Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-12-22
.BO[RS CAPTURE
i. MORE BRITISH
Party Of Brabaut's Horse Fail Into
the Hands Of the
Burghers.
STORY OF MA6ALIeSBeRG DISASTER
How General Clements Force Was
Trapped and the Northum-
berIands Taken,
TORY OF MA6ALIESBeRG DISASTER
KITCHENER CALLS FOR MORE MEN
Urgent Request sent for Mounted Troops
-wsr Ofice Remains Open sunday
for the First Time In Many
Months.

Aliwal North, Cape Colony, Dec. i5.-
A party OF Brabant's horse, consisting
mainly OF raw recruits, engaged a su-
| perior force OF Beers December 10. near
4 killed, 10 wounded and 100 taken pris-
oners.
Londn, Dec. IT, TIE following dis
patch has beer received by the war Of
flee from Lord Kitchener:
Pretoria, Dec. l5.-Five officers and
316 men. Magalieburg prisoners, have
been released. The Beers surrounded
and captured 100 of Brabants horse
In a dehle in the Zastron district.
Colonel Bomfeld, moving ON Vry-
held, defeated the Beers with heavy
loss. driving them from Sheeper's mel:
and capturing n quantity OF arms. The
Sheeper's pck movement occurred De-
cember 10.
THE Beers who attacked Vryheid
had lost 100 killed and wounded before
they retired. The fighting lasted all
day the enemy drawing off at 1850 y.
m. The British loss was 6 killed. 10
wounded and 307 missing, our casual
ties include two officers who died OF
their wounds"
Wiring from Pretoria Sunday,
Lord Kitchener, after reporting that
the Magaliesberg prisoners have ar
rived at Rustenberg. says that the Boer
force divided into two portions, one
moving south and the other west.
The Maga!iesbcrg Disaster.
The Magaliesberg affair is described
as follows in a dispatch to the Stand
ard. from R"ietfontein;
The scene of the engagement was
a horseshoe shaped depression. The
Northumberland occupied the enter.
General Clements camp was pitched
1000 yards lower down at the eastern
point Of the horseshoe and Colonel
Gegge's camp was about 500 yards dis
tant.
General Delarey's 1000 men, against
whom General Clements had fought re-
peated actions, were suddenly, un-
known to General Clements, reinforced
by 5000 men from Warm Baths, under
command OF Boyers. At dnybrcak Col
onel Legge's picket described what
seemed n fresh force of British troops,
thirty yards distant. The strangers
were challenged. They replied with IA
volley, revealing 400 Beers In khaki.
The firing became heavy and the noise
aroused Colonel Legge's troops, who ar
rived just in time to save the outposts
from capture.
"A furious engagement cnsued. Ar
tillery was brought up and II compelled
the Beers TO retire. Colonel Leggc, fol-
lowing up the Withdrawing Beers, was
shot dead by n bullet through the head.
General Clements and his staff soon
- ,I.., III. -, " -. ec...l
but General Clements appeared TO have
n charmed life.
while mounted men were driving
the enemy back along a slope, covered
thickly with Boer dead, a dearening
rife fire suddenly broke on the plateau
above. The ~signalerS communicated
that the northumberland were being
attacked. General Clements, convinced
that they would easily hold their own,
disposed the remainder Of his forces on
the TANKS and rear of his two camps,
Fought with Desperate Bravery.
At 4:30 a. m. a ~heliograph from the
western peak announced that the Beers
were about To ~overwhelm the fusi'c rs.
Clements was unabl to send
adequate aid, but dispatched ycomanry
to climb the precipitous hillside and
create a diversion. Before the yeo-
many could come into action the Beers
had overlapped the northumberland
and were In possession of the entire
horseshoe. firing down on the
~, ~ertang,ed in the bushes and boul-
lerS.
The Northumberland made a mag
defense, as Ions as their am
lasted. According to Ro2r ac-
cunts, many, even when resistance
vas hopeless, died lighting.
General Clements, row left with 100
men, made supcrhuman efforts against
he bullets from the Boers pouring over
peak1, n managed to save his
and the camp equipment. He re-
ired In splendid order, and at 4 p. m.
started to march to Iietfontein, fight
ng n rear guard action all the way and
the next day at 4 q. m"
Lord Methuen, according to another
from Lord Kitchener, dated
yesterday, attacked and captured a
3oer laager, near Litchtenburg, Trans
'aal, December Ii, securing large sup
lies OF cattle and sheep and n Coas!d-
quantity of ammunition.
A further dispatch from Lord Kitch-
ncr, dated Pretoria, December IL, says
hat Lord Methuen has official conhr-
OF the reported death Of Gen
Lemner, the Bocr commander.
3