The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-10-26

1NHNi al w nue.
"Ladysmith Oct. 26. 12.4O p. m.-Gen.
eral Yule's column has Just marched ir
mere after very hard march during
the night Of exceptionally heavy rain.
The men, though done up, are in good
spirits and only want a rest. The ene-
my did not molest them"
FIGHT AT RIETFoNTEIN.
Details of the lighting at Rietfontein
are coming In slowly. A special dis
patch from Ladysmith, dated October
"a. and filed after the fight, saws:
ION discovery that the Beers were
massed TO the westward of the main
road 20 Dundee an attempt was made
Dy a tram TO recover the body of Col
Scott Chisholm killed at Elandslaagte.
The train was fired upon and obliged to
retire, and General White moved out to
attack the Beers, believed TO be the
free Staters, who should have Joined
the Transvaalers at Elandslaagte. Gen
eral White commanded personally The
Firth Lancers were placed on either
nank. They first came In touch with
the Beers below Modderspruit. v-here
100 burghers occupied a strong ridge,
whence they oeened fire at 1900 yards,
hitting several of the British.
n the meantime the Hussars and
National Carblneers advanced un-
scathed through an opening in the
ridge under the fire OF a Boer gun.
while the Imperial Light Horse took
part Of the crest of the ridge. the Beers
retiring. At about O. however. a Boer
gun stationed on the crest Of MatawanA
skOp opened fire with great accuracy
on the main force, which in the mean
time had come up. but the shells failed
70 explode. and the British artillery si-
fenced the opposition.
A GENERAL ADVANCE.
THE whole British force then ad-
vanced and the action became general.
A large body of Beers occupied strong
position at Matawanskop. and the pre-
ciptous ridges surrounding It, The
British guns shelled the positions and
the infantry advanced under cover OF
fire. The Gloucesters and Devonshires
crossed a fearful fire zone beneath
Hill. whence the Beers
poured whitening fire with such effect
that thirty OF the attackers dropped
within n distance OF two hundred yards
Seeing the peril of the Devonshires
and Gloucesters. Gen. White dispatch
ed the Carbineers and Liverpools TO
take the enemy in the rear. heavy |
fire was maintained for some time. The |
British Naxlms ratified. but the Beers |
under cover Of The rocks. remained cool |
and replied with an incessant rifle fire. |
BOERs RETREAT.
The British artilIerysswept the face
" the hill and at length the sheling |
became so destructive that the Beers |
'etreated to another ridge. whence they |
we're dislodged by the volunteers i'm the |
ace Of n CALLING fire. The Beers soon |
eformed and took up a position on an
.ther ridge. but the volunteers dashed |
cross the Intervening plateau and |
gain rushed the Boer position and |
rove them back TO the main force oc-
upying MatawanaslVop. The British
hen shelled the latter until clusters
4 Beers were seen leaving and re-
reating westward. wnen the engage
rent closed.
A special dispatch from Glencoe
amp. dated October %. says: after
no victory Friday the British imagin.
] they were free from further moles-
ltion for some davs. but they soon
,und that the earlier reports OF a
weeping success were exaggerated. |
he reported capture OF all the BOer
lns was incorrect. the burghers Sue
'eding IN removing some Of them be-
IRE the Brl,sh carried tho hill. leav-
g onlv the riflemen behind TO cover
ltlf itiitdl. n VII saturday news wax 4
ceived Of the approach Of Gen. Jou-
art's main column threatening Dun
se. Gen. Yule quickly recognizing the
npossibilitv OF defending both Dundee
nd Glencoe against such superiority of !
1mb rs sent word TO Ladysmith of his |
anEe -ous situation and ordered the
yacuation of Dundee. Most of the
lhabitants went southwark on Sa.ur-
av The Br.tlsh camp was~~Yso re-
loved IN anticiDation OF an attack III
,undeo which commenced with long |
lnge firing at davbreak Sunday.
YULE FALLS BACK.
The Beers made excellent practice
ld the shells from a forty-pounder oc-
ipyiug "a position IN the mountains
-opped i'm and around the town I'm
lc meanwhile the British had reached
lencoe In salty. There orders reached |
eneral Yule On Monday TO fall back
J Ladysmith. Al the same time he was
formed that large force was await
x at Elandslaagte TO resist his re-
rememt. Glencoe camp accordingly |
ls quietly evacuated. The precafious
sitiOn OF the British was not known
the Beers.
The dispatches today were so contra .
-tory that N was difficult TO outline 2
2 situation with any degree Of exac-
ude
rhren or four main facts however | .