The Washington weekly post., 1900-04-03
LORD ROBERTS, DISPATCHES,
oihciai Reports of the Disasfer-Number oi
Guns LOST Given : Seven

y -
! London, April 2.-The war Office has re-
celVed a dispatch from Lord Roberts,
dated at Bloemfontein, Sunday. April 1,
/ b:lo D. m, in which he gives a partial list
OF the missing British officers OF O Bat
terry. four officers were wounded. two of
whom are missing. One gunner was kill
ed, and forty non-cOmmissioned officers
/ ana men are wounded or missing Lord
/ Roberts then continues:
In the L Battery all are missing EXCEPT
MAJ Taylor and a sergeant-major. The
cavalry regiments did not suffer so much.
A report has just come in that the enc
my has retired toward Ladybrand, leav-
ing twelve wounded officers and some sew
enty men at the waterworks. We are now
sending an ambulance for them"
In previous dispatch, dated April /,
Lord Roberts says:
i received news late yesterday after
noon from Col Broadwood. who was at
Ihaba Nchu, thirty-eight miles east of
here, that Information had reached him
that the enemy was approaching in two
forces. from the north and the east. He
, stated that if the report proved true he
would retire toward the waterworks. sew
enteen miles nearer Bloemfontein. where
| try for the protection of the works.
"BroadwoOd was told in reply that the
| Ninth Division, with Martyrs Mounted
/ Infantry, would march at daylight to-day
/ 10 support him, ana that if he consij-
cred it necessary he should retire from
the waterworks. He, moved there during
the night and bivouacked. At dawn to-
day he was shelled by the enemy, who
attacked A fhraa sides IL I;,,
dispatched two horse artillery batteries
and his baggage toward Bloemfontein,
covering some of them with his cavalry.
Some two miles from the waterworks
the road crosses a deep nullah, or Spruit
in which during the night a force of Beers
had concealed themselves. So Well were
they hidden that our leading scouts
passed over the drift without discovering
them, ana II was not until the wagons
and guns were entering the drift that the
Beers showed themselves and opened FIRE
Many of the drivers or the artillery horses
were Immediately shot down DIT snort
range, and several of the guns were can
tured. The remainder gallOped away, COW
cred by Roberts horse. which suffered
heavily.
Meanwhile Lieut.. Chestermasters. of
Rimingtoa's Scouts. found a passage
iny, By which the remainder of Broad
wood force crossed. They reformed with
great steadiness, notwithstanding all that
had previously occurred.
"Broadwood's report, which has Just
reached ne, and which contains no de-
tails, stated that he had lost seven guns
and all his baggage. He estimates all his
casualties al about $50, including 2OO miss
ing.
"On hearing this morning that Broad
wood was hard pressed, | Immediately or
Gered Gen. French, with two remaining
cavalry bTigalPS. TO follow in SllDDOrT of
the Ninth Division. The latter. after a
magnificent march. arrived on the scene
of action shortly after p. m.
''BTOadwOOd's force consisted of the
Royal Household Cavalry, the Tenth Hus-
s6rs, q and l. Batteries of the Royal
Horse Artillery. and Pitchers battalion Of
mounted infantry.
THE strength of the enemy is estimat-
ed at from $500 TO lG0O0, with guns, the
number of which is not yet reported