River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-04-12
BRITISH REvERSES.
Bocrs Capture Five Companies OF
Troops Near ReddersburK-oe
Wet Innfcts Heavy Loss.

-
London. April THE following IS
the text of Lord Roberts dispatch 10
the war Office announcing the capture
OF five companies of his troops:
''Bloemfontein. Thursday, April 5.-An-
other unfortunate occurrence mas occurred
resulting, l fear, in the capture OF a party
of infantry. Consisting OF three companies
of the Royal Irish f~usiliers ana TWO COM
panies of the Ninth regiment OF mounted
infantry. near Reddersburg' a Mite east
ward of Bethany railway station, Within
d few miles of this place. Ihey were sur
rounded by a stronger force OF inc enemy
with four or five guns.
9TH detachment held out from noon
April 8, until April 4. nine a. m. and then,
apparently. surrendered. for il Is reported
that the firing ceased at that time. lH-
media tely after / heard the news, during
the afternoon of April 3. | ordered GataeIe
to proceed from SpPingfontein' MS prssent
Headquarters, to Reddersburg, with an
possible speed, and | dispatched the cam
eron highlanders hence to Bethany ne
arrived at Reddersburg at 1880 yesterday
morning without opposition, but could get
no news of the missing detachment
There can be no doubt the whoie party
has been made prisoners
The war Office has received the fol
lowing dispatch from Lord Rob
erts dated Bloemfontein, Thursday,
April s.:
"Methuen teiegraphs from Boshof lin
the Orange Free State. a little northeast OF
Kimberley as follows:
/" Surrounded Gen. Villebois Mareull ana
a body of Beers to-day. None escaped.
ViIlebois and seven Beers killed. eight
wounded. Fifty prisoners. our losses
were:
"'KILLED-Capts. Boyle and Williams.
both of the yeomanry, and two men OF the
yeomanry.
"WOUNDED-About seven men.
1.-The attack lasted -four hours. The
corps behaved very well. Our force was
composed of yeomanry, the Kimberley
mounted corps and the Fourth battery Of
artillery"
Bethany, Orange Free State, Thurs
day, April 5.-The five companies OF
British infantry which We're surprised
by the Reddersburg commando while
marching across the country via Dc
Vets dorp made a plucky stand, but
as the Beers had three field guns and
the British none, the latter were com,
PEELED to surrender. Gen. Gatacre ar
rived too late. Reddersburg was al
ready reoccupied by the Beers, and
the enemy are now threatening the
lines to the south.
Mafeking was still besieged on April
l.. The garrison was suffering severely
from lack of bread, and a mixture OF
oats, bran and mealies was doing duty
for that article, which is described as
coarse in substance, of the color OF
gingerbread and of the consistency oil
Norwegian pine"
Pretoria, Friday, April 6, via Louren
20 Marques.-It is reported that Gen
De Wet attacked and defeated a largt
force of British cavalry at De Vets
dorp, southeast of Bloemfontein, cap
turing 450 prisoners and a large guam
tity of ammunition and camp stores
and inficting heavy loss. The fedora
loss was two killed and four wounded
All is quiet with the other com
mandos.
London, April 10.-Britons are nov
beginning, though reluctantly, to re
alize that Lord Roberts is in for 8
winter campaign, lasting severa
months. This is the end, in q few
words, of the high hopes based upor
Lord Roberts brilliant dash to Kim
berley and Bloemfontein.
Preparations are being made tx
hold Bloemfontein against surprises
Lord Kitchener has been given an i'm
portant duty, being responsible fol
the protection of the railway, Will,
Lord Roberts is waiting for remount'
and winter clothing for the troops
whose thin cotton khaki uniforms ant
boots are worn out.
London, April 1o.-The Times pub
fishes the following from Wepener
dated Sunday. April s: The Wepenel
garrison is practically isolated. How
ever, the lines are enormously strong
and the force is fully provisioned.
Desultory firing between outpost:
continues. A commando estimated a
1000, with four guns. went into laagel
last night five miles from here, in thu
direction of De Vets dorp.
London, April 10.-The Bloemfon
tein correspondent of the Times, teIe
graphing Sunday. says; Two cap
tured Beers agree that only so mer
remained unwounded out of the whole
British column captured at Redders
burg. Gen. Gatacre and his staff were
fired on from enclosures while they
temporarily occupied Reddersburg
Considerable movements of troops
have occurred here with the object Of
preventing a surprise.