The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-03
SUCCESS OF GEN. FRENCH
BRITISH VAR OFFICE CONFIRMS
 THE COLESBERG VICTORY.

and May Cut or Their Retreat-Aus- l trnitans and Canadians Under Col | Pitcher Also Successfu,- Boer Laagea | Captured.
 London, Jan. 2.-Yesterday's report 1 of the success of General French's col umn at Colesburg was confirmed to- day officially, the war office this after noon issuing a dispatch from Cape Town dated Monday, January 1, as fol- | lows:
 French reports at 2 D. m. to-day from Coleskop by heliograph as follows: Leaving at Rensburg, holding the enemy in front, half of the First Suf- folks and a section of the Royal Horse artillery I started thence at in the afternoon, December 31, taking with me five squadrons of cavalry, half of the Second Berks and eighty mounted infantry; infantry carried in wagons, and ten guns. I halted for four hours at Maidor's Farm, and at 3:30 this morning occupied the kopje overlooking and westward of Colesburg.
 The enemy's outposts were taken completely by surprise. At daylight we shelled the laager and enfiladed the right of the enemy's position. The ar tillery fire in reply was very hot from a fifteen pounder using Royal Laboratory ammunition and other guns. We si- fenced the guns on the enemy's right flank, demonstrating with calavry and guns to the north of Colesberg, towards the junction, where a strong laager of the enemy was holding hill and po- sition southeast of Coesberg, as far as the junction.
 e Our position cuts the line of retreat via the road and bridge. Some thou sands of Boers with two guns are re- ported to be retiring towards Norval Pont. All Remington scouts proceeded towards Achterland yesterday morning. Slight casualties. About three killed and few wounded. Details later'"
 Brief independent messages from Rensburg filed last evening, January 1, supplement General Frenchs dis patch but slightly According to them the British were still shelling the Boer position at o'clock last evening, and expected to enter Colesberg to-day.
 The British losses were three men killed and seven wounded No officers were killed or wounded. The Boers are supposed to have suffered heavily from the accuracy of the British artillery fire General French's statement that the Boers were using a fifteen pounder and Woolwich ammunition evidently refers to one of the British guns cap tured at Storm1arg. The Boer strength in the engagement was estimated at from 5000 to 1000 men.
 While the afternoon newspapers are disposed to overrate the brilliancy of General French's success, it will doubt less have good moral effect, and if promptly followed up, as seems likely from the fact that Remngtons guides are already advancing on AchterIand. 1t may result in securing Norvals Pont bridge, thus gaining an important strategic advantage, as thence General French will probably be able to threat en Bethulie bridge, which is the main line of retreat for the Boers facing General Gatacre.
 The war office has also received the following from Cape Town, under to- days date:
 Colonel Pitcher reports, through the officer commanding at the Orange river: T have completely defeated a hostile command at the Sunnyside laager this day, January 1, taking the Iaager and forty prisoners, besides the killed and wounded. Our casualties are two pri- yates killed and Lieutenant Adie wounded Am encamped at Dover Farm, twenty miles northwest of Bel mont and ten miles from Sunnyside'"
 Other official dispatches dated Janu- ary 1 say that General Methuen's posi- ton is unchanged.
 General White reports, under date of December 31, that the number of cases of dysentery and fever at Ladysmitl1 is