Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-12-15
CATACRE'S DEFEAT.
Further Particulars Of British
Disaster Awaited.
HEAVY LOSSES In TWO MONTHS.
Beers Take over Seven Hundred
Prisoners mt stormberg and
Modder River-Sortie at
Kimberley Fails.

LONDON. Dec. 12.-No further news
has been received to remove the mystery
overhanging General Gatacre's retreat
from Stormberg. He has not yet forward
ed the promised additional message, and
the censorship has prevented the CORE
spondcnts from explaining the matter.
While it appears to be generally admitted
that General Gatacre is inclined to over
work his men, Lord Durham's remarks
are considered as in rather bad taste.
Until General Gatacre has given his ex.
PLANTATION it is felt that considerable al
1owance must be made for the extreme
difficulty of getting intelligence in n
country whose inhabitants are in strong
sympathy with the enemy.
Stormberg is described as stronger
position than Laingsnek. The only road
winds through lofty hills, and thanking is
impossible. Colesherg is also said to be
an almost impregnable position. and as
no troops are available to REINFORCE the
columns acting in those directions it be-
comes evident that General Gatacre' 3
misfortune or error will delay the inva-
sion of the Free State perhaps some
weeks. 1t is exceedingly probable that he
will be compelled to retire on Queenstown
and to wait for re-enforcements, which
can hardly reach him until Sir Charles
Warren's division arrives at the Cape.
The first detachments will sail Saturday
next. Even if General French is not
compelled to retreat, he will be obliged
to pause in his advance.
1t now seems certain that the Seventh
division, which is being modified at Al
dershot, will also be sent to South AT
RIGA.
No news has yct hccn received confirm
Ing the Boer report of the capture of 30
prisoners from Lord Methucn's column.
1t is just two months since the Transvaal
utimatum was delivered. Nine engage.
ments have been fought, and the British
have lost 56G killed. 2.021 wounded and
1917 missing or prisoners.
1t is announced from Cape Town that
the Beers have succeeded in repairing the
Lceuwfontein bridge between Stormbcrg
and Burghcrsdoip which the British de-
stroycd on retiring.
Commandant Swancpol. who command.
ed the Bocr forces at Stormhcrg. has
been replaced 10y a Scotchman named
Robertson.
The Times publishes the following dis.
patch from Moltcuo:
General Gatacre attempted to assault
the Bocr position at Stormherg at dawn
today tSundayl. The guides led lis
wrong. and we were surprised while in
fours and after a very trying night
march. Our retirement was effected in
excellent order. there being no hurry even
at the most critical time. The Northum-
berlands and Irish rifles behaved as if on
review day. | fear our losses are heavy.
One of our guns we had to abandon"
The war office has received the follow
Ing dispatch from Cape Town, dated Sat
urday night
THE position of the enemy in Storm
berg district last night was the follow
ing: At Stormberg. six laa gers; at Dor
drecht, 500 men: % miles south of Sterll-
stroom. 30 mon.
'Major Elliott reports that Dalgetty,
with force. has gone toward Dordrecht
TO cooperate with Gatacre.