The Washington weekly post., 1900-04-03
s,r-.,-c.r-re reRAv 10 TIE POST.


s. a. The loss Of seven guns. and con-
.rr near E.oemsontein. Saturday Details
~ fza battle which followed on Sunday
s-s errareI. Gen. Roberts last dispatch.
dated Sunday evening, states that the
r-.r. .rr reported TO have retired from
.-. a.tarworss in the direction Of Thaba
v.a. The Times dispatch, dated Bloem-
.aat..a. April J. says:
-C.l EraalVo1I reported 10 Lord Rob
s-.- ON Friday that he had information
that the Beers are advancing on Thaba
Nrau from the east and he was ordered
q. rlr4t5 his position. Accordingly the
retirement uu BIJcmfontein began at 4
o'clock .n the afternoon. He was forced
Goo a.,ogack Friday night at the Bloem-
,larrtu watcrworks, south of the Modder
River
"At O'Clock saturday morning the con-
v7g with the ,riuspOrt and Two batteries
as horse artillery. resumed the retreat and
sd into an ambush. The Beers had man
r.i q steep dunga half a mile from the
v.terRcrEs and eighteen miles from
IaemaE,ein. Here the whole convoy was
surrounded by rifiemen and machine guns
.HI large portion OF IL was compelled 10
surrender The remainder burst OUT with
t.. guns. bat seven were left in the hands
n b. Beers.
ty Roberts Horse.
SATURDAYS Engagement.
The Beers held the waterworks and a
ra.eabor.Hg ridge in considerable force,
t-- at day5reak the ninth division and
mounted infan-ry came out TO Broad
woods assistance from BIoemfont9in, and.
according TO the latest reports, were
p-shiug back the Beers beyond the ridge
and occupying the southern bank, but the
Beers hold the kopjes on the other side.
The whole affair was a flash intended
20 fughten the Free Staters. who are
willing To surrender their arms in accord
alce with Lord Roberts proclamation. II
IS imperative that complete protection
should soon be afforded burghers who are
thus surrendering.
saturday the Beers who followed Col
RroadwoOd from Thaba N'chu again
adopted the tactics which had worked
successfully on previous occasions. They
occupied river bed, masked themselves,
and allowed the convoy TO come right
upon them.
Re-enfaFced by Colyilie.
when Gen. Colville arrived to re-en-
force Col. BToadwoOd with the Ninth Di-
vision, although almost destitute of
mounted men and having marched eight
cen miles. from Bloemfontein, he de-
tsrmiued 10 turn the Boer position by
crossing at a point lower down than that
occupied by the enemy. Accordingly, ne
extended MacDOnald's brigade, the Argyll
ana Sutherland Highlanders. and the
@ark Watch leading, and the Seaforth
supporting. In this order the brigade ad-
N,nced against the main drift. leading to
ih' waterworks. Col. Martyrs, with the
mounted infantry, who was severely en-
gagged with the enemy all day en- the left.
pushed forward on the front TO clear the
way for Gen. Smith Dorrien's brigade,
extended similarly to MacpOnald's Ad-
raRtEg over the rolling veldt leading
Gown The valley of the Modder. Smith
b'rrien's brigade attempted anofber
uili,' which turned the enemy's original
Position. In this advance the Gordons
iAl N"rnwalls led, with the Shropshires
'-- canadians supporting.
Battery Wrongly Placed.
For some reason Lieut.. Col. Flints
|N-rT} was detached at > O'clock tn
-e right where they remained for a con-
s-eEao-e period. shelling at 5000 wards
H-e three Of the enemy's guns placed
- Tie open in the vicinity of Broadwood's
-.4iAimra- Consequently a large force
'le enemy visible on the far side of
,"7 No44er on MacdOnald's front. escaped
'...''"i-ent and fell back slowly as our
.'...''Is advanced. Finally Flint's guns
" ~p d position on rising ground be-
'"4 l"o brlgades and commanding
- -iil.S, but by that time their sun
""0 not needed, as the only resist
'he advance Of our infantry came
guns ATIns sh-apnel at too long
s7f '"s We could see the enemy in
''' ia"Ser at the foot OF the hills
-r.7 o.. ."ern ne Modder River and
-'..-- We could also see them
,rl - '" WITH our convoy 10 the rear. |
-.'''.'H uNOusckeI on the river bank
,-- "sHl awaiting the arrival OF
N1''- iieachs cavalry"
LHier Details of the Ambu.b.
81. A. 'il'''is from later dispatch 10 the |
..-.s s-al tar EOgr Commando which I
-..-'' 'rH. I.wet and a German call
81 -.'.-..aAN. y.tEl.ruvered Col. Broad 4
WHO Dad marched his column /
-...- from Thaba Nchu. camp- /
.'. miles this side of the wafer /
A' ea1 break the Beers opened a 4
, '' -I' as the camp upsaddled and I
'"s pushed o4t toward Bloemfon-
"'- ly tle U and . batteries OF I
...... TIE road leads over a 7
t. CONVEY E.us nullahs and a rail- I
s ...-Efrr under construction .
... ..' a. sac This the enemy oc-
H. . "- ,le wagons dropped into
.. ''.I# diverted them without
.s. .'.. ~..iH % the rear Of the column
e.. .-. convoy L Battery was
g.,. d." point blank range, bat Mai.
r.-. t.l 10 slip away and warn Q .
c..- D.. morse CscOrt later received the
rtl. . aH.Ai and saliGpcd OF The
81 ..r... '-fLrd "a murderOus hre st
( ,-. '-AHe s'Jmpeding the mules of
L...r... l-r drivers OF which had dis
o.. ., .f nfDrr ~ the Beers . bat
g.. f-,.... N about 80 yards and gallantly
ITO save the situation Even
isr.. 'A .nd one officer were left
D.. ,' ..' battery Seeing il was use
l.- F. the officer eXtricated five
,r..-" t.i "a pair Of horses each. The
a.. 70. be through the GORDON 10 the
T.. f--....'A'lHs on the foregoing dispatch.
a. '"'s 10 It's var leader this morning,
g.. s..ms 70 have been some serious
Ira r- .A' Information possessed by
D.tf-. .,'f-'Ii- ~ the Botr movements
lil4- '".'--. b. .s Incredible that a small
|G.es. .'.A have been lott ia the air thir-
'"--e2 sgem The nail army, while