Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-24
BATTLE AT BELMONT
British Win Victory at Cost of Heavy Loss
Of officers and Men.
CARRY THREE RIDGES IN SUCCESSION
Nothing Said as to Whether Positions So
Gained Are Held.
REPETITION OF elAN0SLAAGTE BATTLE
Grenadier and Coldstresm Guards Bear tie
Brunt Of Fight.
OF elANOslAAGTE BATTLE
BoER FORCE ABOUT TWO THOUSAND
Position Chosen with Their Customary
skin. strongly Entrenchcd nnd
Defended by Five Guns, Which
Do Great Execution.

ORANGE RIVER, Nov 2s.-Noon-An en-
| gagement was started on the other side
of Witteputs, just above Orange river, this
morning and the British artillery succeeded
In forcing the enemy to retire.
The following is the official communica-
| ton issued to the press respecting it:
Artillery firing commenced at 4:45 a. M.
In the hills bearing east northeast from
| Orange river, at an estimated distance Of
twelve miles. 1t ceased at o'clock the
enemy retiring The artillery is firing
| again"
The secretary of war has received the
following dispatch through General For
! ester Walker from Methuen, dated Belmont,
| November 90:
| Attacked the enemy at daybreak this
morning. He was in a strong position. Three
| ridges were carried In succession, the last
attack being prepared by shrapnel Infantry
behaved splendidly and received support
from the navy brigade. The enemy fought
with courage and skill. Had attacked
later should have had far heavier loss
"Our victory was complete. Have taken
forty prisoners Am burying good number
of the Beers. but the greater part of the
enemy's killed and wounded were removed
by their comrades Have captured large
number cf horses and cows and destroyed
a largo quantity OF ammunition.
"Brigadier General Feterstonhaugh was
severely wounded in the shoulder and Lieu
tenant Colonel McCabe of the Grenadier
Guards is reported wounded. Our other cas-
ualties are the following:
"Grenadier Guards. Third battalion: Killed.
Lieutenant Fryer; wounded, Lieutenant
Blundell. dangerously.
"Grenadier Guards, Second battalion:
Wounded, Lieutenants Leslie, Vaughan,
Guerdon- -Rebow and Russell; reported
wounded, Lieutenants Lyon and Cameron.
"Grenadier Guards, rank and file: Killed,
26; wounded, SO; missing. 49,
! "Codstream Guards, First battalion:
| Wounded, Lieutenant Grant.
| "Oodstream Guards, Second, battalinne
( Wounded. Lieutenaiit c. Wfiloughty and
Lieutenant Burton, the latter severely.
| "Coldstream Guards, rank and file: Killed,
g.; wounded. 90; missing, g.
Scots Guards, First battalion: Wounded.
Major North Dalrymple- Hamilton, severely
Lieutenants Bulkeley and Alexander.
"Scots Guards. rank and file: Wounded,
| 34
! Northumberland Fusileers, First bat
talon: Killed, Captain Eagar and Lieu
tenant Brine. Wounded, Major Dashwood
and Lieutenant Testing, dangerously. Can.
+, tain Sapte and Lieutenant Fishburne, Sc
verely.
Northumberland Fusileere, rank and fle:
Killed, 12: wounded, 23.
| "Northamptonshire regiment Second bat
talon: Wounded, Captain Freeland and
Lieutenant Barton, severely.
South Yorkshire regiment Second bat
TALON: Rank and file, wounded. g."
Carry Three Ridges in Succession.
| LONDON, Nov. 24.-5 a. m.-Before
| anxiety as to the situation in Natal had
been relieved there comes news of great
battle at Belmont This has happened
sooner than was expected Only the Off
! cial account is yet to hand, but so far as
| can be gathered the fighting appears to
! have been almost a repetition of the battle
| of Elandslaagte.
dispatch Of the previous day estimated
that the Beers in that vicinity numbered
1000 and that they had five guns and judg-
ing from the absence of any statement to
the contrary in the official report 1t is
believed the British were slightly superior
| In numbers. The Beers had chosen position
| with their customary skill and were strongly
| entrenched. The British were obliged to
charge three ridges in succession. Appar-
emily the Guards bore the brunt In carrying
the last ridge by bayonet charge after It's
defenders had been shaken by shrapnel
| shells. Nothing is said as to whether the
| positions so gained were held and the de-
struction OF ammunition seems to indicate
that the contrary was the case. While Cen
eral Methuen can be congratulated on a
brilliant victory, 1t is again at the cost of
a heavy loss of officers and men.
The diary OF events at Mafeklug up to No
Tez.5er Is, has arrived 1t gives little that
is new. At that date Colonel Baden Powell
| had n iden N bai for fnr Iuht
or perhaps for month. Both Mafeking and
Kimberley, however seem to be quiet
Beers Get In Close.
| Copyright, 1s99 by Press Publishing Coz
PIETERMARITZBURG Nov 23.--l13O a.
| m.-(New York World Cabegram-Spec al
Telegram)-Your correspondent, acting In
the place Of Churchill. returned at midnight
to Maritzburg fearing that the line would bs
cut south OF Mooi river. The guard train
leaving here at O'Clock this morning re-
ports that the enemy have taken a further
commanding position during the night ON
ridge two miles west of the village. They
commenced firing again into the British
camp and several shells fell into the rail-
way station without damage, A large num-
Der OF Beers are reported In the vicinity OF
Nottingham road, looting all the farms In
| the neighborhood.
There Is rumor from Dutch sources here
| today that the British forces inflicted an
| other disastrous defeat on the Beers around
| Ladysmith recently. Nearly all OF the
Beers large guns are reported captured
| completely demoralizing their forces. The
rumor is quite unconfirmed The Dutch In
the district are much depressed so there
may be some truth In the report. Appar-
entity there Is no fighting yet at Estcourt
although the flying column went out Tues
day toward Willow grange without meeting
the enemy.
Beers Passing Out Shells.
MooI RIVER, Natal. Nov. 23.--1O a. m.--
The Boer guns began to shell the camp at
8 p. m. Tho British artillery is in position
on high ground to the east. west and north
! OF the station. The artillery duel was con-