The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-07-05
B0ERS BEATEN
IN TWO FIGHTS
Lord Roberts Reports They
Were "Disc0mfitted."
BURGHERS BEGAN ATTACK
GsquietiBg Reports Regarding the
Hospital Reaches Londoa and Rob-
erts Explains Matter Fully.

Lord Roberts has sent bulletins 10
London of two small fights occurring
oa June 26th and June 9th in which
the Beers were discounted. In dis
patch from Pretoria dated Thursday
he says:
"a small force of mounted troops,
with mounted guns, commanded by
Lieutenant Colonel Dreiper was at
tackled by the enemy under Prefers
and Mel, on the morning of June 26th,
seven miles north of Senekal. They
beat off the enemy and burned their
laagers. Our casualties were three
wounded and ten killed.
"Hunter, temporarily commanding
Ian Hamilton's, made march yester-
day from Heidelberg toward Frankfort
without meeting any opposition.
"The enemy attacked our Roodevai
spruit post on the railway yesterday,
Thursday, but were easily beaten of
by detachment of the Derbyshlre
light infantry, the West Australian
mounted, fifteen FOUNDER and an ar
incurred train.
"Baden-Powell reports the capture
of an Influential Boer named Ray, who
was endeavoring to raise commando
in the Rustinburg district. A patro'
brought in over a hundred rifles.
More than 1000 rifles and 1000 infe-
rior pieces have been taken during the
last few days.
"He states that thirty Beers have
arrived at Rnsteuburg, going to their
homes from Delareys commando. They
would have left before if they had seen
the proclamation which was carefully
withheld by the Boer authority"
Lord Roberts says that Wednesday,
June 9th, was record market day
in Pretoria for Boer farmers selling
produce.
Parties of Beers are still hanging on
General Buller's fanks. F. r. Burn
ham, the American scout, is invalided.
On June goth the war Office cabled
Lord Roberts that disquieting reports
regarding the hosI ital were accumu-
lating, and asked him if anything
could be done, and particularly II
more nurses were needed.
On June 25th Lord Roberts replied,
saying that he did MOI wish to shirk
responsibility or to screen the short
coraings of the medical corps, and he
suggested committee of inquiry. He
said that there had been an abnormal
number of sick at Bloemfontein due
to the exhausting nature of the march
and the terribly unsanitary condition
of the camp at Paardeburg, where the
only water available for drinking flow
ed from the Boer camp higher up,
where the river was crowded with de-
composing animals and also with
number of wounded after the fight on
March 10th.
To improvise accommodations at
Bloemfontein for such a number,
which had become 1900 before he left
Bloemfontein, was no easy task, said
Lord Roberts. No tents we're carried,
and the public buildings had to be
turned into hospitals. In three months
there had been $500 admissions to the
hospitals of patients suffering from
enteric fever, while the deaths num-
bered about ], 80 about 81 per cent,
Lord Roberts observed that he did not
know whether this would be an ab-
normal rate In civil hospitals in peace
times, but if the rate was abnormal it
was due to the exhausted state OF the
men, and not to the neglect OF the
medical corpa