Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-11-03
BRITISH
SUCCESSFUL
WHIPPED ORANGE FREE STATE
FORCES NEAR LtDhsMiTH.
GEN. YULE IL NOW HETRtAIlN"
FROM Ut NDEH
EvRcHERs MOVING WEsTW ARD To
ATTACK KIMBERLEh.

London. Oct. 25.--The parliamentary
secretary of the war Office. Geo. N}hd-
ham. in the house of commons an
nounced that Field Marshal Lord
Wolscley. the commandments ot
the forces, sums up the situation III
Natal Tuesday as follows:
"Gon. Yule has fallen back to effect
- junction with Sir George stewart
White. He camped yesterday evening
about sixteen miles south OF Puhu''
without seeing anything OF the enemy
during the march. AMI IL has slh'"
been reported that AIS well on u"
WaSChhank TI.r
teen. White fought Sll're@Slul az
ton with an Orange Free state force
Tuesday. on the road between Lazy
smith ard Newcastle.
The following dispatch from Gen. sir
Geo. Stewart White 10 the Marquis pI
Lansdowne secretary of state for war
received Tuesday evening at IL clock
was posted at the war Ollie soon alteF
midnight:
"Information received yesterday
showed that the Beers had established
! themselves in considerable numbers IN
| an exceedingly strong position west OF
| the main road leading from Lady >mlth
| TO Dundee. | also had Information that
| the Dundee force. formerly command
| eel by Gen. SymonS ANA since ms
| Wounding. commanded 10y Gen. 1ul'
| was falling back on Ladysmith by way
Of tbe Ucmmakaar road. Beth and the
| valleys of the Waschhanl ana Sunday
| rivers. and was expected 10 reach sun
day ri.ir valley today | therefore
| moved out with a strong force 10 COZ
| tba movement of Nu,c'S column, The
| enemy was discovered about seven
| miles out of Iady>mith in position
| of great natural strength. west OF the
| road. When ne saw that preparations
| were being made against him ne open
eel fire with one gun with great accur-
acy. our artillery soon got INTO pc
sition and the gun was silcnced. cur
troops were ordered to occupy strong
ridge. parallel TO the cnemy'S position,
but nearer 10 the road. | confined my
efforts To occupying him and hitting
him hard enough To prevent his taking
action against Yulc's column. NUM-
bcrs of the enemy fed to the west. and
the firing had practically ceased ut :
o'clock.
The Daily Telegraph has the follow
Ing from De Aar. Cape Colony. dated
Monday evening: THE Transvaal gov
eminent are about issuing n proClama-
| ton declaring the district north of the
| Naal river and including Bcchuana
land. To be Bocr territory.
| "COmmandant CrOnjc. who has been
| twice rcpulScd at Mafcking. is said to
be advancing on Kimberley and To be
imprcsSing men and Selling stores and
| munitions in British territory. He left
q small force investing Mafeking. The
Free State Beers are moving west
ward in order to join him for an AT
tack on Kimberley"
The dispatch riders who are C1n-
| ing down To- river from
Kimberley are performing thrilling
featS. They ride through the Bocr lines
under cover of darkness and get to the
Orange river without taking any rest.
save for n change of horses. The dis
| lance is sixty miles.
One rider who got into Kimberley
last Friday was chased So. 1nteen
miles by Beers, narrowly escaping with
his life. The same man returned safe
| ly with dispatches to Orange river yes
| terday. When he reached Il point tnir-
" miles from kimberley his horse fell
and kicked two of his fingers against
n rock. but despite this painful wound
the gallant fellow made good journey
here.
"IIe reports that the Beers are three
miles from Kimberley. but are afraid
10 attack the place and are awaiting
the arrival OF Commandant Cronje
No Beers are to be seen south of Bel
mont, which is twenty miles north of
the Orange river. The defeats in
Natal are taking all the fight out OF
them and they will not attack the
British troops, though they may de
fend Il few positions. Indeed, it is be
lieved here that the heaviest fighting
of the war is over except for n battle
Il