The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-13
BRITISH LOSSES WERE HEAVY
LORD ROBERTS SO EXPRESSES .
FEAR IN HIS OFFICIAL RE-
PORT TO WAR OFFICE
DEFENDERS OVERWHELMED
many Prisoners Taken by the BoNa
Forces Retnforcements Sent
From Pretoria Failed to
Arrive in Time.

LONDON, July 12-I.ord Roberts -
ports to the war office from Pretoria
under date of July u, as follows.
The enemy. having failed in their ar.
TACK upon our right rear, as mentioned in
our telegram of July 9, made a deter
iiiheo attack upon our right flank yester-
uay and regret to say, succeeded In
capturing NitraFs Mex, which was gar
rlsoned by squadron of scott's Crews
with TWO guns of a battery of the royal
artihery, and five companies of the Lin
colnshire regiment
Inc enemy attacked in superior force.
at dawn, and seizing the hills command
ing the mex, brought heavy gun fire to
pear upon the small garrison.
NltraFs Mex is about eighteen miles
from mere, near where the road crosses
the crocodile river. 1t was held bv us
IN order to maintain road and telegraphio
communication with Rustenburg.
Ihe hghting lasted, more or less
throughout the day, and Immediately nm
receiving information early this morning
OF the enemy's strength, dispatched re-
liihorcements from here under Col Cod
Irey' OF the Kings Own Scottish Border
ers' Before, however, they reached the
spot the garrison had been overpowered
and the guns and greater portion OF
the squadron of the Greys had been can
tured, owing to the horses being shot
also about ninety men of the LINCOLN reg
iment
"A list Of the casualties mas not been
received. but I fear they are heavy.
ANOTHER ATTACK
simultaneously an attack was made
on our outposts near Durdepoort, north
Oh the town. in which the Seventh
dragons werc engaged The regiment
was handled with considerable skill by
Lieut. Col Lowe and kept the enemy In
check until they retired on their snppouts
and would probably have suffered but
slight loss had rot our troops mistaken
some Beers In the bushes for our men.
Smith-Dorrien had small engagement
with the enemy yesterday near Krugcrs-
oorp and inflicted heavy loss on them.
Butler reports that the Beers who
were destroying his line of railway near
Paardekraal were driven off yesterday
after a short action.
Hart reports from Heidelberg that the
surrender1ng of Boer arms and ammu->
milton continues In that district"
OI1TNlOOS FUR BHlI1SH.
LONDON, July 1S-Lord Roberts dis
patch reporting still another unfortunate
occurrence throws a serious light upon
the state of affairs in South Africa.
There has been some comment recently
regarding the virtual absence of progress
by the Immense army under command OF
Lord Roberts, but few could have been
found to believe that the scattered Boers
were able TO infiict such a defeat so near
Pretoria. Instead of the surrender OF all
the remaining Beers being imminent, as
recent kilograms had limited, 1t seems
they have been making concerted at
tempt to surround or recapture Pre-
toria, with so much success that in the
region which was supposed to be paci-
ned, and In which no attack was expect
ed, they succeeded in inficting a serious
defeat and capturing two guns and some
200 men.
1t is evident that Gen. Botha has a.
considerable force, seeing that he is able
to press Lord Roberts lines at a half
dozen points around Pretoria, from the
Springs to the southeast of the city.
northward to Middleburg and Durdepoort,
and thence southwark to Nitral's Mex
and Krugersdorp
Lord Roberts omits to give the name OF
the commander concerned giving rise to
the belief that worse remains to be told
Even If the mishap be not more grave
than his information at present implies,
1T proves that the situation is still serious,
and that there is no possibility or any
troops being spared from South Africa
for China, but, on the contrary, 1t will
still take long time to clear the country
of the Beers.
News has reached London that Lord
Roberts has been suffering from a serious
bowel complaint, and that Lady Roberts
was hurriedly summoned from Bloem-
fonte!n. Lord Roberts, though now bet
ter, is still weak.