Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-11-25
TOOK BOER POSITION.
British Force Reconnoitcred
From Esteourt.
BAYoNErTED so OF BURGHERs.
Later Compelled to Retreat. Owing te
Beers Rapidfire Guns-One Correspond.
ent Estimated Beers Killed at Belmont
at 5O0-Mafeking In Bad Fix.

DUR3AN, Nov. -25.-The Natal Adyer.
tiser confirmed the report of fightinS
near Willow Grange. 1t said:
Five thousand British left Estcourt
Wednesday afternoon for reconnois-
sance. They surprised the Beers at 3
o'clock Thursday morning and occupied
the Boer position, bayoneting so OF the
enemy.
eat daybreak the Beers opened with
uuick-frers. The British artillery
was unable to reach the Beers, and the
British position, therefore. became Tn
tenable and was evacuated. Subse-
quently the artillery was brought into
action and the Beers fell back Their
object having been attained the British
returned to Estcourt.
An official. message from General
White, at Ladysmith, dated Nov. %,
said:
Situation unchanged. Troops well
and cheerful"
LONDON, Nov. 25.-The Cape Town
correspondent of The Daily Telegraph
telegraphing Thursday says. "Noth-
ing is known here concerning the re-
port that United States Consul Ma
crum has been refused permission to
leave Transvaal territory. l am told
that Mr.. Cecil Rhodes keeps big bal
loon ready at Kimberley to escape it
driven to that extremity.
The Daily Mail publishes the follow
ing dispatch from Belmont describing
the battle:
1.-The Beers held position which
British troops would hold against al
- - -, &c,
complete. My estimate OF the Boer
losses is 500 killed and $50 wounded.
Mr.. Bright, correspondent of the Lon
don Morning Post, was wounded. The
Boer prisoners are ignorant, dirty and
wretched. They say that half their
commando, tired of the war, will refuse
further service.
"The whole force of the fearful fight
was borne by the infantry, who were
obliged to climb 800 feet, straight into
o terrific stream OF missiles. The Ninth
Lancers pursued the enemy with great
vigor, but the, Beers. we'll mounted and
familiar with the hills, melted before
them. Possibly. however, our victory
would have been even more decisive
had we possessed more cavalry"
Curiously enough, while correspond
erts report the capture of Boer guns,
Lord Methuen's s own report omits any
mention of such an achievement.
One statement said: =;
"The remnant of the Boer army
sought to escape toward the Orange
Free State territory. -.
As reports tended to show that the
enemy's retirement was orderly, he
will doubtless soon be heard of. else
where. ...5-- - sasG
The correspondent Of The Times, at
Belmont, said ip part: v,.5.
"After the battle the lager was,
burned and the ammunition destroyed.
The Boer rout was complete and their
losses are'believed to equal ours. They:
used some dumdum bullets, 1t isru-
mored that there have been some
threats to assassinate recalcitrant
Burghers who are tired OF war and de-.
serting." /.
General Buffers destination is kept a
strict secret at Cape Town, some re-
ports saying that he has gone north and
others that he has gone to Durham, as
already cabled.
BELMONT, Nov. 25.-The Beers hoisted
q white flag over their second position.
whereupon Lieutenant Willoughby of
the Coldstream Guards stood up and was
Immediately shot down.
The Beers twice repeated the same
tactics.
A dispatch to The Times from Mooi
river give the British casualties in the
Willow Grange affair as three killed
and A wounded.
MAeALAP1E, Cape Colony, Ncv. 49,
A dispatch received here from Mafe.
king dated Wednesday, Noy. Is, said in
part:
'The Beers are always drawing their
entrcnchments closer and are inces-
sanity plying the British with sho IS.