New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-12-17
BRITISH PRISONERS RELEASED.
BoERs SUFFER HEAVILY IN THE ATTACK
ON VRYHEID.

ON VRYHEID.
London. Dec. 1.-THE following dispatch has
been received by the War Office from Lord
Kitchener:
Pretoria, December 10.
Five officers and 316 men, Magaliesberg pris-
one-s, have been released.
The Beers surrounded and captured 100 Of
Brabant's Horse in defe in the Zastron Dis
trict
Colonel Bloomfield moving on Vryheid. de-
feated the Beers with heavy loss. driving them
from Scheeper's Mex and capturing quantity
of arms. The Scheeper's Mex movement oc-
CURED on December 13
The Beers who attacked Vryheid on December
10 lost one hundred killed and wounded before
enemy drawing off at 7:30 p. m. The British
loss was six killed. nineteen wounded and thirty
missing Our casualties included two officers
who died Of their wounds.
Telegraphing from Pretoria yesterday. Lord
Kitchener. after announcing that the released
Magaliesberg prisoners have arrived at Rusten-
berg. says that the Boer force divided into two
portions. moving south and the other west.
Lord Methuen. according to another dispatch
from Lord Kitchener, dated yesterday, attacked
and captured Boer laager near Lichtenburg,
Transvaal, December IA. securing large supplies
of cattle and sheep and a considerable quantity
OF ammunition.
The Magaliesberg affair is described as follows
in a dispatch TO The Standard" from Riet-
fonten:
The scene of the engagement was horseshoe
shaped depression. The Northumberlands occu-
pied the centre General Clements's camp was
pitched 1000 yards lower down, at the eastern
point OF the horseshoe, and Colonel Legge's camp
was about eight hundred yards distant.
General Delarey's 1000 men. against whom
General Clements had fought repeated actions.
were suddenly. unknown to General Clements,
reinforced by 5000 men from Warm Baths, un-
der Commandant Beyers. At daybreak Colonel
Legge's picket deserted what seemed fresh
force of British troops eighty yards distant
The strangers were challenged. They replied
with a voley, revealing 400 Beers in khaki. The
firing became heavy. and the noise aroused
Colonel Legge's troops who arrived just in time
TO save the outposts from capture.
A furious engagement ensued. Artillery
brought up, and it compelled the Beers TO
tire. Colonel Legge. following up the with
drawal, was shot dead by bullet through his
head.
General Clements and his staff soon arrived.
The staff suffered severely but General Glenn
ents appeared 10 have charmed life
While mounted men were driving the enemy
back along a slope covered thickly with Boer
dead a deafening rifle fire suddenly broke on
the plateau above The signallers photographed
that the Northumberlands were being attacked.
General Clements, convinced that they would
easily hold their own, disposed the remainder
oe his forces on the fanks and rear of his two
camps.
At 4:3O a. m heliograph from the western
peak announced that the Beers about TO
Overwhelm the Fusers. General Clements was
unable TO send adequate help, but dispatched
ASOiildLAAg " Cli4llD lle HulSluc anu
created diversion Before the Yeomanry could
come into action the Beers had overlapped the
Northumberlands and were in possession OF the
entire horseshoe, firing down the Yeomanry,
entangled in the bushes and boulders.
The Northumberlands made a magnificent de-
fence so long as their ammunition lasted. Ac
cording to the BOer account many, even when
resistance was hopeless. died lighting.
General Clements. now left with 700 men,
made superhuman efforts against the bullets
from the Beers pouring over the peaks, and
managed to save his guns and the camp equip,
ment. He retired in splendid order. and at 4
p. m. started to march TO Rietfontein, fighting
rearguard action all the way, and arriving the
next day at a m.