The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-04-07
EARLY AFRICAN WAR NEWS
BRITISH AND BOERS EACH MEET
 VIJH fl DISASTER.

Roberts Reports Five Companies Of HIS
 Troops Captured South of Bloemfon-
 fein-MethueM Takes n Boer Force at
 Boshof and Kills the Boer Chief of
 staff, the Noted Gen. Vi,Icbois MarcutI
 ports to-day that five companies of
 British troops have been captured by
 the Boers near Bethany on the rail-
 way about thirty miles south of Bloem- I fontein.
 The following is the text of Lord Rob-
 erts dispatch to the war office announce
 ing the capture:
 "Bloemfontein, Thursday, April B.
 Another unfortunate occurrence has oc-
 cured, resulting, I fear, in the capture of a party of infantry, consisting of | three companies of the Royal Irish Flu siliers, and two companies of the Ninth i Regiment of Mounted Infantry, near | Reddersberg, little eastward of Beth | any railway station, within few miles of this place. They were surrounded by | stronger force of the enemy, With | four or five guns. The detachment held
 out from before noon, April 8, until a. m April 4, and then apparently surren- dered, for 1t is reported that the firing ceased at that time
 Immediately after I heard the news, during the afternoon of April 3, order ed Gatacre to proceed from Springfon- tein, his present headquarters, to Red- dersberg, with all possible speed, and l dispatched the Cameron Highlanders hence to Bethany. He arrived at Red dersberg at 10:30 yesterday morning without opposition, but could get no news of the missing detachment. There can be no doubt the whole party has been made prisoners"
 The war office to-day also received the following dispatch from Lord Roberts, dated Bloemfontein, Thursday, April 5:
 "Methuen telegraphs from Boshof Gin the Orange Free State, q little north east of Kimberley, as follows: Sur rounded General Villebois Mareuil and body of Boers to-day. None escaped. Villebois and seven Boers killed, eight wounded, fifty-four prisoners. Our losses were: Killed, Captains Boyle and Williams both of the YeomanrV, and two men of the Yeomanry; wounded, about seven men.
 The attack lasted four hours. The corps behaved very well. Our force was composed of yeomanry, the Kimberley Mounted corps and the Fourth Battery l of Artillery" Y"
 Both of these dispatches were issued ;,,4 lao >ri i,,f t,a Ia ct ali tin,,c of all the evening papers. The lost companies are probably part of the force guarding the railroad at Bethany, thirty miles south of Bloemfontein. The Boers are evidently operating ia force near the railroad, and there is possi bility of the line being interrupted for brief period at any time
 As the captured British soldiers were | in position to defend themselves for | nearly twenty-four hours, and were | then forced to surrender, the fighting | must have been severe.
 General De Villebois Marauil was the chief of staff of the Boer army. He was about fifty years old and is said to have been responsible for many of the Boer in Natal and later in Cape | Colony and the southern part of the Or ange Free State.
 It is said that he entered the Boer service merely because war was his trade. He went though a number of in the French army.
 In the death of General Nilebois Ma reuil the Boers lose their best instruct ed soldier in continental methods of warfare. As the late General Joubert's chief of staff, he devised the Boer de- lenses against General Buffers adJauce | to the relief of Ladysmith. He is sup posed to have chosen the guns positions and to have laid down the covered trenches He disposed the Boers al the centers, from which they were sent massed to the defense of any par ,)f a wide arc. He was the most notable of all the soldiers of fortune serving with the Boers. He had written occasional letters to French correspon- lents.
 The Boers were also in force yester- lay five miles from Jagersfonten, situ- ated sixty miles south of Bloemfontein. They had a brush with the British pa -rols.
 The following queer telegram comes rom Kimberley:
 April 5.-Since the departure of the main body of troops Lieutenant-C Colonel Chamier remains in command of the garrison here" , The departure of any considerable /. body of troops has heretofore been un i; mentioned in the censored cables. The Duke of Marlborough has gone to 0eelfontein, south of De Aar /. Upington has been occupied by the . British. <,