The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-12-06
HOLDER RIVERS
BLOODY LIST.
It Numbers 438. Of Whom
Only "a Were Killed,

London, Dec 2.--As surmised. the
dead sod wounded at the hsrd.fought
battle Of Modder river numbers
hundreds. Up to : o'clock this
afternoon only the bare total. 438, of
which number 73 we're killed, had
been given out
The mesgro official dispatch. Civ.
ing list Of the British casualties at
Modder river. and announcing the
bare facs that Lord Methuen is still
there awaiting reinforcemenis, is only
supplemented by . brief special mes
ssge from Cape Town tonight. stating
thss ths Beers destroyed the bridge
over the Modder river before the
battle, aud are now concentrating at
0pytfonsein. whore the fioal battle
before Kimberley 10 relieved 10 ex-
pecsed to take plaoe The censor
hss sppsreotly stopped oil press NEE.
sAges from the front relating to the
battle. which 10 not regarded % .
favorable Indication. AZ to the ma
serial resuls Of Lord Metheun's en-
gsgsuent. IL is not yet clear whether
Lord Methuen's force actually crossed
the Moddsr river. or is still swaiti6g
she rebuilding Of the bridge before
che artillery sud cavalry can cross.
II soy osse the railway must be Car
ried over the bridge before the indis-
peusabls big naval guns can pass. be
ssuss Lord Meutheo's last message
showed that they were worked on
tsocks along the railroad.
A CHANGE OF BOER STRATEGY
Il In . Significant fact that Lord
Meuthen's cablegram make no men,
sion Of the Boer loss, which, there.
fore, 10 assumed to be small
A dispatch from Cape Town this
evening ssys Lord Meu,hen's ad-
vance undoubtedly is beginning to
affect the Boer strategy and probably
explains their withdrawal from Mooi
river The continued presence Of
-commaudoes in Cape Colony tends to
confirm the opinion tha: the Beers
ere making desperate efforts to re
cruit their forces from the Dotch res
ideuts. While 10 10 impossible to ob
tain exact statistics. il is absolutely
certain that the disaffected Dutch
have Joined the Beers in great nun
bsrs. which ere s,ill increasing Most
Of the recruits. however. are young
men. Gen Buller's message, clearly
indicating the punishment for disloy
atty, having deferred the actual hold
ers Of farms from joining the Beers
through fear Of oou6scs,ion of their
property.
CLERY'S POSITION IN DOUBT.
The lstest ne~s from Natal indi
Gates that the hulk of the Ladysmi,h
relief force has arrived at Freere,
though there 10 considerable coDjec..
ore ss TO th6- whereabouts of Gen
Clery, whose movements have not
been chronicled lately 1t is sur.
nised in some quarters that be may
sesppesr in . totally unexpected
ausrter, on tho faux or rear of Gen
Jouber's force. which 10 supposed to
be concentrated at Grobelaar's Kloof,
north of the Tugels river As Gen
Hildysrd's advance guard was in
touch with the Beers a. losg ego as
Tsesdsy Last. developments should
not bs 90 long delayed
COLENZO'S BRIDGE BLOWN UP
DuodoooId's mounted force. No
'vsmber %. accompanied by four
guns. went in pursuit Of . body Of
Bocrs retusuiog to Colepzo They
followed the Boers to within two and
Q half miles Of Colenzo. when Ire
Bosrs replied 10 the British shells
With long range guns There were
NO cssuslties Colenso Bridge, il =
sdded. wss afterwards blown up
Another detachment Of 5000 Brit.
ish troopsssiIec for South Africa to
day.
0eing TO the phenomenal sale of
the newspspers consequent open the
var . paper famine 10 threatened 1t
10 reported that the American sup.
plies have failed temporarily