The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-27

| ing at Reitzfontein are coming in slow
| ly. A special dispatch from Lady
| smith dated October "a, filed after the
| fight. says:
''On discovery that the Beers were
massed to the westward of the main
road to Dundee, an attempt was made
by train to recover the body of Col
onel Scott Chisholm, killed at Glands
laagte. The train was fired upon and
| retired. General White moved out to
attack the Beers. believed to be the
Free Staters, who have joined the
Transvaalers at Elandslaagte. General
White commanded personally. The
/ Fifth lancers We're placed on either
flank. They first came in touch with
the Beers below Modderspruit where
1,500 burghers occupied strong ridge.
whence they opened fire at 1900 yards.
hitting several British. Meanwhile
the Erdsars and Natal carbineers ad-
vanced unscathed 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 8 O'Clock.
| however, a Boer gun stationed on the
| crest of Matawanaskop opened fire
| with great accuracy on the main force.
! which in the meantime had come up,
but the shells failed to explode and the
| British artillery silenced the opposi-
| ton. The whole British force then ad-
vanced and the action became general.
| A large body of Beers occupied strong
positions at MataWanaskop and the
Precipitous ridges surrounding it. The
British guns shelled the position and
| the infantry advanced under cover Of
the fire The Gloucesters and Devon
shires crossed a fearful fire zone be-
meath the Tuitanyoni hill. when the
Beers poured a whitening fire with such
effect that three of the attackers drop
ped in distance of 200 yards. See
ing the peril of the Devonshires and
Gloucesters, General White dispatched
the Carbineers and Liverpools to take
the enemy in the rear. A.
"A fierce rifle and artillery duel was
maintained for some time. The Brit
ish Maxims ratified, but the Beers un-
der cover of the rocks, remained cool
and replied with an incessant rifle fire.
The British artillery swept the face
of the hills, and at length the shells
became so destructive that the Beers
retreated to another ridge, whence
they were dislodged by the volunteers
in the face of a calling fire. The Beers
soon reformed and took UP a position
on another ridge, but the volunteers
dashed across the intervening plateau,
again rushed the Boer position and
drove them back to the main force.
The British then shelled the latter un-
til clusters of Beers were seen leav-
ing and retreating westward, when
the engagement closed"
A special dispatch from Glencoe
camp dated October 90 says:
After the victory of Friday the
British imagined they were free from
further molestation for some days, but
they soon found that the earlier re-
ports of sweeping success were ex-
aggerated. The reports were incorrect.
The burghers succeeded in removing
some of the artillery from the hill On
Saturday news was received of Gem
eral Joubert's column threatening Dun
dee. General Yule quickly recognized
the inability ofNdefending both Glen
coe and Dundee against such superior
numbers, and sent word to Lady
smith of his dangerous position, and
ordered the evacuation of Dundee.
The Boer attack commenced with long
range firing with the big guns at day.
break, Sunday. The Beers made ex-
cellent practice and the shells from a
4o-pounder occupying the Impati
mountains, dropped In and around the
town. In the meanwhile the British
haa reached Glencoe in safety; Then
orders reached General Yule to fall
pack on Ladysmith. At the same time
he was informed that a large force
was awaiting at Elandslaagte Glencoe
camp was accordingly evacuated quiet
~. Ihe pfecarlous position of the Rrit-
ish was not known to the Beers"
Other accounts dwell upon the Sc
verify OF the rifle fire at Reitzfontetr.
They say that when the Beers finally
retreated the lancers cut them off from
their horses and inflicted severe losses
on them. The retreat, it is added,
ended in general rout. 1t is an
nounced in dispatch from Ladysmith
dated October 23 that the reinforce
ments of infantry and artillery have
arrived there from Peitermaritzburg.
1t was also reported that the Beers
were again massing near Elandslaagte
and that a Free State force, several
thousand strong, was occupying Best
ers station. Advices from Cape Town
to-day show that the assembly at Putt
iatsu river was attended by all the
principal Basuto chiefs. The resident
commissioner, Sir Godfrey Langdon,
was present The action of the para
mount chief, Lerothod in pledging the
nations loyalty was emphatically con-
firmed by the chiefs, urging the claim
that they be regarded as the queens
soldiers and be allowed to share in this
struggle. Three cheers were given for
the queen by the natives.
The British commissioner discour-
aged the idea that the British needed
assistance and bade the chiefs quell
the excitement. There is little news
1rom the western borders. The cor
doh around Kimberley is drawing clos |
er, but hopes are expressed that a fly
ing squadron will shortly be sent to it's
relief.
Ihe Beers have occupied Windsor
ton. an unprotected town.
Inc magistrate, with the consent of |
the inhabitants, surrendered on de- |
mand, conditional upon the lives and |
property of the people being respect |
ed.
1t Is alleged, however, that the Beers |
ldllG1 TO 10.