The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-12-01
THE BATTLE AT BELMONT.
tween Beers and British-LOsses
of Both Are Heavy.

Cape Town, Nov. 25.-,From the few
| details which have reached here of
| Gen. Methuen's fight with the Beers
Thursday it appears that Beers, from
| Fincham's farm, shelled an advance
body of the British Wednesday, No
vember %, and the British artillery
was pushed forward and shelled a hill
which the British subsequently occu-
| pied, capturing two guns. The Boer
casualties were 30 men killed and
| wounded.
| 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
were then pushed up and the engage
ment became general. The British ar
tillery made excellent practice and 81
| fenced the Boer guns. Then two bat
| talions of the Grenadier guards and
the Northumberland regiment stormed
the heights at the point of the bayo-
| net. Crossing the fire-zone amidst a
storm of lead, the guards and North
| umberlands pushed up the incline
| and reached the summit, doing great
| execution with their bayonets,
and capturing the lager, 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.
| The Beers, it 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 battle:
"The Beers held position which Brit
| ish troops would hold against almost any
| force. The British victory is complete.
| My estimate of the Boer losses is 800 killed
and $50 wounded. Mr.. Knight, correspond
| ent of the London Morning Post, was
| wounded The Boer prisoners are ignorant,
| dirty and wretched. They say that half
their commando, 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
| straight into terrific stream of missiles.
| The Ninth lancers pursued the enemy with
great vigor; but the Beers, well mounted
| and familiar with the hills, melted before
|
| would have been even more decisive had
| we possessed more cavalry"
Durham, Nov. 25.-An official message
from Gen. White at Ladysmith, dated
November %, says: Situation I'M
changed. Troops well and cheerful.
The Natal Advertiser confirms the
report of fighting near Willow Grange.
| 1t says:
| Five thousand British left Estcourt
| Wednesday afternoon for a reconnaissance.
| They surprised the Beers at three o'clock
| Thursday morning and occupied the Boer
position, bayonetting so of the enemy. At
| daybreak 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
| brought into action, and the Beers fell
back. Their object having been attained,
| the British returned to Estcourt."
Pretoria, Nov. 25.-Through the
courtesy of the Transvaa1 authorities
a correspondent, in the company of
Mr.. p. G. Grobler, under secretary of
foreign affairs, and Mr.. DeSouze, sec
rotary of the war department, was
enabled to visit Winston Churchill
Friday at the model school, where he
is confined with the captured officers.
Beyond slight bullet wound in the
right hand he seemed well and looked
hearty, although naturally chatting I'M
| 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
| 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
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.
81 fear" said Mr.. Churchill, that the
struggle will be bloody and pro-
| tracted."