Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1900-01-06
|1HE War IN AERICA
lDVICEs ON CoLESBERC CONFLICTING
zhs oannsnAds Of tadysnish Mach Live
iisr sincs Gen. Joabsrt's Return TO the
1ront--voluntesring Lively In I'm
gland and Scotland.

London, Jan. 4.-There is o com
plete absence Of anything new from
the seat Of war. The report Of the
Boer attack upon Molteno is not yet
confirmed. Apparently Gen. French
holds nothing within five miles Of
Colesberg junction. Ills request for
reinforcements dispels> any present
hope that he will be able to seize one
of the crossings of the Orange river.
Adviccs indicate that the situation
at Colcsberg Is far from satisfactory
to the British. One dispatch says
that the Beers have rctakcn their po-
sition; another, that the Beers mys.
tcriously dccamped after Mondays en-.
gagemcnt, but still hold Colesbcrg.
Still another says that French Monday
night succeeded in occupying n hill
on the Ioer line Of retreat by the
Colesberg wagon bridge, and French
Is expected to take the town. Gen.
French, in the official report, only
claims TO have silenced the Boer guns
and to have cut their line of retreat.
all Of which does not seem to bear
out yesterdays reports that French
had whipped the Beers and driven
them out of the Colesberg stronghold.
Military experts draw the conclu-
sion from these conflicting stories
that French did advance on Colesberg
and shelled the Boer position vigor-
ously, then rested over Monday night,
expecting to occupy the town Tues
day morning, but the Beers secured
reinforcements over night and
strengthened their position, prevent
ing French from effecting its cap.
ture.
A dispatch from Dover farm an
nounces that Lieut.. Col. Pitcher has
returned there safely from Douglas.
Since Commander General Joubert's
return to the front the cannonade of
Ladysmith by the Beers has been
much livelier. Between December IS
and December 90 four shells killed
one officer and 10 men and wounded
Id OtNCtTS uIu II iith.
The war Office acknowledges the in
feriority of the regular artillery by
authorizing the equipment Of the
new battery attached TO the London
volunteer corps with Vickers and
Maxims, some of which the Boers
use. and by ordering 100 OF these
12h-pounder quick-firers built i'm.
mediately. The officers and men OF
the new battery will be supplied
from the Honorable Artillery com
pany.
Eight additional militia regiments
have been called out. Seven of these
will serve in ireland, replacing the
regulars sent to South Africa.
All parts of England and Scotland
report lively volunteering. a leading
feature being the great sums raised
by private subscription for volunteer
equipment. Some of the counties
have given sums as high rs 100000
1t is computed that the provinces
have already raised nearly e6OO,OOo
while London is raising e1?o,0Oo for
the city corps.
Invading Force. Meet Mt CyrhorGat
Stcrkstroom, Jan. 4.-Gen. Gatacrc
yesterday met the invading forces nj
Cyphergat, near the British advance
camp ut Bushmanshoek. The Bocrs
retired hurriedly shortly after the
British artillery opened fire. The
enemy occupied Molteno and CIPHER
gat yesterday, but the latter place is
now reoccupicd by the British.