New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-15
ROTH SIDES SUFFERED. HEAVILY


ROTH SIDES SUFFERED. HEANlLh'
,orRs WERE KILLED IN LARGE NUMBERS
AS WELL. AS HIGHLANDERs.
,,.ader River Dec 1S-Ambulances started
u,,, yesterday morning under flag OF truce,
.ouoct tho wounded and bury the dead who
,.u at Magersfontein. Brigader General Wau-
homo who led the Highland brigade, was found
sood near the trenches. shot In the chest and
.,,ub 4 few wounded were found near the
o,,os Several wounded Beers taken
% the British hospital
r,,o side Of the hill and the Immediate neigh
,o,bood Of the Boer trenches showed dead
.,3os ali about One wounded Boer informed
.orrosDondent of The Associated Press that
.,o,r loss was terrible, The whole Scandinavian
..,,rsnt was destroyed. Judging from in
,.o,,on CLEANED from the Boer wounded and
"a, prisoners taken in different parts of the
e.,a the Boer losses must exceed seven hun
s,oa The destruction wrought by the naval
runs enormous.
Word was passed along the Boer lines to pre-
..,a n retreat at niehtfan. All confess that it
mas their greatest loss during the war.
the British troops have returned to Modder
piver owing TO the lack of water near the posi-
ton held YESTERDAY.
Nfodder River, Dec. "Details gathered here
- conservative of The Associated Press
oroonr the wounded British and Beers give
same idea OF the desperate nature of the fight
., Nagersfontein. The Hghlanders did all that
the most gallant troops in the world could do,
hut il was impossible to face the terrible fire
~ the Beers The British artillery again saved
the situation. and divides the honors Of the day
with the Scotchmen The batteries worked for
hours under a CALLING rife fire.
According to the Boer stories, il was impossi-
bic for the burghers 10 have escaped fearful
loss One Boer prisoner said single lyddite
shell killed or wounded over seventy Beers, and
that two other shells burst over two bodies
Of Beers ensconced behind the range doing
fearful damage. All agree that the Beers fought
throughout with the utmost gallantry. Their
sharpshooters seldom missed the mark
A Seaforth Highlander says that while he was
lying wounded on the field he saw Boer, OF
tvpical German appearance, faultlessy dressed,
with polished top boots, shirt with silk ruffies
and a cigar in his mouth, walking among the
quite alone and it apparent from his fire.
ouent use Of field glasses that he was singing
out officers.
While the Guards were advancing on the
plain which the Beers were Smelling from the
adjoining ridges, they encountered and cut up a
strong Boer picket posted hill for purposes
OF observation. All the members Of the picket
were either killed, wounded taken prisoner
a wounded Boer says that lyddite shell, fired
on Sunday fell in the middle Of an open air
prayer meeting held offer applications for the
success of the Boer arms.
All the wounded are full Of praise for the
treatment they received from the medical de-
partment the battlefield.
London Dec 15-The correspondent OF THE
Standard" at Modder River, describing the fight
at Magersfontein, says:
Six miles had to be covered before the High
land brigade could reach the Boer stronghold.
II is not yet clear through what mschance the
force which was led by guides, came upon the
Boer trenches Unexpectedly and so suddenly.
Beyond question the Beers were aware OF the
approach of the British, and had prepared to
receive them. According to one version, two
ness. discharged their rifles prematurely; but
il is equally probable that the advance Boer
scouts conveyed the intelligence
our men were totally unprepared. They had
not even fixed bayonets The disaster was all
the more exasperating because Of the conscious
ness that had the brigade been extended and
with bayonets fixed the trenches might have
Of life.