Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-04-04
KAREE siding fight.
Roberts Drives the Beers from
Their kopjes.
ENEMY Tricks TO THE NoRTHwARD

I'm the Engagement the British Lost Two
Oficers and Ten Men Killed. Eight on
GERS and I59 Men Wounded, and Three
Men Missing--Iord Roberts Also Re.
ports News from Colonel Baden-Powell
Up to March 10.
Pretoria, March 29.-General Jou-
Bert died Tuesday night at 11:30
n'clock. He had been suffering from
. 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
mas 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 Brandf0rd:
Reports point to the enemy's leaving
Branford and proceeding in norther.
~ direction. The casualties In yester.
says engagement were more numerous
AhAn at first reported: Officers killed,
&wO; wounded, eight; rank and file.
Killed. ten; wounded, 159; missing,
three"
Stiff Fight with the Beers.
The head of the army OF Lord Rob-
erts is now about twenty-one miles
north of Bloemfontein. 1t occupies q
cluster of hills won from the Beers
after a stiff fight, In which the Brit.
fish lost In killed and wounded several
officers and more than $50 men. Lord
Roberts official report to the secretary
Of war dated March 80 2:25 d. IN. 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 1t necessary to
drive them from kopjes they had occu.
pied near the Karee Siding station, q
Jew miles south of Branford. The Op-
Grafton was successfully carried out by
the Seventh (Tucker's) division, assist
I'd by the First and Third cavalry bril-
gades, under French, and LIE Gallias'
regiment of mounted infantry. The
enemy retreated to Branford and our
toops now hold the kopjes."
A One-Sided Affair.
Even the details of the engagement
NJ Karee Siding station, few miles
s0uth Of Branford, fail to instill much
interest 1t appears to have been q
sne-sided affair. although the Beers
stOutly held their ground against a
force three or four times their size for
three hours, when, foreseeing the dan
Ger OF the British cavalry envelOping
their TANKS, the burghers withdrew
= good order on their main body at
BranfOrd, which. according to Lord
Roberts, they seem later to have de-
cided to relinquish with the view,
doubtless, of occupying prepared po-
nltion further north. There will prob
ably be 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 is
repaired.
News from Mafeking.
Lord Roberts reports to the war Of
nee that he had received news from
Colonel Baden-P Powell at Mafeking up
- March 10. when the general health
Of the garrison and its spirits were
good, the locally made gun, searchlight
and ammunition were working well.
the food holding out well, and the
paper currency which the British COM
mander had issued was satisfactory.
From Cape Town it Is reported that
President Steyn has gone to Pretoria
after, according to refugees, issuing an
order that all British burghers refus-
ing to join the Boer armies shall be
shot. The stories of the refugees,
however. are VIGOROUSLY unreliable.
The news from elsewhere Is meagre,
though the last reports from Natal In.
dicated the speedy clashing of the OPP
posing armies.