Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1900-01-03
Beers Stubbornly Resist but
Gradually Retire. Butler Con-
tInues Bombardments.
COLONlALs ARE IN EVIDENCE
Canadian and Australian Troops
Drive the Burehers Be-
fore Them.

Naauwport, Cape Colony, Jan. 3
There was brisk fighting today in the
hills around Colesburg. The Beers
stubbornly resisted the British at ev-
cry point, but gradually retreated. The
pritish held an extreme position to
tie south and the east overlooking the
town.
London, Jan. 3--Lacking news from
the main British camps in South AZ
RIGA, whose future action can alone
have an important effect on the larger
issues In the campaign. the British
rublic is making the most Of Col.
Pitchers miniature battle. Unbound
ed tribute is paid to the prowess of
Canadians and Australians and graph
ic accounts are published of the
enthusiasm of Douglass as the vic
torious troops entered. A represent
ative of the Associated Press with the
Flying Column says: The immediate
result of Col. Pitchers success Is the
entire dispersal of the rebels, who
have been governing the country for
The past six weeks. After Sunnyside
~as captured, the Torontos occupied
the whole of the Beers tents, wagons
and loot and leaving Cornwalls in gar
r.son at Sunnyside.
The British force then started for
Douglas, the Torontos bringing up the
ear in wagons. In the afternoon
troops entered town unopposed amid
extraordinary scenes. The inhabi-
tants were overjoyed, and crowded
about the soldiers, shaking hands with
them and when they learned their de-
liverers were Canadians and Austria
lians the enthusiasm became frenzied.
There were deafening cheers as the
troops traversed the main street and
It was almost impossible for them to
make progress, the crowds being so
eager to shake hands. with the colon
ials 1t appears that Landrost and
all the mounted rebels evacuated the
place the previous night Unmounted
rcbels are reported intrenched in the
vicinity. Quantities of ammunition
were captured and destroyed. A dis
patch from the Modder River inti-
mates that the Sunnyside prisoners
win not be treated as prisoners of
war, but as British subjects, caught in
open rebellion. At the Modder River
camp the conduct of the colonel of the
Colonials is greatly admired and all
were delighted that they had struck
The first blow on the western frontier
since the battle of Magersfontein. It's
believed that the relief Of Kurumar
will quickly follow.
The latest advices from the Coles
berg district tend to modify the esti-
mate of French's success. The pre-
Jlfcted occupation of Colesberg ha(
not been accomplished last evening
while the Beers guns, ANNOUNCED tt
have been silenced, were still active
sehe war office, this afternoon, ISSUED
"a dispatch received from Genera
French under yesterdays date, say
sirg that his position was the same a!
on the previous day, that with small
rcinforcements he could dislodge tn,
Beers from Colesbefg and meantim,
he continued manoeuvering. The hill
around Colesberg are numerous, no
in ranges, but in groups, making i
very difficult to hunt the Beers out
Sixteen wounded have arrived a
Arundel.
London, Jan. 3-General Butler con
tirues the night bombardments an,
patrol surprises. AS the Tugel
river is again fordable, and stretche
bearers have again been requisitione,
st Durham and Pietermaritzbure
there is a disposition to believe tina
British advance will not be long de
iayed. It is reported at Durham tha
the captured German steamer Bur
desrath, had on board five big guns
fifty tons of shells and 1870 traine
artillerymen. Nothing further ha
been heard from Moulteno, which wa
reported from Sterkstroom to hav
been attacked by the Beers this morr
ing As far as known here, there
only small force there. A dispatcl
fiom Sterkstroom announces tina
Swanelef, the Boer commander of tn
commandant at Stormberg, had die
Of his wounds.
Special from Rensberg, dated jar
nary 2, says supply train without
locomotive was set in molten With
the British lines near Colesberg. an
proceeded so near the Boer positio
that it was impossible to recover 4
and British guns destroyed the truck
Tt is suspected that this was the act {
traitor The total British casual
ties about Colesberg, in two day
we're six men killed. and twent
wounded.
London. Jan. IA supply trail
says another dispatch from Rem
ferg, ran into a broken culvert, an
was wrecked. The Beers began loo
ing it. Another Rensberg train ws
dispatched to the scene in the emo
to recover the provisions. The Boei
opened fire on the troops and NATIVE
accompanying It, forcing the secor
train to retreat after several nativl
had been killed.
London, Jan. SILT is reported tn