Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-12-22
DISASTER TO BRITISH
kTcHENsR's FORCES SUFFER HEAVY
LOSSES.
One Hundred nnd Twenty of nra-
bant's Horse snpsured la One En-
9aEemens With noers--Four Com-
panies OF Fussliers In Another.

bant's Horse Captured In One En-
| gasement with Hoers--Four Com-
panies OF Tussliers In Another.
/ Recent heavy losses by the British IN
South Africa have renewed interest in
the Boer war.
Lord Kitchener is reported to have sent
a fresh and urgent request 70 the govern
mcnt 10 send out every available mount
ed man. With General he Wet again
escaping through the British Gordon la
the neighborhood OF rhahanehu. the ser-
ons affairs at vryheid and xastron and
the Magaliesberg disaster confronting
the British people. they may web begin TO
ask, as they dc. why Lord Roberts is
! allowed to come home.
General Knox has had TO abandon alb
ruptly the pursuit of the elusive De Wet
and turn his attention to the burghers
who have crossed the Orange river Ia
numbers now estimated TO be 5000. Many
of them have already reached Phillips
| town, 40 miles over the Cape border The
siege of that town seems to be in pros
pect
The colonial office announces it's deci-
sion TO enlist 5000 men instead Of the
1000 previously asked to be recruited
in Great Britain for General Baden
PowelIs constabuiary, which shows that
recruiting in South Africa is less active
| than had been anticipated.
Dispatches from Isourenco MARQUES as
sert that all the Boer forces are plenti-
fully supplied with ammunition, but ter
ribly la want Of food and clothing.
The following dispatch has been re-
ceived by the war Office from Lord
Kitchener, dated Pretoria, Dec. IS:
/ Five officers and 316 men, Magalies-
berg prisoners, have been released.
THE Beers surrounded and captured
100 of Brabant's horse ia II defile in the
Zastron district.
Colonel Bloomfield moving ON yry-
held, defeated the Beers with heavy
loss, driving them from Scheeper's mex
and capturing a quantity Of arms. The
Scheeper's mex movement occurred on
i Dec. 49,
THE Beers who attacked Vryheid on
Dec. 10 lost 100 killed and wounded be-
fore they retired The fighting lasted
all day. the enemy drawing off at 80 p.
IN. The British loss was 6 killed. 10
wounded and 80 missing. Our casual
ties include two officers who died from
their wounds"
Lord Kitchener, after announcing that
the released Magaliesberg prisoners had
arrived in Rustenberg says that the
Boer force divided into two detachmcnts,
one moving south and the other west.
The MegatIesherK AFFAIR.
& The sfagaesbyrg affair is described as
i follows In l.ySatea. 10 The Standard
! from Rietfontein:
"'The scene of the engagement was a
. horseshoe shaped depression. The North
: umberlands occupied the center. General
r Clements camp was pitched 1000 yards
] lower down at the eastern point of the
! horseshoe, and Colonel Legge's camp was
I about 800 yards distant.
t General Delarey's 1000 men, against
whom General Clements had fought re-
t peated actions. were suddenly, unknown
. to General Clements, re-cnforced by 1900
G men from Warm Baths under Command
: ant Boyers. AT daybreak Colonel Legge's
picket deserted what seemed fresh force
of British troops 80 yards distant. The
strangers were challenged. They replied
E with yoley. revealing 400 Beers in
J khaki. The firing became heavy, and
e the noise aroused Colonel Legges troops,
$ who arrived just in time to save the out
: posts from capture.
"A furious engagement ensued. Artl-
Y Iery was brought up, and it compelled the
2 | ing up the withdrawal, was shot dead by
!. bullet through the head.
5 General Clements and his staff soon
e arrived The staff suffered severely, but
: General Clements appeared to have a
charmed life.
e while mounted men were driving the
E enemy back along slope covered thickly
E with Boer dead deafening rifle fire sud
7 denly broke on the plateau above. The
signalers photographed that the Northum-
berlands were being attacked. General
Clements convinced that they would cas-
. lily hold their own. disposed the remain
der of his forces on the TANKS and rear
; Of his two camps.
SAT 4:30 a. IN. Photograph from the
western peak announced that the Beers
were about to overwhelm the fusilers.
General Clements was unable to send adj
equate help, but dispatched yeomanry to
climb the precipitous hillside and create
a diversion. Before the yeomanry could
come into action she Beers had overlap
: ped the northumberland and were in
} possession OF the entire horseshoe, firing
down on the yeomanry entangled in the
bushes and powders.
'The observation-disclosures made mag
nifcent defense as long as their ammuni-
ton lasted According 10 the bOer ac-
/, count, many even when resistance was
hopeless died fighting.
General Clements, now left with 100
men, made superhuman efforts against
the bullets from the Beers pouring over
the peaks and managed to save his guns
and the camp equipment. He retired in
splendid order and at 4 p.' IN. started to
march TO Bloemfonten, fighting a rear
guard action all the way and arriving the
next day at p. M"
A dispatch from Krugersdorp, Trans
vaal dated Sunday, says:
"a pitched battle is imminent between
the British under General Clements, who
has been re-enforced. and the Beers un-
der General Delary."
Death From "A Tarantuia Bite.
William c. Grifiing. 80 years old, has