The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-13

4 force mas given rise to n hope that
General Methuen will shortly be ena-
bled to make a successful attack re-
sulting in the relief Of Kimberley,
while the gradually thinning forces
surrounding Mafeking will altogether
melt away.
Sir John Gordon Sprigg, the former
| premier of Cape Colony, has cabled to
Mr.. Chamberlain, the ~olonial secre-
| tary. in behalf OF the i~mperialists of
| Cape Colony, congratulating him on
! the governments overwhelming ma
| iority in the house of commons and
! declaring the governments policy, if
steadfastly pursued, would secure
| South Africa under British supremacy
! permanent prosperity.
Modder River, February General
Macdonald maintains his position at
Koodoesberg drift. His movement has
evidently disconnected the Beers and
; at the same time safeguards the op-
erations of a portion OF the Belmont
garrison in the direction of Douglas,
where there are still a few Beers. The
British ual till now are two men.
The Ninth Lancers made several at
temptS TO draw out the Beers, but were
unsuccessful The British hold the
highest portion OF the kopje, the Beers
position being on the lowest portion.
Owing TO the steepness of the southern
slope of the kopje it is impossible to
mount artillery. The usual daily she'll
ing here continues.
The utposts report that the Beers
are making advanced trenches in the
open plain in front of Magersfontein
drift, presumably to prevent he Brit
lSh field ARTILLERY from approaching
within range of their positions.
Rensburg, FEBRUARY S.-The Beers
position was vigorously shelled with
Lyddite for an hour early this morn
ing, eastward from opposite Singer
font6in and westward from the top at
Coles kop, a ~15-pounder Shrapnel gun
paying special attention to the sites of
the Beers guns, which have been I'M
usually active lately. The Beers hold
a position half way on the direct road
between Rensburg and Colesberg. They
shelled Porters hill yesterday inef-
f~ectually.
TUESDAYS FIGHTING.
London, February 9.-The Daily Tel
egraph has received the following dis
patch, dated Tuesday, February 9Th,
from Spearman's camp:
This is the second day of the bat
tie and the fighting has been fiercer
than it was yesterday. At dawn the
Beers began the action by Smelling our
bivouac with their Long Tom" and
pOmpOn guns from Dorm kloof. Their
6-inch shells fell near the spot where
General Butler and his staff were
watching the engagement. One shell
burst amid a squadron of the Thir-
tenth Hussars, bat not a soul was
touched.
Our guns from Zwart's kop and on
the plain soon silenced the enemy's ar
tillery, but repeatedly the Beers
brought back their guns, popped them
into work over the hills, fired a few
rounds and then again changed their
position.
During the morning our gunners
srrnaaalal in hlnu-ino nm tho ananny'e
ammunition wagon upon Dorm kloof.
General Lyttleton's brigade was shot
at from three sides and had a warm
time upon VaalkrantZ.
Desperate efforts were made by the
Beers to recover the smoking hill. The
Durham Light Infantry, the Kings
Royal Rifles and the Scottish Rifles
CALAMITY charged and cleared the po-
sition. General Kildyard's brigade re-
lieved General Lyttleton's brigade to-
ward sunset.
Fighting continued until 9 o'clock.
Several prisoners have been aiken.
They declare that the Beers yesterday
lost heavily. The enemy suffered Sc
verely today. 1t is reported that
among their dead in the trenches arm
ed kafirS were found"
BOERS IN ZULULAND.
Durham, February S.-A large force
III IotlS @NcA Gil III %bA
land. destroyed the public buildings
and took numerous prisoners. A force
of volunteers with artillery has beer
dispatched there to support the scouts
and to oppose a further advance by
the Beers.
London, February "A dispatch tc
The Morning Post from Ladysmith
dated Tuesday February 9Th, says:
Little can be seen of General Bull
: ler's action, owing to the haze 1t ap-
pears that the Beers have withdraw
their big guns from the hills here
, \ large force of Boer:
!, still remains, and the garrison is pre-,
, pared for a night attack"
r London, February S.-General Butler
l has cabled to the war office that thu
approximate British casualties in tn,
> fighting at POtgieter's drift up to moor
Tuesday are: Officers, 2 killed and i
| wounded; non-comnissioned officer:
: and men, 216 killed and wounded.
! The officers killed were Major John.
E son-Smyth and Lieutenant Shafto
= both of the Durham Light Infantry.
The officers wounded include Colone
4 Fitzgerald. of the Durham Light In
= fantry, and Colonel A. J. Montgomery
S of the Royal Artillery, and Lieutenan
Y Sir T. A. A. Cunninghame, of tn
Rifle Brigade.
\ dispatch to The London Time
from Spearman's Camp says that whel
= the Durhams reached the top of Vaal
krantz ''over fifty of the enemy VIII
i were still defending the position fled
V and more than half these were arm
e ed natives"
= A cable dispatch from Spearman'
= Camp, under today's date, says: "Bul
= Ter holds his position. Relief is Ger
e tain"
Clinton Democrat: DR.. F. H. Holme
It suffered an attack of acute indiges
: ton while driving in from a profes