Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-11-30
GEN. METAuEN'S
GRAs PAN FIGHT
British infantry Carried Ridge Ate,
Ridge in Face Of a Ter
ribIe Fire.
THEIR LOSS WAS VERY HEAVY
Two Hundred Men Fell in Baltic
Many OF Them Being Killed
s..Take Large Number
OF Prisoners.

London, Nov. 3o.-A dispatch from
Orange River, dated the 27th, says:
The British arms have achieved a
brilliant victory. The enemy, strong.
ly entrenched, held range of hills
commanding both sides of the railway
at Rooi Laagte, near Gras Pan. The
Lancashires, under Lewis, were recon.
noitering in an armored train on Fri.
day. The Beers shelled the train,
killing Lewis and a private.
General Methuen then advanced
His column made a detour and biv.
oucked for the night on swanks
Pan, three miles from the Boer posi-.
ton. At dawn the advance began, the
guards forming the reserve: The col.
umn debouched on the plain eastward
of the Boer kopjes. The Beers guns
opened fire. Two batteries of British
artillery, posted on each side, shelled
the Beers, practice being good on bott
sides. The Beers stuck tenaciously tic
their position, firing steadily and &C.
curately. The firing, which constant
~ became hotter, lasted three hours
The Beers wounded three men of the
naval brigade.
Finding it impossible to displace the
Beers by artillery, General Methuen
resolved on an infantry attack. a
brigade of infantry, including the
Yorkshire, the Northamptons, the
Northumberland and the Lancashires.
with the naval brigade on the right,
gallantly stormed the Boer positions
in the face of whitening fire, and
carried hill after hill. The brigade I'M
der Colonel Money captured the main
position against terrific fire, but sui
fcret severely.
Commandment Rossik led the Boer
forces. Many of the Beers volun-
tarily surrendered.
The Beers were shelled during the
final retreat, and must have lost heav-
lily, but they succeeded in getting
away northward with their six guns
The British were badly in need OF
more cavalry.
The bulk of the fighting was OH
Free State territory and the engage.
ment was admirably planned. Thirty
Boer wounded are under treatment
here.
London, Nov. 30.-A dispatch re
ceived from Butler gives list of cas-
ualties among the troops engaged in
what has hitherto been known as tho
battle of Gras Pan, but which is now
officially designated as the battle Of
Enslin. 1t proves to be a success
heavily bought. The losses announced
today, added to the naval brigad,
casualties previously reported, make
the grand total of 1913. The York
shires apparently bore, with the nava
brigade, the brunt of the fighting, a:
there were, in addition to three Off
GERS, forty-eight of the rank and fiji.
that were killed, wounded and miss
ing.
Apparently the government is mo
nopolizing the single cable working to
South Africa, as up to o'clock this
afternoon no news from the seat o.
war had been made public with the
exception of Buffers dispatches. Thi,
is particularly tantalizing at the pres
ent crucial moment. While the --latest
news is of fairly reassuring charac
ter, from British viewpoint, mucl
Of it is assumed to be true on insuffic
lent evidence, for instance, the re
ported capture of Honey Nest Kloof
of which there is no confirmation
while stories of the rapid retirement
of the Beers in Natal must be re
ceived with caution. The fact appear:
to be that the British scouts have
lost touch of the burghers, portion:
of whose force, while withdrawing ou
of reach of observers, may, it il
claimed, make a detour with the OBJ
ject of interupting the British line o
communication. Sharp fighting may
be expected at any time on the south
ern frontier. 1t is possible Genera
Gatacre's first battle will be in thu
rough passes of the stormberg noun
tains.