Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1899-12-12
President Steyn Tells OF the
British Defeat and Capture
of Several Hundred.
5000 BoERs IN CAPE COLONY
British Seem to Have Underesti-
mated Boer Streneth-Blg
Fight Expected.

Pretoria, Dec. 1O-PreSldent Oteyh
sent the following details of the fight
at Stromberg Junction: "The British
with six cannon attacked the Beers un-
der Swanepoel and Oliver, and storm
ed the Beers entrenched positions on
Kopies. After severe fight they
were compelled to surrender. The
prisoners are Major Sturges and six
officers, two hundred and thirty non
commissioned officers and men Of the
Northumberland, two officers and
about two hundred and fifty non-com'
missioned officers and men OF the
Irish Fusileers 1t is impossible to
state the number of dead and wounded
British. The Beers captured three
cannon and two ammunition wagons.
London, Dec. 10-The war office re.
ceived the following from General
Forester Walker: Cape Town, Dec.
11-Gatacre reports as follows, The
idea to attack Stormberg seemed tc
promise certain success, but the dis
tance was underestimate by myself
and the local guides. A policeman
took us round some miles, consequent.
ly we were marching from $50 p. m
till 4 a. m. and were landed in an i'm
possible position. / do not consider
the error intentional. The Beers com
menced firing from the top of an un-.
scalable hill and wounded good many
of our men while in the open plain.
The second Northumberland tried to
turn the enemy but failed. The sec
ond held on, supported by moGnttfl in
and held on, supported by mounted in
fantry and Cape police. The guns
under Jeffreys could not have heen
better handled but l regret to say
one gun was overturned in a deep
sand. Neither could be extricated In
time to be available. Seeing the stu
alton a dispatch rider to Molteno was
sent with the news. l collected and
withdrew our force from ridge to ridge
about nine miles. The Boer guns
were remarkably well served. They
carried accurately for 5000 yards.
am holding BushInans Hoek and Cy
phergat- am sending Irish rifles
and Northumberlunds to Sterksstrom
to recuperate. The wounded will pro
ceed to Queenstown. The missing
Northumberland number .266 not 30S
as previously reported aa.s
London Dec. 12-The almost com,
plete absence of news from the theatre
of war up to 2:30 this afternoon in.
creases the public anxiety so deeply
stirred by Saturdays disaster Such
scanty messages as dribbled through
seem to indicate preparations are
about completed for simultaneous at
tacks upon TugeIa River and Mcdder
River, dispatches showing the British
and Beers in touch in both directions
Monday. There is no confirmation of
the report of another days long battle
along Modder River, Monday. but pos
sibly there has been resumption OF
fighting as reported by General Cron
je last evening, as searching Lydite
shell fire Sunday was probably a pre-
liminary to an advanee.
A strange item of news reached here
from Boer sources, announcing that
the Waschbank bridge is damaged
This is taken in some quarters as q
possible confirmation of the ssugges
tion that the British have made q
wide sweep by way of Helpmaakal
and are preparing to attack the Beers
north of Ladysmith in the rear.
A message from Naauwpoort, dated
December II. shows General French
has apparently no inclination to with
draw his advanced troops at Arunde
as it was feared might be the result
of General Gatacre's defeat. Genera
Fsench reports that his artillery OF
December IL, forced the advance pos
of the Beers south of Colesburg tt
eyacnate its position and seek refug,
behind Vaalkop. There is great in
dignation in Great Britain at the igno
rance Of the British intelligence dc
partment displayed in estimating tn
Boer strength in Cape Colony. Ex
perts aver that $4,000 Beers will hav
to be driven out CT the Colony befor
the passage of Orange River can b
commenced.
The Rhodesian force advancing t
the relief of Mafeking reached Gabe
rones Fort on December 2, and foun
the Beers had evacuated. The Rho
desians are repairing the railroad a
they advance.
The latest news from Mafekin
shows that Colonel Baden Powell ha
been forced to reduce the rations {
the garrison and Inhabitants but W;
ter is plentiful there.
Cape Town. Dec l2-It is feporte
that heavy fighting was heard all da
yesterday in the direction of Modde
River.
Terrific Lake Winds.
II.