Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1899-12-08
SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.
Dispaishss frsa HsitsA ssasss. sAs-
th- Bo.r. Active.


th- Bo.r. Astis..
London. Dec IA story IL cuFreut a.
Durham 10 the effect that the Beers made
wha, they thought would have been
hnAl effort 70 capture Ladysmith Dec
4. but were defeated and retreatsd A.
the story was brought by runners u i
received with a reservation. a. the IN
reliability Of these ''KAfirgrams are
notorious According 10 this report the
Beers opened a furious bombardment
during the morning q Dec Z. and con.
tinned il for hours when the British I'm
ally silsnoed the Boer guns made q
sortie and hard fighting followed. which
resulted In the Beers retreating after
very heavy losses. estimated In the
hundreds
Dispatches from Frers camp. partially
confirm the retirement Of Free State
burghers from the vicinity Of Lady.
smith but do not indicate = retreat OF
defsst on the previous day. while the
statement in the same dispatch says the
Beers firing into LAdysInith shows the
Bosr guns sill sctiye Also 10 is pointed
out that all suggestions q weakening
refer 70 the Free Slater, Apparently
the Beers are sull full Of fight. though
II Is reiterated they are short Of
supplies
According 20 a dispatch from General
SchlAkbuTgers lAAgsr. dated Dec q. the
French and Austrian military attaches
had arrived there. while the German a..
tachss have gone 10 Join the Bosr forces
along the Tugsla river where |. collision
Is momsntArily expected
Perhaps the explanation Of the retire
meni Of the burghsrs from Natal can BE-
found in the dispatch from Modder river
OF Dec. 3. saying that a strong Beer
force estimated 10 number 5000 men. are
reinforcing General Cronjs from Natal
The same dispatch says everything
points 10 the fact that great engage.
ment will be fought at Spytfont.in.
The Beers are massing on the hills there
and are vigorously building stone fences
and digging rifle pits in every direction.
The Beers redoubis on LAzaretto
ridge. west Of Kimberley. are also being
extended and strengthened. showing
that the TumOrs Of the intentions OF the
Beers 10 abandon an attempt 20 stem
General Methuen'. advance was un.
founded
The British have shifted their camps
n few hundred yards away from the
battlefield and are settling down for the
week There are some cases Of fever
among tho troops Much depends on
General Gatacres advance There are
undoubtedly large concentration Of
Beers ahead of General Methuen. Prac-
tically the whole Of their Mafeking force
have Joined the Kimberley besiegera
The official account Of the sortie az
Kimberley on Nov 2s. when the British
casualties a. cab.ed Wednesday oc-
CURED. says The British dem0ns,rat.
I'll towards Wimbledon rifle range The
enemy'' guns were po-itioued from a
range at Spitzkop 20 Wimbledon sid.
ing Major Scott.Tarner. with mount.
ed troops attacked tho cuemys right
flank. capturing the lager aud three
rsdoubts The enemy ia the fourth 70
doub, made a stubborn resistance when
Major ScottTuuer was killed The
British captured many shells and De.
stroyed old stores
The same dispatch gives reports from
Colonel Kekewich. dated Dec 9 and !.
showing the Beers are Increasing IN
numbers around kimberley.