Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-04-04
EAREE siding Fight,
Roberts Drives the Beers from
Their Kopjes.
ENEMY Tricks TO THE NoRTHwARD

In the Engagement the British Lost Two
Officers and Ten Men Killed. Eight ON
GERS and 100 Men Wounded, and Three
Men Missing-I.ord Roberts Also Re-
ports News from Colonel Badcn-Powell
Up to March 10.
Pretoria, March 29.-General Jou-
bert died Tuesday night at 11:30
o'clock. He had been suffering from
a stomach complaint. The town is
plunged into mourning for the true
patriot, gallant general and upright
and honrable gentleman.
London, April 2.-The war Office
has posted the following dispatch from
Lord Roberts, dated at Bloemfontein,
March 80, evening, concerning an en-.
gagement Thursday with the advance
forces Of the Beers near Brandford:
"Reports point to the enemy's leaving
Branford and proceeding in q norther.
ly direction. The casualties In yester.
days engagement were more numerous
than at first reported: Officers killed,
two; wounded, eight; rank and file
killed, ten; wounded, 159; missing
three"
Stiff Fight with the Boers.
The head of the army of Lord Rob-
erts is now about twenty-one miles
north of Bloemfontein. 1t occupies 9
cluster of hills won from the Beers
after a stiff fight, In which the Brit.
ish lost in killed and wounded several
officers and more than $50 men. Lord
Roberts official report to the secretary
of war dated March 30, 2:25 p. m. is as
follows:
lowing to the activity of the enemy
on our immediate front and their hos.
tile action toward the burghers who
surrendered under the terms of my
proclamation, l found it necessary to
drive them from kOpjes they had 0ccu.
pied near the Karee Siding station, q
few miles south of Branford. The Op.
Grafton was successfully carried out by
the Seventh Crucker's) division, assist.
ed by the First and Third cavalry bri.
gades, under French, and LIE Gallias'
regiment of mounted infantry. The
enemy retreated to Branford and our
troops now hold the kopjes.",
A One-Sidcd Affair.
Even the details of the engagement
at karee Siding station, a few miles
| south of Branford, fail to instill much
interest. It appears to have been a
one-sided affair, although the Beers
stoutly held their ground against q
force three or four times their size for
three hours, when, foreseeing the dan.
ger of the British cavalry envelopinq
their TANKS, the burghers withdrew
In good order on their main body al
Branford, which, according to Lord
Roberts, they seem later to have de
cided to relinQuish with the view
doubtless, of occupying prepared po'
sition further north. There will prob
ably be a general shifting of camps on
the part of the British, the new posi-.
ton being made the base of further
| advance as soon as the railroad IL
repaired.
News from Mafeking.
Lord Roberts reports to the war Of
fee that he had received news from
Colonel Baden-Powell at Mafeking ur
to March 10, when the general health
of the garrison and its spirits were
good, the locally made gun, searchlight
| and ammunition were working we'll
the food holding out well, and the
paper currency which the British com
mander had issued was satisfactory.
From Cape Town 1t is reported tina,
President Steyn has gone to Pretoril
after, according to refugees, issuing ar
order that all British burghers refus
ing to join the Boer armies shall bt
shot. The stories of the refugees
however, are VIGOROUSLY unreliable.
The news from elsewhere is meagre
though the last reports from Natal in
Dictated the speedy clashing of the op
pnsinO armjoo