Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-12-09
FACE $4,000 BOERS
BRITISH FORCE AT MODDER RIVER
GREATLY OUTNUMBERED.
READY TO ADVANCE AGAIN
BOTH RAILWAY AND BRIDGE HAVE
BEEN RESTORED.
Minor Engagement in Which Four
teen British Were Wounded
British Losses ut Ladysmith
Aggregate 81 Killed
and Las Wounded.
READY TO ADVANCE AGAIN
BOTH RAILWAY AND BRIDGE HAVE
BEEN RESTORED.

LONDON, Dec. 9.-General Forester
Walker has sent the following dispatch,
dated at o'clock last CFriday) evening, to
the war office from Cape Town:
Telegraph and railway communication to Modder
and battalion of infantry dispatched from
Modder river agains: Commandant Prins Loos' force
OF iVoV boers with one gun who had DESTROYED the
railway. OUR losses were fourteen in wounded.
Some interesting light is thrown on the
position of affairs along the western from
tier by q dispatch issued by Boer agency
last evening in Berlin. The dispatch says:
Commandant Prins Loos' force is near Jacobsdal
between Modder river and Riet river General Cronje
Is st.il on the north bank of Modder river. his rear
oeng protected by fortified positions at spytfontein
The hills between Modder river and Syptfonten and
those between Jaeobsdal and Riet river occupied
by Beers Commandant De Larey's force is stationed
between Gras Pan and Honey Nest kloof.
If this Berlin dispatch be correct-and 1t
Is especially significant when judged in
connection with General Forestier-Walk-
er's advices to the war office-there must
be some 1900 Beers around Lord Methuen,
who Is believed to have II 900 men. KIM
berley. however, possessing an armored
train, can materially assist Methuen by
harassing the Beers from the rear
The Times has the following from Modder
river, dated Tuesday, December 5:
THE river is low and the railway bridge
Is rapidly approaching completion. The
first train will cross tonight. After eX-
traordinary eXertions the pontoon bridge
has been completed.
Lord Methuen's restoration of the rail-
| way. while relieving a load of anxiety
| here, accentuates the dangers still threat
ening his force. 1t is gathered from the
brief official dispatch that CommanGant
Prins Loos' contingent was taken between
forces acting from Belmont and southwark
&c to 9Th Ia
| however, that reinforcements were sent to
| Belmont merely as precautionary
| measure.
There is little other news of Importance.
| Reports continue to come from Ladysmith
| that dssension exists among the Beers,
| and especially that the Orange Free State
| troops are discontented. There are also
| all kinds of rumors of movements of COM
mandoes from place to place, but the
fact is that little is known here regarding
| the actual position Of the Boer forces
Moreover. the rumors of collapse of Boer
spirit have been heard so often as not to
| cause much satisfaction now.
| According to a special dispatch from
| LourenZo Marques, the Modder river bat
tie is described by Boer correspondent
with General Cronje as 'one of the tiercest
| the Beers ever experienced" The corre-
spondent goes on to say:
| General Cronje's wing sustained almost
solely the fearful attack of the British
right throughout the day. The Transvaal-
ers tenaciously held their positions un-
| till in the evening, when the Free State
| burgherS were forced to retire by the
heavy British shell fire. General Cronje
then retired under cover of darkness. after
facing the concentrated fire of all the
| British batteries
"The Beers freely acknowledge the her
culean assaults of the British and death
| dispensing fire of the attacking infantry.
but they held their position for thirteen
hours against the flower of the British
army, replying solely with their Mausers
and maintaining uninterrupted rifle fire.
| The Boer artillery was Silenced early in
the battle through the overwhelming num-
ber of the British artillery"
LADYSMITH, Thursday, Dec. I, via
| Weenen.-The total British casualties here
| since November / are five officers and
twenty-six men killed, and fifteen officers
and 13O men wounded. with three missing
The Boer force Is still around us in large
numbers. but all within the town are well
and cheerful.
PRETORIA. Thursday, Dec. 7.-The fol-
lowing dispa tch. dated to-day. has been re-
ceived from the head laager near Lady.
smith:
The British are advancing on Colenso
but last night passed without an attack
There was a desultory cannonade this
morning. the naval guns in Ladysmith re.
plying vigorously to our fire"