The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1900-04-05
FOUGHT BRAVELY
Beers at Karee Held in Check
Several Times Their Own
Number
And Then Retired in Good Order,
British Losing Nearly Two
a> Hundred.
T>.1yS~ Natal I~Ic
Late Reports From Natal Ind
cate q Speedy Clash Of
= Forces There.

KRooNsrADr, Orange Free State.
March 3O.-General Smutz today en-
gagged the British at Mafetkop, south OF
Brandfort, and held them at bay for six
hours. The burghers fought well. The
casualties are unknown.
The Free State raad viii assemble at
Kroonstadt, April 2.
LONDON, April alias a. m.-The
war Office has posted the following dis.
patch from Lord Roberts, dated at
Bloemfontein, March 80, evening.
Reports point to the enemy's leaving
Brandfort and proceeding in a northerly
direction. The casualties in yesterday IS
engagement were more numerous than
at first reported: -|@-'
Officers killed Q, wounded s; rank and
file killed 10 (query 1922, wounded 1859;
missing s." .l..
LONDON, April 2.-The war Office
has issued the following from Lord
Roberts:
"Bloemfontein, March 3O.-Owing to
the activity of the enemy on our imme-
date front and their hostile action
towards the burghers who surrendered
under the terms of my proclamation, I
found it necessary to drive them from
some kopjes they had occupied near the
Karee Siding station, few miles south
of Brandfort. The operation was suc-
cessfully carried out by the Seventh
(Tucker's) division, assisted by the
First and Third cavalry brigades, under
French, and LIE Calais regiment Of
mounted infantry. The enemy re-
hold the kopjes. Our casualties were:
Scottish Borderers-K Killed, Captain
Going; wounded, Captains Sellar,
Lizard, PEBBLES, Curgonven and Ed
wards; Leutenants Coulson and French
and about 100 rank and file.
LONDON, April 2.-Even the details
of the engagement at Karee Siding sta
ton, a few miles south of Brandfort,
fail to instill much interest. 1t appears
to have been one-sided affair, although
the Beers stoutly held their ground
against force three or four times their
size for three hours when, foreseeing
the danger of the British cavalry envel-
oping their tanks, the burghers with
drew in good order on their main body
at Brandfort, which according to Lord
Roberts, they seem later to have de-
cided to relinquish with the view,
doubtless of occupying prepared posi-
ton further north. There will proba-
bly, be general shifting Of camps on
the part of the British, the new position
being made the base of a further adj
vance as soon rs the railroad is repaired.
Lord Roberts has reported to the war
Office that he had received news from
Colonel Baden-PoweIl, at Mafeking, up
to 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 was holding out well, and the
paper currency which the British COM
mander had issued was satisfactory.
At Cape Town, it is reported that
President Steyn has gone to Pretoria,
after, according to refugees, issuing an
order that all British bnrghers refusing
to join the Boer armies shall be shot.
The stories of refugees, however, are
notoriously unreliable.
The news from elsewhere is meagre,
though the last reports from Natal indi-'
Gated the speedy clashing Of the oppos-
ing armies.