Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-12

laagte from three positions widely sep
arated. The troops moved out to re-
connoitre and found the Beers in
strong force and well fortified. A
naval 4.7-inch gun replied to the Beers,
who have again placed Long Tom
in position.
When the Beers commenced Smelling
the British were drilling, and one pri-
vate was killed and another was
wounded before the soldiers were with
drawn from range. Then the naval
brigade opened fire and drew heavy
Boer fusillade and two of the cruiser
Philomels gunners were killed. The
naval men stuck to their positions,
however, and the Beers unmasked six
guns, including a hundred-pounder.
and shells fell in all the British camps.
After three hours bombardment the
Boer fire slackened and the burghers
cleared from a kopje on the right,
when a British shell lit on the spot
occupied by their gun.
Another command was seen moving
toward the British left, apparently
with the intention of aanking them,
but the British shells forced them to
retire. The British advance pickets
were continually sniped, but few casu-
alties have been reported.
In the afternoon the naval brigade
again fired a few shells.
1t is rumored that a body of Beers
has gathered southwest of Glands
laagte with the apparent intention of
cutting the British line of communica-
ton.
Gen. Clery directed to-days opera
lions. Gen. Butler visited Glands
laagte to-day.
LONDON, April 11.-Lord Roberts
wires to the war Office from Bloemfon-
tein under date of April 10, as follows:
"The enemy have been very active
during the past few days. One COM
mando is now on the north bank of the
Orange river, not far from Aliwal
North, while another is attacking
Wepener. The garrison there is hold
ing out bravely and inflicted serious
loss on the Beers. Maj Springs, of
the Cape Mounted Rifles, was killed.
No other casualties have been report
ed as yet. The troops are being moved
up rapidly. A patrol of six men of
the Seventh Dragon Guards, under
Lieut.. Wetherley, which had been re-
ported missing since April Z, has re-
turned safely"
AS the foregoing does not mention
the alleged British reserves on Satur-
day at Meerkatsfontein the Boer tele-
grams are not credited at the war
Office, and they are further discredited
on account of the discrepancies in the
dispatches, as Meerkatsfontein in one
message us located near Brandfort,
and in another it is located southeast
of Bloomfontein, the places being 100
miles apart.
Gen. Gatacre's return to England is
accepted as being in the nature of
recall, though no reason is given for it
and it will be associated in the public
mind with his lack of success. Lord
Roberts criticised his management of
the Stormberg attack and possibly Cat
acres having arrived an hour and
half too late to rescue the Reddersberg
force may have decided his return.
Gen. Rumble, seemingly, succeeds Gen.
Gatacre, and, according to a dispatch
from Bloemfontein, the commanders of
several brigades are about to be
changed.
The Reuter- Telegram Company's
correspondent at Aliwal North, wiring
at $3.50 this morning. says: There is
no further news from Wepener. Too
cloudy to heliograph. More British
troops are arriving"
ALIWAL NORTH, April 10.-The
British loss in the fighting at Wepener
yesterday was II killed and IL wound
ed.
Fighting was resumed to-day. The
British are holding their own.
NEW YORK, April ia dispatch
to the Tribune from London says: The
seventh month of the war in South
Africa opens with reports from Boer
sources of another British disaster II
the news can be trusted, terrible re-
verse has been inflicted upon the Brit
ish arms. According to an official an
nouncemept in Pretoria, battle has
been fought south OF Brandfort, in
which the British suffered a loss of 600
killed and wounded, in addition to 800
captured by the Beers. This intelli-
gence is amply confirmed by the Malls
correspondent on the Boer side, who
reports from Brandfort that Gen. De
Wet, on Saturday, defeated the British
for the third time within a week. the
scene of this last engagement being
Meerkatsfontein.
No confirmation has been received
from British sources of the reverse,
and it wou.i be advisable not at once
~ give TO statements Of British losses
their face value. The presence an