Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-07

connoitered north and south, while n con-
siderable force of British, with field guns
;an1 Maxlms advanced toward Spyfon Elm,
noldlhg the Beers In check in that direc-
tfon. vi ~
Ten Guns Engaged.
Ten guns were engaged simultaneously
and, viewed from the coming tower an
artillery duel seemed proceeding in every
direction, except toward Kenilworth, the
fusiiiade being terrible
AT y O'Clock having no force sufficient to
hoid the position he had stormed, Col.
Scott-Furner began gradually retiring his
men. He had a horse shot under him and
wound " 10i
1t is alleged that the Beers use5 Mar
tihis and explosive bullets and that they
frequently fired at the British ambulance
wagons The British captured twenty-e ght
OF the enemy.
Modder River dispatches cav that tho
Boers are eneamFed amid the hills half
way TO Kimberley, but II is also asserted
n mat large body of the enemy has gone
Il. .ne uirecuon or Jacobsdal, in the Orange
Free state 1t Is possible, therefore that
Lofo Methuen may endeavor TO clear his
right nank as far as Jacobsdal before con-
.iluihg ms advance. He is still waiting at
.aodoer River for stores, guns and ammuni-
ton.
Boer Activity in Cape Colony,
- N4SpAeSu lItiu queenstown. CAPE Col
ony, dated Saturday, December .. says the
boers nave become very active in the coun-
try around Stormberg Junction to which
Gen. Gatacre will make his next move.
Ihe telegraph lines have been cut in yari-
Gus places and communica ii IN with Steyns-
purg, Dordrecht and harrisburg has been
severed. 1t is believed that the Boers have
occupied Steynsburg. Firing has been heard
IN the direction Of Storrnberg probably be-
tIAf2cra'S ard ha
Boer commando.
Advices from Putters Kraal. the head
quarters of Gea. Gatacre's division, dated
Saturday, say the Beers entered Dordrecht
Inat morning. This, IL Is auoeu a. ,.~.,-
aoiy Grobiers force of 1,j00 men from
Stormberg.
The first batch Of wounded soldiers from
South Africa, numbering I33 men arrived
in the Thames today on the British trans
port Slmatra, which left Table bay about
November 10.
Kruger Denies Our Request.
1t Is reported from Cape Town that the
Trapsvaal government still refuses to ac-
knowledge the right of the United States
TO interfere regarding prisoners in Pre-
torfa, insisting that Great Britain must
inquire through Commander mt Gen Joubert
The Times prints letter from an Amer
lean citizen who left Johannesburg because
he was liable to be impressed, and who had
learned that the United States consul was
unable to protect him. He complains Bit
terry that the American flag was not re-
spected in Pretoria, that his passport was
not recognized, ard that his position was
practically unbearable.
The war Office has received the list of
casualties during the sortie from Kimberley
November 2S. as follows:
killed-Mator Scott-Turner of the Black
watch, Lieut.. C. w. Wright of the Kfmber-
ley Light Horse and twenty non-commis-
stoned officers and men.
Wounded-Capt. Wa.leck, Lieuts Clifford
and Watson and twenty-eight on-commis-
stoned officers and men.
A dispatch from Lisbon says: Two Rus
sian colonies, a French general and
French colonel. who have been engaged by
DR.. Leyds to assist in the defense of Pre-
toria, left today for Lourenzo MARQUES
They We're escorted to the steamer by the
secretary of the French legation here.
News From Boer Camps.
PRETORIA, Wednesday December e.
Official dispatches received here from the
different Boer forces say all its quiet except
at Kimberley. where an armored train made
a sortte this morning
The Orange Free State has proclaimed
the annexation Of Dordrecht. about fifty
miles north of Queenstown, Cape Colony.
The Tugela bridge. it is also announced,
is SO completely ruined that 1t will be a
erent to restore 1t. The British fired on
some republican scouts south of the Tugela
this morning. There were no casualties
A newspaper correspondent named Lynch,
who entered the Boer lines at Ladysmith
on Monday, with the alleged purpose of ex-
changing newspapers, has been made a
prisoner and will be brought to Pretoria.
All Well at Ladysmith.
FREERE CAMP, Natal, Wednesday, De-
cember Ga runner from Ladysmith to-
day reports all well. The bombardment.
the messenger adds, continues, but is in
effective, the Boer shells only hitting the
houses.
Since the notice received about two weeks
ago of the objection interposed by the Boer
government to the attempt of United States
Consul Macrum at Pretoria to diSburse
certain sums Of money provided by the
British government to afford the British
prisoners there with small necessities and
uxurieS during their confinement, the o,ate
Department has heard nothing on that SUBJ
ject. Upon being informed of the objec-
ton. the department instructed Mr. Ma
crum to protest against being prevented
from exercising a right accorded by alt
civilized nations in warfare but 1t is not
known how he has Jared since then In
fact, the department has been unable to |
obtain any answer from him to any OF its
of recent date, and 1t does
not know even If he has received notice of |
the granting Of his leave of absence.
nEy TH AE