The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-05
EARLY AFRICAN WAR NEWS
DETAILS OF THE BATTLE OF MOD-
 DER RIVER.

Boers Retreat at Night-Their Deadly
 manship-British Moved Down
 The March to Kimberley Reported
 to Have Been Resumed.
 London. Dec. 1.-The later details re- ceived from Modder River seem to show that even the desperate courage the attacking force displayed all day long on November 2S failed to drive the Boers from their strong intrenchments. and night fell on an undecided battle. But, apparently, during the course of the night, General Cronje commanding the Boers, who are now said to nave numbered Il 900 men, decided that the struggle was hopeless, for the British found the town and surrounding posi- tions evacuated when daylight broke, and the whole British army crossed the river and encamped on the Boer positions.
 The experts here are unanimous in expressing the opinion that Kimberley's needs must be very pressing, to induce General Lord Methuen to expose the whole of his command to the Boer marksmen, snugly fntrenched in semi circular position. So deadly was the fire that the Scots Guards were compelled to leave their Maxim guns behind when they were forced to seek less exposed ground. It was only after dusk that a part of the British troops succeeded in crossing the river by milldam on the extreme left. When night fell the Boer artillery was still as vigorous as in the morning, but the Boers retirement in the night saved the situation for the British, At the same time it precluded all possibility of pursuit exen if the exhausted British troope were capable of pursuing their enemy.
 The conclusion of the correspondents that the Boers must have suffered heavily must be confirmed from official sources before 1t Is accepted as fact. In any case, the Boers retired without any sign of disorder, carrying off their guns and equipment. Thus General Cronje's force Is still intact
 The fact that General Methuen and Colonel Kekewich are now in commu- nication may cause a reconsideration of the Boer commanders plan to give bat tie at Spytfontein, where he might be simultaneously attacked by British forces.
 It is reported that the Modder River bridge has been repaired and that the British resume their march toward Kimberly to-day.
 The fact that the De Beers Mines Foundry is casting shells while the garrison seldom replies to the Boers' ar tillery, is said to point to scarcity of ammunition at Kimberly, partially accounting for General Methuen's haste.
 The Daily Chronicle publishes the following dispatch, dated Wednesday morning. November 29, from it's corre- spondent at Modder River camp:
 'The severest engagement our col umn has yet had, and probably the severest of the whole campaign, was fought yesterday on the banks of the Modder River The battle was waged fierceIy for nearly fourteen hours.
 "The enemy occupied a strongly en- trenched position, their front extending five miles along the bank of the stream. They were well supplied with artillery and fought desperately Our force con sisted or EH6 pGCOllQ DdltdllUu Op lIle CoIdstream Guards, the First battal- ion of the Scots Guards, the Third bat talion of the Grenadier Guards, the First battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers the Second battalion of the Yorkshire Infantry (the Kings Own), a part of the First battalion of the Loyal North Lancashire regiment, the Ninth Lancers, the mounted infantry, three battalions of the Argyll and Suth- erland TFi~hIanders Princess Louses). | The latter reinforced us from General | wauchopes brigade and arrived just in time for the fight.
 "The battle started at daybreak, our | guns shelling the Boers' left. The ene- my replied with artillery, Hotchkiss l and Maxim, and the artillery duel last cd some hours. Then there was brief l lulI in the enemy's operations, of which | the general immediately took advant 1 age. Our infantry advanced across the | plain towards the river in two brigades. 1 The Guards. on the right. were met by | an awful hale of bullets from the ene | my's sharpshooters posted close to the ! river on the opposite bank. Ours had | no cover whatever, and were simply l moved down. It seemed impossible to | live through the terrible fire, but the | brave fellows did not retreat an inch. The Boer fire was horribly accurate, and they must have numbered at least ! 10000 men.
 ''rhe Scots Guards advanced 500 | wards before they were fired on. Then they had to lie down to escape the dead Iv fuslade which lasted, without inter- /, mission, throughout the day.