorGeneral Hildyard is seeking to halve the enemy. The prevention of their retreat southwards through the passes iu the Drakenburg Mountains is already assured. Sir Redvers Buller is endeavouring to so drive the Boers as to enable Sir George White to assail their left flank from Ladysmith.

The infantry of tho Ladysmith relief column, sheltered by boulders, are on a prominent ridge, and can fire across 1000 yards of flat to the Boers’ main stronghold. The artillery have howitzers playing on the trenches along several miles of the kopjes.

Sir Redvers Boiler’s Brigade are slowly but surely converging on tho Boer centre. General Warren is cautiously and steadily enveloping the enemy’s right flank, pushing north-east.

The British casualties in Sunday’s fighting were under 100. Capetown, Jau. 21.

Major-General French has occupied a new camp eight miles east of Ingersfontom.

General French has commenced bombarding Colesburg with lyddite. Seven thousand Boars occupy the town. The British artillery are making excellent practice, the shells falling with great precision.

'Mafeking reports, under date January 10th, that the garrison is cheerful, and that there is food sufficient to last till April.

Capetown, Jan. 23.

Major-General Hector Macdonald has succeeded the late Major-General Wauchope in command of the Highland Brigade at the Modder River.

Further reinforcements have reached Sir Redvers Buller.

The A gent-General telegraphs, London 22nd, 8.40 p.m. : “ General Warren, with three brigades, pushed the enemy’s forces some distance on tho 19th and 20th. The enemy’s forces retired coolly. Our loss was 350. On Saturday night General Warren’s force was 20 miles west. Nothing is known of the means of subsistence in Ladysmith. General Lyttelton, with one brigade is still at Potgeiter’s Drift. A decisive battle is expected.” Wellington, Jan. 23. The New Zealand Railway Transvaal AYar Relief Committee have remitted £IOOO to London. The fund amounts to £I4OO. The New Zealand Times urges that as a compliment to Canterbury’s action the camp of the third contingent be fixed at Christchurch, and the departure of the men take place at Lyttelton. It suggests that tho Government chartered steamer Undaunted should pick up tho North Islanders at Wellington, and then go south or the final ceremony,

The New Zealand Express Company, which has undertaken to send parcels to the first contingent free of charge, collected no less than four tons of presents, and sent them by the Waiwera. Several newspaper correspondents are passengers on the troopship. The Governor sent the following cable to Mr Chamberlain: —“The New Zealand second contingent sailed to-day for South Africa. Very great loyalty and enthusiasm prevailed.” His Excellency received the following reply : —“Her Majesty’s Government learns with much pleasure of the departure of the Contingent, and of the loyalty and enthusiasm shown by New Zealand.”

Lieut.-Colonel Sommerville though requested by the Government to take command of the Third Contingent to be sent to South Africa, is not able definitely to state whether his private affairs admit of ■hia doing so. That Colonel Sommerville . Would he tho right man if tho New Zea- ' landers got in a tight corner goes without saying, and mention of the gallant Colonel’s likelihood of commanding the next force has led to several of the best shots m the colony who can also ride volunteering. Among these is James Boss, who on three occasions won the champion carbine belt. Colonel Sommerville is only too anxious to go if he can satisfactorily arrange for the disposal of his farms in the Wanganui district. He is of opinion, that the departure of tho next contingent should b» from Lyttelton, Canterbury having taken the initiative in the “more men” proposal. What he would Hko is that the steamer would first call at Wanganui for its contingent, then visit Wellington, and go on to Lyttelton. Ho sees difficulty in securing officers for the Contingent. Thirteen are wanted, and asked if he had charge would he taka Captain Reid, whom Major Cradook deprived of command, he said certainly, ho would be only too glad. Captain Reid has been appointed cavalry instructor for tho North Island. It has just been discovered that Lieutenant Sommerville, a son of the colonel’s, who went with the Contingent, is senior to all the lieutenants with the force, and had it not been for an informality in connection with his election to the lieutenancy he would have been senior to Captain Hayhurst. Rumours were current to-day that Colonel Benton had resigned his position as Commandant, but there is no truth in it. Captain Reid must occupy an unenviable position seeing that Colonel Benton endorsed Major Cradock’s opinion that Captain Reid could not command a company, yet Captain Reid is appointed an instructor of cavalry. Betweem 120 and 130 railway men on the Hurunui-Bluff section, have volunteered for railway service in South Africa. The Mayor of Christchurch has sent the following telegram to the Premier in regard to the name of the Third New Zealand Contingent for South Africa ; “ Would urge the retention of the name New Zealand, as it is very desirable to retain tho connecting link with the formercontingents. New Zealand Scouts or New Zealand Roughriders would meet tho universal wishes here.”

THE NEW ZEALANDERS AT THE FRONT. j Tho correspondent of the Press Asso- I ' at Arundel writes on December 20:— 18th. —We marched olf at 3 a.m. as an escort to “ O” Battery, R.H.A., the destination and object being unknown. General French and his staff" headed .our small column, No. 1 Company being in front, and No. 2 Company in rear of the six guns. We were led in darkness straight across the veldt through a line of hills to the back of the Boer position, and about three miles from it. As dawn broke we advanced on Jeasfoutein farm, where ' the Boers were known to occasionally take up their quarters for the night. When • about a mile and a half from tho farm, the battery came into action, and sent a shell ! into it, and soon the silence of dawn was ’ broken by a terrific bombardment. The ‘ Boer laager could now be seen away to our 1 left. All was bustle and commotion. After ] the farm had been well shelled No. 1 Com- ‘ pany were sent forward to occupy it, and ' thoroughly search it. It was cautiously ‘ taken, and as expected proved empty, but ] two or three Boers had evidently slept 1 there that night and had doubtless re- 4 ceived a rude awakening. They must, 1 however, have slipped out unseen and £ unarmed. The Company on completing s the task-was withdrawing, when General ] French rode up and ordered it to remain in - occupation a little time longer and enable 4 him apparently to make a personal iu- 1 spection and reconnaissance. In the mean- 4 time No. 2 Company detached some men to 4 hold some kopjes to our left rear, while the 4 rest of the company remained with the guns. * Presently our old-long range friend of the £ Kith, “ Long John,” began to bang shells at ‘ the battery, and some of them landed ‘ inconveniently close to our hoys, who ‘ wero on /the far side of the battery from “ Long John.” They, however, all 1 went too far, and, as before, stuck in the ] ground. This went on till a sheltering dip was safely reached. Just then the Boors - were reported to be coming round in the 4 rear of our battery, so the remainder of No. 1 2 Company galloped back and occupied the £ intervening ridges, but nothing more was 4 seen of this reported force of Boers, Prom 4 their position, however, the men of this ; company saw the Boers streaming out of their camp and galloping round towards Glaafontein farm, where by this time General French and his staff- had arrived £ As it appeared probable that this manoeuvre could not be seen from the 1 farm, an orderly (Trooper Tubman) was £ sent across the plain, (about two miles and ( a half) to give tho warning. He arrived i to find that the Boer attacked had already ( begun firing. Lieutenant Lindsay had £ been sent forward with about 25 men to j trv to gain the ridge which the Boers were racing for. He was intercepted by a wire £ fence and so took up a position among the ‘ rooks, where he commenced firing at the , enemy who were occupying the ridges all - round, and who at once poured a terrible 1 fire on his party and on all parts of the c farm, Tho bullets rattled all round like j hailstones, and the party had to retire. The (staff and most of the horses were by . this time partially under cover behind the 1 farmhouse. The firing becoming more 4 intense every minute Captain Ward rode 4 out and beckoned to Lindsay to come in, £ Lindsay had already retired from his 4 position, and his men were _ col- f looting in a more sheltered -place 4 prior to running a second gauntlet to the 4 farm. All this time “ Long John’s” shells 4 were exploding all round. Lindsay’s men 4 started to gallop across in twos and threes 4 to the farm, a distance of about 150 yards over very bad and broken ground. One of the first to start was Trooper George ( Bradford, who when half across was shot,, e and he dropped from his horse. Trooper s Parkes had his horse shot down dead from c under him, but Sergeant Mahood, follow- r ing him, pulled up and got Parkes on his i: horse, and the two got safely in, Several 1 men saw Bradford and pulled up, but as he j J was motionless with, his head in a pool of c

blood he was left for dead. One or two other small parties were out on the flanks, and likewise had to run the gauntlet to the farm. This was accomplished without mishap, though a terrific fire was kept up on the retiring force all the way. Trooper Maunder had a bullet through his water bottle, one grazed his wrist, one went through his rifle sling, and one through his tunic. Trooper Tubman had one through his coat, and another hit his wallet. Several other men had similar narrow escapes. Several horses were grazed, and three or four were wounded more seriously. The Boers were 250 to 600 yards distant from the farm. Our men fired ninety-four rounds, and the Boers must have fixed twenty times as many, and it is a perfect miracle that not more damage was done. I thinkbur salvation was due to the Boers having magazine i-ifies, which cavxsed their fire to be wild and hurried, and they are certainly bad shots at a moving object. The Boers hardly showed themselves at all, but still we accounted for at least two or three of them. The battery galloped across towards the farm and peured in a heavy fire, but by that time our men were clear away from all except" Long John,” which still kept up a desultory, fire. We then returned to camp, marvelling at our miraculous escape from being decimated. A red cross ambulance waggon and four unarmed men were sent out to recover Trooper Bradford’s body, but learnt there to the great joy of everyone that he was not dead but had been taken away a wounded prisoner in the Boer ambulance cart. Ho has a bullet wound in the thigh and another in the neck, but he was conscious. He had left his name with the owner of the farm, who is treated as a rebel, although he declares himself to be a loyal British subject. General French eulogised the behaviour of our men in such trying circumstances. It was a severe test, and they did splendidly. The General himself had some narrow escapes. We reached camp at 9 a.ra., and were kept in peace for the rest of the day, except foxone alight scare towards evening. A dense cloud of dust was seen in the rear of the camp across the plain, which looked exactly as if it was caused by an advancing army of horsemen. It turned out to be a huge swarm of locusts. We are comparatively comfortable in camp here, and the food is good. Fresh bread arrives every day by train, and we get fresh meat every other day. There is every prospect of our remaining here quietly for some time, until everything is ready for a general advance in conjunction with General Gatacre’s force on the east, and another force apparently forming under Sir Charles Warren on the west. We have been receiving newspapers regularly, but judging from the wild and inaccurate accounts of our doings here, the accounts from other parts must be swallowed with great care. There is no doubt, however, that the news from Modder River and from Natal is very bad and serious, and it now seems that the campaign must continue for at least three or four months more. We remained quietly in camp all day. A special correspondent joined us to-day from New Zealand, the other having accompanied us in the Waiwera. 20. —Letters are liable te be delayed between here and Capetown, and as probably nothing of importance will happen before to-morrow night, when the New Zealand mail really closes, I wilhpost this letter today. We are having another quiet day. The E. 11. A. and ourselves are what are called divisional troops, and form a reserve under the direct command of General French. The remaining troops in camp furnish a line of strong outposts round the camp, some parties being five or six miles away. They keep a sharp watch on the Boer movements, and unless an hostile movement in foi-ce is made, wo remain quietly in camp. Since the 13th inst. the Boers have not been at all aggressive, and are evidently waiting for us to attack. They are calculated to be about 3000 strong, and an attack in force will certainly not bo made on their position until a considerable reinforcement of infantry arrives here. The Intelligence Department at the War Office have provided good maps of all the country over which the army is likely to operate, with the exception of the one for this district, which is inaccurate and unreliable. It is being remapped with all possible speed, and I hope to be able to send a copy before long. There are six men in hospital today, viz., Ti-ooper Enderby, who has had a slight rheumatic fever, but is now almost well again; Trooper E. Taylor, sciatica; Trooper Palmer, alight sunstroke. The other three are only suffering from minor complaints and should be fit for duty in two or three days. On the whole the health of the Contingent is excellent. Among the horses there are three or four mild cases of strangles, aud others seem to be suffering somewhat from the heat or fx-om the effects of the sand. It is impossible to prevent them inhaling a certain amount of sand, and swallowing more when eating their hay. The nosebags are always kept on when possible, night and day, otherwise we should lose many from sand colic. Our horses are very much lighter than the British cavalry horses. I might mention that about 80 pairs of wire-cutters have been issued to us. When Lieutenant Lindsay was stopped by the wire fence at Grasfontein the 3 or four pairs belonging to his troop had unfortunately been given to the scouts sent out previously from his troop. We shall now have an ample supply,