Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-10-21
HAD A HOT FIGHT
The Beers Were Chased by the
British After Fighting for
Eight Hours.
BRITISHLOST MANYOFFICERS
Women Marched in the Streets Of London
and Sang with the Troops The Popu-
lace Of the Capital Is Now Up to
the Fighting Point.

London, October 21.-A dispatch from
Cape Town announces that a British
force with field guns landed yesterday
at Simonstown and took train for tht
north. Their exact destination is not re.
vealed, but it is probably some point or
the southern frontier of the Orange
Free State. where the Beers are assem-.
bling. The paramount chief Of the Ba-
sutOs, according to dispatch from
Cape Town, has asked permission to as
semble other Basuto chiefs with view
to inviting them to pledge loyalty to the
queen. This Is assumed to be a forerun-
ner of Basuto movement, and the
Orange Free State burghers near the
Basuto border are said to be in a state
of CONSERVATION, fearing the Basutos
despite imperial instructions to the con-
trary, will take the field and invade the
Free State.
London, October 21.-The earliest dis
patches regarding yesterdays battle
conveyed an impression that the whole
affair was over in couple of hours, the
British artillery silencing the Boer guns
and the infantry, then simply charging
right over the hill. According to the
latest advices, however, the battle last
ed eight hours, and nearly seven hours
elapsed before the last Boer gun was
put out of action. The Irish fusileers
and the kings rifles meanwhile ad-
vanced to the assault, and were shoot
ing their way up the hill, driving the
Beers back from shelter to shelter, until
final rush of the British carried them
morning, which enabled the operations
to be followed without difficulty A Gu
rious fact was that several times lull
occurred in the firing on both sides, the
British infantry apparently taking a
breathing space in their stiff climb, the
Beers also holding back their fire. The
magnificent practice of the British
guns was an immense help, and the
success of the assault is greatly due
thereto.
Once the British bayonets showed on
the top of Kopje, the Beers retrea'ted,
and when, on descending the other side,
they found British battery and Brit
ish cavalry outflanking them, the re-
treat became rout. The British guns
followed, and unlimbering from time to
time threw shells into the flying foe.
The latter did not try conclusions with
the hussars, and the mounted infantry
k1r,
enough to deliver effective volleys. This
policy was continued until dusk, when
the Beers were completely deunoral-
lied. A heavy rain began falling dur
ing the afternoon, which naturally i'm
peded artillery operations.
London, October 1.-The list of off,
GERS killed and wounded strikingly
shows that while the British victory
was complete, it was bought at a heavy
price. In addition to Sir William Penn
Symons who is mortally wounded, two
colonels, three captains and five lieu
tenants were killed, and a colonel, three
majors, six captains and ten lieutenants
wounded. This heavy loss among off,
GERS was due, as the latest dispatches
from the front show, to their valiant
but insensate conduct in sticking to ira
ditions of the British army and refusing
to use the cover of which the men
availed themselves during the storming
Of the Boer position on the summit of
Kopje Among the rank and file the
fussars had seven wounded, the artil-
lery one killed and three wounded the
Leicestershire regiment one wounded,
the kings rifles eleven killed and six
ty-eight wounded, the Irish fusileers
fourteen killed and thirty wounded, the
Dublin fusileers four killed and forty
one wounded, the Natal police two
wounded.
Colonel Schersten, who was killed,
was the nephew Of General Lord Fred
erick Roberts. AS his aid-de-camp, he
went through the Afghan war. accom-
panying Lord Roberts on the famous
Kandhar march. Colonel Cunning, also
killed. went through the Zulu war and
was also In the Burmah campaign.
The Outlook publishes a dispatch
from Cape Town, dated yesterday, al
leging that the Beers are not likely to
make any further considerable often
sive movement. The correspondent
says: '1They are utterly demoralized,
and the men refuse to take the risks"