The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-24

fantry. entering the place. released the
English prisoners.
The Beers. numbering some 1000 men,
with three guns. occupied a command
ing position. They poured such well
directed fire en- the British and their
scouts were so active that the British
force steadily retired until reinforce
| meats arrived. when the mounted in
fanny was sent to drive the Beers cut
OF the ridges on the right.
A large force of mixed cavalry in
the meanwhile swept over the plain
and up the hill ON the right. The lane
ers met with heavy fusilade, While On
the left a British battery opened fire
with good effect. The British infantry,
who had debarked from the railway
train during the interim, advanced
steadily over the plain and up the
rocky ridge previously cleared by the
cavalry. The Boer artillery dropped
shrapnel into the advancing columns,
but the British finally scaled the hill
whence they overlooked the broad val
ley to three rocky hills forming the
Beers position, the camp being in the
center.
The Beers had a battery of three
large guns. The smaller hills were also
strongly held. On the Boer right was
the station in a valley on the British
left. The latter's cavalry was on both
TANKS and battery on the right was
busy throwing shrapnel at the Beers
battery.
The British infantry formed for the
attack in extended order behind the
brow of hill. the Devonshires on the
left, with four companies of the Man
chesterS and some of the GordonS on
the right. At about 5 p. m. the infan-
try advanced through the valley as
steadily as on a field day. Half way
down the slope they met a terrific in
fantry and artillery fire
The men fell rapidly and the wounded
were carried to the rear. But in spite
OF the steady work of the Boer guns
and the sharp shooters concealed be-
hind the rocks, the increasing fire of the
advancing British infantry gradually
gained the upper hand, and the Man
chesters and Gordons edging towards
the ridge, gained the top of the ridge;
thus outfianking the enemy's left.
AT o'clock the bugles sounded the
charge" and the British swept ahead.
The Beers fought to the last, only at
tempting to escape when further fight
ing was hopeless.
In the meantime the Devonshires,
pressing steadily up the left, were
strongly opposed at the Boer camp and
from the fianking hills, and carried
both at the charge, with wild cheers
and bugle blasts. By o'clock the
British had gained the positions and
cease firing" was sounded. Three
twelve and one-half- FOUNDER Norden-
felts were captured with quantities of
munitions.
The Beers dead and wounded among
the rocks, who pere numerous. were at
tended to as far as possible in the
dark.
General French thanked the troops on
al
Ian Hamilton's splendid handling of the
infantry. The British bivouacked on
the captured position Saturday night.
Some estimates place the Boer losses at
500, but this is probably exaggerated.
Colonel Scott Chisholm, the only Brit
ish officer killed, was formerly attached
to the Ninth Lancers. He served with
distinction in the Afghan war and or
ganized the present Imperial Light
Horse, a majority of whom are refu-
gees from the Rand.
The death OF General Viljoen is a So
we're blow to the burghers and the death
of General Kock and the capture of
General Pretorius will handicap the fur
Their movements of this column.
According to advices from Durham.
Natal, the Beers have entered Zululand,
a large column advancing towards Me-
10th.
The best opinions do not credit the
reports that the Beers are suing for
peace, or that they are likely to yield
at present, though they think the Beers
will probably retreat to their line of de-
Tense in the mountain passes of Laing's
Neck and Drakensburg, where they
have blocked the passes with great
boulders and masses of rock blown up
on either side and where if they so
desire they could be able to hold out
until the advance of Major General Sir
Redvers Butler through the Orange
Free State should compel them to leave
the Natal side to meet the invasion
from the south.
The sensational rumors of the designs
of foreign powers inimical to British
interests meet with scant credence,
though it is admitted that it is difficult
to explain the immense force on land
which Great Britain is now modifying.
In Vienna it is reported the British
naval movements are due to a rumor
that Russia, with the assent of France
is about to acquire from Spain, Ceuta
or some other naval station on the At
rican coast. Elsewhere it is stated the
movements of the French Mediterra-
mean fleet in the neighborhood of the
Levant where it could easily be joined
by the Russia Black Sea fleet via the
Straits Of the Dardanelles is occasion
ing suspicion.