The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-07
NEXT BIG BATTLE
In the Boer War Is Expected to Take
Place at Spytfontein.

London, Dec. IA story was current
at Durham on Tuesday, December 3, to
the effect that the Beers made what IS
thought to have been their final effort
to capture Ladysmith, December and
were defeated and retreated. AS the
story was brought by runners, it should
be received with reservation, as the
unreliability of these "KamrSrams" IS
notorious. According to this report the
Beers opened a furious bOmbardment
during the morning of December aeon
tinued it for hours, when the British
finally silenced the Boer guns, made a
sOrtie and hard figting followed, the
Beers retreating after very heavy loss
eS, estimated in hundreds.
The dispatches from Frere camp, par
TALLY confirm a retirement OF Free
State burghers from the vicinity OF La
dysmith, but do not indicate that the
retreat was the result of a defeat on
the previous day while the statement
in the same dispatch that the Beers
were firing into LadySmith shows the
Boer guns were still active. 1t is also
pointed out that all suggestions OF
weakening refer to the Free Staters.
Apparently the Transvaa1 Beers are
still full of fight, though it IS reiterated
that they are short of supplies.
According to a dispatch from General
Schalkburger'S laager dated December
8, the French and Austrian military at
taches had arrived there, while the
German attaches had gone to join the
Boer forces along the Tugela river,
where a collision was momentar1ly ex-
pected.
Perhaps an explanation of the retire
ment of burghers from Natal can be
found in a dispatch from M0dder river,
December 8, saying that a strong BOer
force, estimated to number 5000 men
was reinforcing Gen. CrOnje from Ma
tai The same dispatch says every
thing points to the fact that a great
engagement will be fought at SpytfOn-
tein. The Beers are massing on the
hills, there, are vigorously building
stone dfenSeS and are digging rifle pits
in every direction. The Beers redOubts
on 1azarettO ridge, west of Kimberley,
are also being extended and strength
ened, showing that the rUmOrs of the
intentions of the Beers to abandon the
attempt to stem Gen. Methuen'S ad-
vance are unfOunded.
The British has shifted their camp a
few hundred yards away from the bat
tlefield and are settling down for a
week. There are some cases of fever
among the troops Much depends on
Gen. Gatacre's advance. There is un-
doubtedly a large concentration of
Beers ahead of Gen. Methuen. Practi-
cally the whole of their Mafeking forces
have Joined the Kimberley besiegers.
An official account of the sortie at
Kimberley November ~, when the
British casualties, as cabled yesterday,
occurred, says:
The British demonstrated towards
Wimbledon Rife range. The enemy 5
guns were pOS1t1Oned from the rldSe at
SpitskOp to Wimbledon siding. Major
Scott-Turner, with the mounted troops,
attacked the enemy's right flank cap
turing a laager and three redOubts. The
enemy in a fourth redOubt, made a
stubborn resistance, when Major Scott
was killed. The British captured many
shells and destroyed other stores"
The same dispatch gives reports from
Colonel Kekwich dated December 3 and
q, showing the Beers were increasing
in numbers around Kimberley. The
Boer advance in the northeastern part
of the Cape Colony is becoming re-
markable. The local farmers are
f1ocking to the Boer laagers. the towns
people, in many instances, welcoming
the invaders with every demonstration
of joy. The annexation of British ter
ritory proceeds daily. The reported
BOer successes have made a great i'm
preston among the BasutOS.
Advices from Pretoria say the gov
ernment has allowed two cable mes
sages to reach Winston Churchill. The
mint at Pretoria is coming a hundred
thousand sOvereigns monthly.
Special dispatches from Lorenzo Mar
quez, dated Tuesday, December s. says:
President Kruger is only prevented
from going to the front by the objec-
tions of the members of the executive
council. Mrs. Kruger, it is added, is
i'll.