Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-04-14
MORE BRITISH ARE
TAKEN PRISONERS
Five Companies Of Roberts Troops
Fall Into the Hands Of the
Enemy.
EFFORT TO RESCUE THEM FAILS
GRtacre and the Cameron Highland
ers Dispatched TO the Scene
of the Capture, But Find
No Boers.

| ing lht uISdShSi w NNbnNlSputE h"'
been allowed to come through, except
the dispatch of Lord Roberts. 1t Is,
therefore, impossible t. form any no.
tion as to what has happened. Mean
while the British public is beginning
to realize the immense difficulties to
be overcome even before Pretoria is
reached, and is revising premature
ideas with respect to the time when
the war will be over. No one believes
now that it will have ended by the be-
ginning of June.
The latest disaster more particu-
larly illustrates the heavy task in
volved in holding the railway. This
body of some 500 British troops, with
out guns, which disappeared SO COM
pletely within thirty-fve miles of the
great British army, had for it's bust
ness to guard a section of nearly
ninety miles of railroad between
Bloemfontein. If it could thus be
spirited away, how is Lord Roberts to
insure his continually extending com
munications?
Other pertinent questions are being
asked as a result of these successive
though unfortunate occurrences"
The foremost is why do not the Brit
ish troops entrench? 1t is argued that
if this had been done even 500 men
might have held out until reinforced.
1t cannot be concealed hat the ut
most alarm is beginning to be felt.
1t is said that the Beers who cap
tured the British at Reddersburg be-
longed to DIVERS commando. If so,
he has not retired north: and hopes
are expressed that he may still be cut
off.
1t is asserted that 1000 rebels sur
rendered during General Clement
~northward march. The Beers will do
their utmost to hold Ladybrand and
Thaba Nchu, both being rich grain
producing districts.
A correspondent of the Morning
Post, at Springfontein, telegraphing
Thursday, says he is glad to be able
to report that increased precautions
are being taken in ~patrolling h rail-
way.
1t is said that most of the prisoners
captured at Boshof are engineers.
The report that Mr.. Steyn had been
appointed to the command of the Free
Staters, and the further report that
the Free State has arranged a loan
from the Transvaal for war purposes,
are both confirmed.
Ten thousand remounts from South
America are due to arrive during the
coming week at ports of Natal and
Cape Colony.
Another Boer version of the fight
ing of Colonel Plumer's force says
that four officers and thirty men were
taken prisoners at Ramathlabama. 1t
appears hat the names of Cecil and
| Granville which NVnra nri FINALLY Snn-
posed to indicate two of the officers
captured at the time, should have
been read together as the name of one
officer.
As numerous prisoners are now held
on both sides, and the numbers are
about equal, the question of exchange
was mooted in the house of com
mons last evening. This ELECTED a
reply that the government had no in
tention of proposing an exchange.
London, April 0.-Lord Roberts re-
ports the capture of five more compa-
MES of British troops by the Beers,
Following is the text of Roberts dis.
patch to the war Office announcing the
capture:
"Bloemfontein, Thursday, April s.
Another unfortunate occurrence has
occurred, resulting, l fear, in the cap,
ture of a party of infantry consisting
of three companies of Royal Irish fusi'
leers and two companies of the Ninth
regiment mounted infantry near Red
dersburg, a little eastward of the
Bethany railway station, within a few
miles of this place. They were sur
rounded by a stronger force of the en-
envy with four or five guns. The de-
tachment held out from noon of Apri.
3 until April 4 at 0 in the morning
and then apparently surrendered, fol
the report Of firing ceased at that
time. Immediately after / heard the
news, during the afternoon of April 3
i ordered Gatacre to proceed from
Springfontein, his present headquar'
ters, to Reddersburg with all possible
speed, and | dispatched the Cameron
H~ighlanders hence to Bethany. He ar
rived at Reddersburg at 1890 yester
day morning without opposition, but
could get no news of the missing de
tachment. No doubt the whole party
were made prisoners.
British Casualties, 45O.
1t is officially announced that the
British casualties in the Boer ambush
near Sannas Post amount to $50, in
Guiding 173 missing.
Dunraven's Sharpshooters Sail.
Dunraven's sharpshooters started
for South Africa today amidst scenes
of unusual enthusiasm. Lord DunraveT
accompanies the force as s~upernumer
airy captain of the battalion staff.
Boer Activity.
A Bloemfontein dispatch says:
Small bodies of Beers can be seen
in the vicinity of the town, and the
Beers are still in the neighborhood o.
the waterworks. Roberts is taking
steps to meet the activity of the Beers