The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-26
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adln proceeded at a range of 1000
yards, but the Beers maintained the
silence OF death. This must have stag
gered the British, as the advance was
stopped and this morning they had re-
tired to their old positions.
RUMORED WITHDRAWAL FROM
MAFEKING.
. G~aberones, Wednesday, January l..
via Lourenzo Marques, January %
natives who have just arrived report
that troops, not Beers, are patrolling
around Mafeking. From this it is con-
jectured that the Beers may have re-
tired from that place INC that the pa
trollers are some of Colonel Baden
PowelPS men.
There is increased activity in the
Beers position at Crocodile pools, but,
with the exception of a couple of shells,
Colonel Plumer's outposts have not
heard from them today. A reconnoiter-
ing force this morning found the Beers
on the BaSuto hill, which the British,
supported by an armored train, occu-
pied. Later, today the cyclist scouts
reconnoitered the Boer main lager,
ten miles south of Fort Gaberones.
They describe it as large and strongly
entrenched. The Beers continue the
destruction of the railroad near Gro
codile pools.
Mafeking, January 10, via Beira, jan
uary 1S.-Since the artillery attack of
January 3 the Beers have not fired
SO many shells at this place. Natives
reports that the Boer chief gunner is
wounded; that five men We're killed
and that their breaStwOrkS were dam
aged during the recent engagement.
Commandant Erasmus and his friends
are reported to have departed and the
Boer forces in this vincinity are appar-
emily fewer in number. Their eSti-
mated strength is 1000 men.
CELEBRATING JOUBERTS BIRTH
DAY.
Head Lager, Ladysmith, January
20.-The 69th birthday of General JOu-
bert. was celebrated by Gener Botha
making a reconnaissance towards the
BrakenSberg mountains and turning
back the British advance after a
short engagement. General Joubert
accompanied President Steyn to the
Free State laagerS south of Ladysmith.
The president was in high spirits. He
proposes to make a tour of all the lag
erS.
Ladysmith sent up many colored
rockets last night.
1.-THE Boer movement on the British
above referred to may have reference
to General Warren's forward fighting,
in which, according to adViceS from
British sources received yesterday, the
Beers were on the defensive almost the
entire day Sunday, save once, when
they attempted to outfank the British
left and We're signally checkmated.l
BOERS ATTACKED AT COLESBERG
Pretoria, Sunday, January PA dis
patch from Colesberg, Cape Colony,
says the British attacked the Boer po-
sftion there at 10 o'clock this morning.
There was heavy fighting, but with
what result is net known. According
to the latest accounts the Beers were
holding their positions.
A dispatch from Colenso, of Thurs
day, January 18th, says a patrol of 200
men, under Field Cornet O~pperman,
while scouting. was surrounded. but
succeeded in fighting its way back. It
is reported that -four men were killed
and hat thirty were wounded and
made prisoners.
THE BRITISH LINE OF BATTLE.
Beers Camp, Upper Tugeia River,
Friday, January 19.-The British now
occupy three positions along the Tuge-
la river. Their naval guns have been
firing steel-pointed armor-piercing
shells. Reports being received that
1000 British cavalry were attempt
ing to outtlank us along the Drakens-
burg ridge, a strong patrol was sent
to reconnOiter. MiStaking the signals,
the scouts and patrol proceeded to a
kOpje from whence a terrific rifle and
Maxim gun fire suddenly opened. The
Beers lost fourteen men killed and
forty wounded. The British loss was
probably insignificant. The lombard
ment of the Boer position from Swartz
kOp was resumed yesterday, chiefly
from a battery brought across the
river. On the afternoon the
aiding became exceedingly brisk and
under cover thereof the infantry ad-
vanced in three lines to a second row
of little kopjes which they occupied at
nightfall; but, later, they retired TO
their old position.
During the night a score of shells
were fired by the British and a bal
loon was sent UP to spy out the Boer
positions.
The naval guns resumed the bonn
bardment this morning from a new
position but without results.
The three British positions are the
old Chivelrey camp, nearest Colenso,
the central position at SwartZ kop
drift, where they hold both banks of
the river, and a point higher up in the
direction of Zunckles, where they have
bridged the river and established an
immense cOmmisSariat. On a summit
Of the terraces at Swartz kop they
have placed five laval guns and have
brought the field artillery across the
liver to a small kOpje on the northern
bank. whence they keep up an inces-
SdIIN lAAA OA IS
Boer trenches.
Since the beginning of the week COM
munication with the different positions
have been kept up under the ordeal of
this cannonade. the casualties result
ing from mis- being heavier than those
occurred at Colenso. One of the shells
from the naval gunS killed a father n
son, Free Staters, who were chatting
at the time. Strangely neither had
any visible wounds.
Kimberley, Sunday, January 3.-The
Beers continue an active and heavy
b~ombardment of this place.
A MESSAGE FROM LADYSMITH.
London. January 24.-The Daily
Chronicle publishes the following, he'll
iographed from Ladysmith dated jan
uary 22nd, by way of Swartz kop, Jan
uary 23rd:
Yesterday we could See British
shells bursting close to the Beer camp
on h plateau this side of PotgieterS
drift, but the camp still remains in po-
sftion there today.