The record-union., 1899-12-15
A REPORTED
BOER DEFEAT.
General Butler Said to Have Re-
lieyed Ladysmith,
After EflsetIng the Capture Of 10000 Of
the Enemy's Troops.

The Story Discredited at the War
Office at London, It Being Be-
1ieved Practically Impossible
for Butler to Have Accomplish
ed the Task at Such an Early
Date-The British Losses al
Magersfontein Placed at Eight
Hundred and Thirty-Two.
LONDON, Dec. 14.-3:45 p. ma
special dispatch from Pietermaritzbure
says Generals Butler and Clery have
entered Ladysmith, and have captured
10000 Beers.
LONDON, Dec. 14.-On the Stock
Exchange to-day at o'clock Rand
mines suddenly jumped up FL on
rumors that General Clery had entered
Ladysmith, and that General Butler
had captured 1900 Beers.
LONDON, Dec. 1.-THE British War
Office has heard nothing of the re.
ported relief of Ladysmith. The Off
Gals do not credit the story, and they
say the act at such an early date is
believed to be practically impossible.
LONDON, Dec. 14-A special dis
patch received here from Weenen
Natal, dated Monday, December 11th
says that the Ladysmith garrison had
made a sortie and destroyed the Mod
derspruit bridge.
LONDON, Dec. IA revised list of
the total casualties to the British troops
at Magersfontein places the number at
49,.
this evening made the following an
nouncement: 1.-The Sixth Division has
been modified and four battalions OF
this division will have been embarked
by Sunday. The Government has also
approved of the immediate mobilization
of the Seventh Division"
LONDON, Dec. 1.-THE War Office
has received the following from Gen
eral Forester Walker at Cape Town:
General French wires under date OF
December 18th, reporting a skirmish at
4 o'clock in the morning with SOC
Roarc vrbo xraro odx-op o;pr soutbva a ri
toward Naauwport. The skirmishing
continued all the morning, the Beers
fighting on a front of fourteen miles
The enemy retired with a loss of forty
killed and wounded. Our casualties
were one killed and seven wounded, in
Guiding one officer and two missing"
FRERE CAMP "wednesday, Dec 10
Firing can be heard this morning in
the direction of Colenso, and an ar
tillery duel is expected to-day.
LONDON, Dec. 15.4:45 a. m-The
War Office is still without news from
Ladysmith, other than that already
published. The general belief is that
the large Boer forces Lord Methuen en-
countered at Magersfontein were partly
drawn from Natal, and that General
Butler will strike a blow before these
have time to return.
The newspapers are calling upon the
Government to employ the Cunarders
as we'll as the White Star steamers as
transports, seeing the urgent necessity
for getting more men to the Cape as
speedily as possible. Forty thousand
men could still be sent from England
without calling upon the militia lol
foreign service. The militia effective Is
100000, and from this body 10000 care
fully selected could easily be spared
for South Africa Moreover, the Colo
MES are again proffering assistance
The greatest need, therefore, is speedy
transports. Sir Charles Warren, who
arrived at Cape Town yesterday, Will
possibly join Lord Methuen and take
command of the combined forces.
A Daily Chronicle" Modder River
dispatch, which is at variance with all
the other reports, represents Lord Me-
thuens forces as retiring Tuesday on
the camp at Modder River as the re-
suit of renewed artillery firing that day,
The correspondent says: Tuesday
forenoon the Beers brought heavy guns
into action The British artillery re-
piled, but failed to silence them. Lord
Methuen thereupon drew his forces
out of range, and concentrated at Mod
der River Orders have been issued at
Woolwich to prepare another siege
train to go out with the Seventh d.
vision"
THE BATTLE AT MAGERSFON-
TEN.
MODDER RIVER Cape Colony
Tuesday. Dec. "details gathered
here by a representative of the Asso-
ciated Press among the wounded Brit
ish and Beers gave some idea OF the
desperate nature of the fight at Mayors
fontein. The Highlanders did all that
the most gallant troops in the world
could do. but it was impossible to race
the terrible fire of the Beers. The Brit
ish artillery again saved the situation
and divided the honors of the day Win
the Scots. The batteries worked ior
hours under a CALLING rifle fire.
According to the Boer stories, 1t was
Impossible for the Burghers to have es-
capped fearful loss. One Boer prisoner
said q single lyddite shell killed OF
wounded over seventy, and that IVY
other shells burst over two bodies OF
Beers ensconced behind the range, DO
ing fearful damage.
All agree that the Beers fougn'
throughout with the utmost gallantry
Their sharpshooters seldom missed the
mark.
A seaforth Highlander says that