New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-27


they were free from further molestauon r, ior
some DAYS but they soon found that the eaIngi
reports Of a sweeping success were eN@sseia'eu
The reported capture of all the Boer guns Wa
incorrect The burghers succeeding IN ieno .ts
some of them before the British carried the
hill leaving only the rfemen oehlnd TO oo'e'
their retreat . 49, IN
nroacf, Of General Jouberts main column
tbrsaterine Dundee General Yule quickly
recognized the impossibility Of defending n9 }
Dundee and Glencoe against such supeiio'itS
Of numbers sent word TO Ladys.m -, ir.
dangerous situation and ordered the evacua,i9h
~ Dundee Most Of the inhabitants went south
ward on Saturday. The British camp was Siso
removed in anticipation Of an attack on DuhueV
which began with long range firing oy the DIX
guns at daybreak SUNDAY me BOUTS Ii'"r7 AZ
cellent practice. and the shells from a ~
FOUNDER occupying the impair NVu", 49,
dropped IN and around the town In the mean
while the British had reached Glencoe IN saie'S
There orders reached General Nule on Monuas
to fall back on Ladysmith At the same tlnle
he was informed that a large force was Val.
ing at Elandslaagte 10 assist his retirement
Glencoe Camp accordingly. was quietly evacu-
ated The precarious position OF the BRUSH
was not known 10 the Beers.
belated dispatch sent from Glencoe Camp
on the night Of the battle in that vicinity admits
that few Boer dead and wounded were found
on the field. and attempts to explain this by
saying:
Throughout the fight the Beers, in accordance
with their custom. buried their dead ana car
red off their wounded Immediately after they
fell. those left representing only the casuaiues
during the last moments 81 the hghtlng Even
their disabled cannon had been removed, al
though broken pieces Of them could be seen
lying about.
General Whites artillery duel at Rietfontein
was a very severe engagement. in which the
rife did great execution and in which success
was only achieved at distressing cost. The
bombardment Of Mafekng has begun with I'M
known result. and the Beers have got their
Hussar prisoners safely TO Pretoria.
Altogether the campaign Is being pushed by
the Beers so strenuousiy and such sound
strategical lines that the situation Of the British
must. in all proba bty. give them cause for
deep anxiety for some time to come.
II is difficult TO see how the concentrated force
at Ladysmith will be able to take the aggressive
Immediately Apart from the fatigue. regiments
like the Gordon Tighlanders and Royal Rifles
have been practically without officers since the
fights, and 1875 additional officers have been or
dered TO leave England speedily as possible
An official British account Of the fighting at
Rietfontein. given out at Cape Town. says:
| Of NOdderspruit and opened with infantry fire
! at long range on the British advance guard.
| consisting OF the 18Th Hussars. This was fol-
! lowed by artillery fire directed with considerable
/ accuracy against the British guns. An action
lasting six hours ensued at RietfOntein Farm.
The enemy were driven from the hills command
! ing the roads. Sir George Whites object beng
| accomplished the column returned 10 Lady
| smith The enemy Is believed 10 have suffered.
Other details Of the fighting at Rietfontein are
coming in slowly. special dispatch from
Ladysmlth. dated October "a filed after the
fight. says:
On discovery that the Beers were massed 10
the westward Of the main road to Dundee an
attempt was made by train 10 recover the BODY
OF Colonel Scott Chisholm, killed al Elandsiaaete
The train was fred upon and obliged to retire
and General White moved out 10 attack the
Beers believed TO be Free Skaters. who should
have Joined the Transvaalcrs at Elandslaagte
General White commanded personally. The otn
! Lancers were placed on either flank. They frs'
came in touch with the Beers below Modder-
sprut. where fifteen hundred burghers occupied
strong ridge whence they opened Hlt a.
twelve hundred Yards, hitting several 81 the
British III the mean time the Hussars anc
Natal Carbincers advanced unscathed through
an opening In the ridge under the fire OF BOei
gun while the Imperial Light Horse took part
Of the crest OF the ridge. the Beers retiring. Al
about o'clock however a Boer gun stationed
on the crest Of Mata wana's Kop opened fire with
great accuracy on the main force, which IN the
mean time had come up but the shells failed Il
explode and the British artillery silenced the op
position The whole British force then advanced
and the action became general large body 81
Beers occupied strong positions at MataWana
Kop and the precipitous ridges surrounding IL
The British guns shelled the positions and tht
infantry advanced under cover II the fire. The
/ Gloucesters and DevOns crossed n fearful nr'
zone beneath Tuitanyoni Hill whence the Beers
poured whitening fire with such erect ina
/ thirty Of the attackers dropped within distance
( Of two hundred yards. Seeing the peril OF th'
Devons and Gloucesters General White dis
patched the carbinecrs and Liverpools to TAKE
the enemy in the rear.
A fierce rife and artillery duel maintained
for some time The British MaXims ratified. Du
the Beers under cover 81 the rocks. renane'
cool and replied with an incessant rifle fire. III
British artillery swept the face Of the hill. and a
length the shells became destructive that To
Beers retreated 10 another ridge. whence the,
were dislodged by the volunteers I'm the face ot
calling Are The Beers soon reformed and tooi
up n position on another ridge, but tho vOlun
teers dashed across the Intervening plateau
again rushed the Bocr position and drove then
back 70 the main force. OCCUPYING Matawanskop
The British then shelled the latter until cluster
Of Beers were seen leaving and retreatng west
ward when the engagement closed
other accounts dwell on the severity Of tn
rife fire al Rietfontein. They say that when tn
Beers finally retreated the Lancers cut them Of
from their horses and inflicted severe loss Of
them. The retreat it is added ended in a gen
erai rout
There is little news from the western border
The Gordon around Kimberley Is drawing closer
but hopes are expressed that a flying column
VIII shortly be sent 10 its relief
The Beers have occupied Windsorton, an un
protected town. The magistrate. with the con
sent of the inhabitants. surrendered on demand
conditional upon the lives and properties Of tn
people being respected It is alleged however
that the Beers refused to respect the properu
OF absentees
There is intense anxiety for further news fror
! Mafeking where. 1t is believed. number OF OF