The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-12-13
HAS TWELVE MEN KILLED
HE DYNAMITED ONE OF THE
BOER GUNS.
GATAcaE TELLS HOW He LOST TWO GUNS
He is Now Holding Bushman's Heck and Cy-
phergat, Having Been Driven Back From
Stormberg Nine Miles. 366 North.
umberIands Are Missing.

London, Dec. 13.-(Wednesday, 4:4J a.
m.)--With the exception of Sundays sor-
tie at Ladysmith which the morning pa
pers are unanimous in regarding as a
brilliant piece of work, there are no
further advices from the seat of war.
A War Office dispatch reports that Ma
feking was safe up to December 4th,
hut that the Beers had been Smelling the
town since November 27th with increas-
ed effect. Rations had been considerably
reduced, meat by half pound and
dread by a quarter of a pound, in view
of a probably long siege. Water, how
ever, was still plentiful
Little mention is made in the War
Office dispatches Of horses, but it is
understood that the loses in this respect
have been exceedingly heavy. Among
the officers alone from twenty to thirty
per cent of their mounts have been shot
under them, the Boer tactics being to
shoot first at an officers horse and then
at the rider when diSm0unted.
General Gatacre's disaster at Storm
berg has been blamed for lack of knowl-
edge of the country, hut, according TO the
Daily Telegraph. when the war began
there were no official maps available at
Cape Town, and therefore ii is prob
able that General Gatacre is still with
out them.
COL. METCALF'S SORTIE.
London, Dec wednesday, THE
War Office publishes the following dis
patch from General Butler:
Dispatch from General White, dated
December 11th, says:
last night Colonel Meteaf and 800
of the Second rifle brigade SORTED to
capture a Boer howitzer on hill. They
reached the crest without being discoy-
ed, drove off the enemy and then de-
stroyed the howitzer with glrncotton.
{" When returning Metcalf found his
retirement barred by the Beers, but he
forced his way through using the bayO-
net freely. The Boer losses were con-
siderable. The British losses were the
following:
GATACRE FALLS BACK 8 MILES.
London, Dec 12.-The War Office
has received the following from Gen
eral Forester Walker:
Cape Town, Monday Dec. IL
Gatacre reports as follows:
The idea to attack Stornberg SEEM
ed TO promise certain success, but the
distance was underestimated by myself
and the local guides. A policeman
took us round some miles, and conse-
quently we were marching from $500
p. m. till a. m. and were landed
in an impossible position. | Go not con-
slider the error Intentional. The BOeis
commenced firing from the top of uii
unscalable hill and wounded good
many of our men while we were i'm the
open plain. The Second NorthlmnbeT-
lands tried to turn out the enemy, but
failed. The Second Irish FusilielS seiz-
ed lzopje near and held on supported
by the mounted infantry and Cape po-
lice. The guns, under Jeffreys. could not
have been better handled. But l re-
greet to say that one gum was overturn-
ed in deep nullah and another sank
in quicksand. Neither could be extri-
Gated in time available
Seeing the situation, j sent a dis
patch rider to Aolteno with the news
collected and withdrew our forces from
ridge to Ridge for about 8 miles. The
B0er guns were remarkably well served.
They carried accurately 5000 yards. |
am holding Bushman's HoelS and Cyph-
ergat. Ann sending the Irish rifles and
Northumberland to Sterksstrooms to re-
cuperate. The wounded proceed to
Queenstown. The missing Northumber-
lands number 1865, not BOG as previously
reported