Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-04-11
AMBUSHED BY BOERS.
BRITISH CONVOY AND SEVEN
GUNS CAPTURED.
Driven from Position by Hot Shell
Fire Men Retreat Into a Carefully
Prepared Trap and Are Taken, with
Large Casualty List.

The Beers Saturday captured Brit
Is convoy and seven guns. The force
.sFas commanded by Col. Brentwood 1t
consisted Of the Tenth Hassars the
Household cavalry, TO horse batteries
and f9rec Sc counted infantry, under
Col. Pitcher, which was garrisoning Tha
ba N'Chu Friday, but which was obiigeI
10 leave Friday night on account Of the
approach Of large force of Beers.
The British marched to the Bloemfen-
tein water works, south Of the Modder
river, where they cnmped until o'clock
Saturday morning At early dawn the
Beers opened hot shell fire from the
rear. Col. Broadwood sent off the con
voy and batteries, the rest Of the force
remaining as a rear guard The convoy
marched into a carefully prepared am
bush IN a deep spruit, where a strong
force Of Beers was concealed The whole
detachment, together with FIVE guns of
Q and two guns Of U battery, were cap.
tured. Broadwood's report to Lord Rob
erts contains no details, but states that
he lost seven guns and all the baggage,
He estimates his casualties as 800, in
Guiding oyerd 200 missing.
Bushman's Kop, from which place
news comes of the capture Of a British
force and a number of guns is probably
the BoesmaH's nop, which appears on
the British war office map, about fifteen
miles east of Bloemfontein.
Apparently the Beers, strong forces of
whom temporarily evacuated Ladybrand,
turned back, after getting their conveys
into safety, TO attack the small British
force. The news generally further con-
firms the reports that the Beers are fac
ing Lord Roberts and Gen. Methuen, and
that they have greatly recovered their
morale.
The correspondents vary regarding the
value of the battle near Karee Siding,
some claiming that the 200 casualties
were fully recompeused by the clearance
of the road TO Brandfort. Others doubt
this. Gen. Roberts dispatch pro71bly
indicates its value, he stating that it will
prevent marauding on neighboring farms.
Moreover, it opens a further stretch of
railway northward.
A Boer dispatch from Kroonstad says
that Gen. Smrts engaged the British
Thursday at Mafel Kop. south of Brand
fort, and held them at bay for six hours.
The burghers fought well The casual
ties are not known.
A dispatch from Maseru, Basutoland.
says that President Steyn is reported to
be at Ladybrand, urging the burghers to
persist in their resistance to the Brit
ish. He has issued proclamations and
manifestoes against the enemy who has
come to destroy the independence of the
republics.
A Cape Town dispatch says that an ar
my order has been issued abolishing the
title of the Free State railways, and or
dering that hereafter they be known
as imperial military railways.
The correspondent of the London Morn
ing Post, telegraphing from Bloemfon-
TEN, says that the Boer losses in the bat
tie near Karee Siding station ON Fri
day were probably ineonsiderable. The
British battery in The right center was
unable to go into action on account of the
n..ture of the ground The colonel of the
Norfolk regiment had two horses SHOT
from under him.