The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-08

BOERS LEAVE LADYSMITH.
Reports By Kafhrs Tell of Their De-
feat and Retreat.
London. Dec. THE war office has
received the following message from
General Forester Walker. the British
commander at Cape Town:
"Wednesday, Dec. 6.-General Me-
thuen wires today that he has resumed
command and is nightly in commune
cation with Kimberley The health of
the troops is excellent
A story was current at Durham. Tues
day. Dec. ., to the effect that the Beers
made what is thought to have been
their final effort to capture Ladysrnith.
Dec. 4, and were defeated and retreated-
AS the story was brought by runners,
it should be received with reservation,
as the unreliability of these "kaffir-
grams is notorious.
According to this report sthe Beers
opened furious bombardment during
the morning of Dec. T. continued ii for
hours, when the British finally silenced
the Boer guns, made sortie and hard
fighting followed, the Beers retreating
after very heavy losses, estimated in
hundreds.
The dispatches from Frere camp par
TALLY confirm a retirement of Free
State burghers from the vicinity of
Ladysmith, but do not indicate that
the retreat was the result of a defeat
on the previous day.. while the state
ment in the same dispatch that the
Beers were firing into Ladysrnith shows
the Boer guns were still active. II is
also pointed out that all suggestions
of weakening refer to the Free Staters.
Apparently the Transvaai Beers are
still full of fight, though it is reiter-
ated that they are short of supplies.
According to a dispatch from Gen.
eral Schalkburger's laager, dated Dec.
g. the French and Austrian military
attaches had arrived there while the
German attaches had gone to join the
Boer forces along the Tugela river,
where d collision was monentarily ex-
pected.
Perhaps an explanation of the retire
ment of the burghers from Natal can
be found in a dispatch from Modder
river, Dec. 8, saying that a strong Beer
force. estimated TO number 5000 men.
was reinforcing General Cronje from
Natal. The same dispatch says every
thing points to the fact that a great
engagement would be fought at Spyt-
fontein. The Beers are massing on the
hills there. are vigorously building
stone defenses and are digging rifle pits
in every direction.
west of Kimberley, are also being ex-
tended and strengthened, showing that
the rumorS OF the intentions CT the
Beers to abandon the attempt to stem
General Methuen's advance are I'M
founded. The British have shifted their
camp few hundred yards away from
the battlefield and are settling down for
a week. There are some cases of fever
among the troops.
Much depends upon General Gatacre's
advance. There is undoubtedly large
concentration of Beers ahead of General
Methuen. Practically the whole of
their Mafeking forces have Joined the
Kimberley besiegers.
An official account of the sortie at
Kimberley, Nov. %, when the British
casualties, as cabled yesterday, oc-
Cured, says:
THE British demonstrated towards
Wimbledon rifle range. The enemy's
guns were positicned from the ridge at
SpitzlIop TO Wimbledon Siding. Major
Scott-Turner, with the mounted troops
attacked the eEemy's right flank. cap
turing a lager and three redoubts.
The enemy in a fourth redoubt made a
stubborn resistance. Major Scott-Tur-
nei' was killed. The British captured
many shells and destroyed other
Stores
The same dispatches give reports
from Colonel Kekewich. Dec. 3 and 4,
showing the Beers We're increased in
numbers around Kimberley. The Boer
advance in the northeastern part of
Cape Colony is becoming remarkable.
The local farmers are fiocking to the
Boer laagers, the townspeople in many
instances welcoming the invaders with
every demonstration of joy. The an
nexation of British territory proceeds
daily. The reported Beer successes
have made great impression among
the Basutos
Advices from Pretoria say the gov
eminent has allowed two cable mes
sages to reach Winston Churchill. The
mint at Pretoria is coming 100, COO SOW
ereigns monthly.
The war office has been notified that
the British. had FIVE killed and twenty
five wounded in the sortie from Kim
berley. Nov. 25. including three colonial
officials.
Special dispatches from Lourenzo
Marquee, dated Tuesday, Dec. 5. say
President Kruger il only prevented
from going to the front by the objec-
tions of members of the executive
council. Kruger it is added. is i'll. The
announcement is made in a special DIS
patch from Bloemfontein. dated Sun
day. Dec. 8, that President Steyn of the
Orange Free State has joined the Boer
forces at Modder river. His ap-
pearance. the dispatch says, caused
1t is reported from Orange river to-
day that 107 dead Beers were taken to
Kaffirskop after the battle of Belmont