Warren sheaf., 1899-11-30

li'pen
Is THE BATTLE At BELMONT.
Further Details OF the Struggle Be
tween Boers and BrItish--Losses
Of both Are Heayy.
Cape Town, Nov. 25. IF rom the few
details which have reached here of
Gen. Methuen's fight with the Beers
Thursday it appears that Beers, from
fm1ncham' Fin s farm, shelled an advance
body Of the British Wednesday, No
yember %, and the British artillery
was pushed forward and shelled a hill
which IL the British subsequently occu-
pied, capturing two guns. The Boer
casualties were 30 men killed and
wounded 8 81 ssa
The Boer main column left Finch
ans farm during the afternoon and.
.camPed five miles ahead. At day
break thursday the Beers fired from
the hills, 1000 yards distant, on the
British advance force. Other troops
We're then pushed up and the engage
ment became general. The British ar
! tillery Her made excellent practice and 81
slEe sllelnced Eeln1ced the Boer guns. Then two bat
talions Of the Grenadier guards and
the Mort thum berlaid regiment stormed
the heights at the point Of the bayo-
net. Crossing the fre-zone amidst a
storm of lead, the guards and North
umberlands pushed up the incline
and reached the summit, doing great
execution with & their bay onets,
and capturing the laager, .with
guns, equipment, prisoners, cattle and
sheep, The entire position was car
ried by eight o. clock, the cavalry, con-
sisting of the Ninth lancers and
mounted infantry, pursuing the flying
Beers. sSi y aSft.5s .I8ss
6ft The Boers,5it is, estimated; numbered
$500 men,. Their loss is unknown.
London, Nov. 25.-The Daily Mail pub
fishes the following dispatch from Bel
mont, describing the battles:
''The Beers held position which Brit
lsh troops would hold against almost any
force. The British victory is complete.
NY estimate Of the Boer losses is SEQ killed
land $50 wounded. Mr. Knight, correspond
2ent@ of the London Morning Post was
wounded. The Boer prisoners are ignorant
dirty and wretched. They say that half
their comma do, tired of the war, will re-
fuse further service. The whole force of
the fearful fight was borne by the infan-
try, who were obliged to climb 500 feet
! Fstraight into a terrific stream Of missiles
The Ninth lancers: pursued the enemy with
great vigor; but the Beers, well mounted
md fc1,o 1iov y %h0
them. Possibly, however, our victory
would have; been even more decisive had
we possessed mo cavalry
Durban, Nov. 25.-An official message
from Gen. White at Ladysmith, dated
November 49, says: Z Situation un-
changed. Troops well and cheerful.
The Natal Advertiser confirms the
report of fighting near Willow Grange.
1t says: ' z
Five thousand British left Estcourt
Wednesday afternoon for reconnaissance
They surprised the Beers at three O. clock
Thursday morning and occupied the Boer
position, bayonetting so of the enemy. At
idaybreaks the Beers opened with quick
firers. The British artillery was unable
TO reach the: Beers, and the British posi-
ton, therefore, became untenable and was
evacuated. Subsequently the artillery was
lulO dCllOll, anu LHo sbOeTS Iell
hack. Their object having been attained,
the British returned to Estcourt."
Pretoria, Nov. 25.-Through the
courtesy Of the Transvaal authorities
correspondent, in the company of
Mr.. 2. G. Grobler, under secretary of
foreign affairs, and Mr.. DeSouze, sec
retary of the war department, was
enabled to visit Winston Churchill
Friday at the model school, where he
is confined with the captured officers.
Beyond a slight bullet wound in the
right hand he seemed we'll and looked
hearty, although naturally chafng un-
der enforced idleness. In the course
of the interview Mr.. Churchill said:
"The Beers have treated us with much
Kindness. This was the case from the
outset. On the journey here great
numbers Of burghers crowded to see
us, but there was only one who made
insulting remarks, the others cour-
teously offering us cigarettes or show
ing such marks of attention. .
Mr.. Churchill said the confinement
in the model school was close and Sc
we're, but under all the conditions he
y5 5pnI5t :
had no grounds to complain. When
asked regarding his general impress
sions he said he had had many dis
cussions with the Beers as to the
rights of war and had been much i'm
pressed by the number who could
speak English. He had found that
most of them regretted the conflict,
asserting that it had arisen as the re
suit Of misrepresentation. So far as
he could learn, however, the spirit of
the burghers in the field, despite their
privations, was most determined, and
there was no chance Of an early peace.
IT fear" said Mr.. Churchill, .'that the
struggle will be bloody and pro-
tracted.''
Al -