The sun., 1900-01-04
ATTACK MADE ON NOLTENO
The Beers Move Against Place
and Report Says Brisk
Action Follows.
MORE FIGHTING FOR FRENCH
He Sends Word to British War Office
That He VIII Need More Troops
Before He Can Occupy Coles
berg His Victory
Exaggerated.

Sterkstrom. Cape Colony. announces that
the Beers hnvc attacked AIolteno and
that 4 brisk action is il progress.
| Molteno is some 10 miles south of
Stormberg, where General Gatacre met
disaster at the hands Of the Beers. The
| lighting referred to is evidently between
The British under General Gatacre and
the Free Staters who have been operat-
! NJ that vicinity,
! The Bocr forces around Stolmbcrs are
| estimated al GOu1 10 5000 That they /
are giving battle nj Molteno is an indiea-
| ton Of confidence of success on their
| part, FOR Stormberg is a natural fortress,
whose defensive strength exceeds that Of
any position III that locality. Gatacre |
| hus probably .,hout $3.50 men in his eani-
mand.
4 Naanwpoort Cape Colony dispatch !
saws That there i lfist fighting ID the
hills around Colcsbcrs the Bocrs retreat
! Ing slowly after stubborn resistance
The British hold the extreme position to |
i he south and cast. overlooking the town. |
The dispatch adds
THE hills around Colesbcrg are numcr-
Gus, not in ranges, hut IN groups. making
it very difficult to hunt the Boers out.
Sixteen wounded have arrived al Arnn-
del"
From tIis Il is evident that the pre-
dictcd occupation Of Colrsberg has not
been accomplished. while tie Beers
guns, announced 70 have been silcnecd,
are still active.
The war office issues Il dispatch from
General French. dated Jan 3 saying his
position wns The same us on the previous
day. that with small recnforccments he
could disfodge the Beers from Colesberg,
and. in the meantime. he continued ma
neuverng.
Beers Capture a Train.
A dispatch from Rcnsburg, dated Tues
day, Ian. ., says that supply train,
without il locomotive, was set in motion
within the British lines. near Colesberg,
and proceeded so near the Boer position
that it was impossible to recover 1t, and
the British guns therefore destroyed the
trucks. 1t is suspected that this was the
act of traitor.
The supply train, says another dispatch
from Rensburg, ran into broken cul-
, wort and was wrecked. The Beers began
) looting it, and another Rensburg train
was dispatched to the spot in an attempt
, 10 recover the provisions. The Beers
opened fire on the troops and natives ac-
/; companying it, forcing the second train
/, to retreat after several of the natives
I; had been killed.
General Butler continues his night bonn
bardments and patrol surprises. As the
Trgela river is again fordablc and the
. stretchcr bearers have again been at
4 Durham and Pietermnritzburg, there is n
c disposition To believe that the British
E advance will not be long delayed.
5 1t is reported at Durham that the cap
tured German steamer Bundesrath had
on board big guns, so tons Of shells
and $50 trained artillerymen.
4 Sterkstroom dispatch announces that
!. Swanlef, the Boer commandant at Storm
r berg, has died of his wounds.
The Pail Mall Gazette announces that
. Winston Churchill, the newspaper cor
respondent who was captured by the
Beers in Natal and taken to Pretoria,
whence he subsequently escaped and ar
: rived safely at Delagoa Bay, has been
: appointed squadron leader in the South
I African horse.
! Praise For Coloninls.
. The British public is making much Of
Colonel Pitchers battle. Unbounded
tribute is paid TO the prowess of the
Canadians and Australians, and graphic
accounts are published OF the enthusiasm
in Douglas as the victorious troops en-
II tered that place.
A reporter with the flying column says
"The immediate result OF Colonel Pilch
- er's success Is the entire dispersal Of the
+. rebels, who have been governing the
k. country for the past six weeks. After
at Sunnyside was captured the Toronto'
s. occupied the lager for the night ant
e joined the main body the following morn
i. ing. bringing the whole Of the Boer tents
5s wagons and loot and leaving the Corn
walls IN garrison Ut Sunnyside.
"Thc British force then started fo
Douglas, the Torontos bringing UP th'
"a rear in wagons In the afternoon tn
II troops entered the town unopposed an'
~ amid extraordinary scenes. The inhah
70 itaats were overjoycd and crowded abou
/. the soldiers, shaking hands with them
and when they learned that their deliv
y crcrs were Canadians and Australian
~ the enthusiasm became frenzied.
- "Therc were dcafening cheers rs I'll
10 troops traVcrsel the main street, and
i was almost impossible for Them 10 max
SO progress, the crowds being 50 eager {
l9s shake hands with the eolonias.
~ "It appears that the I4anddrost and q
the mounted rebels evacuated the paC
on the previous night. The unmountc
! rebels are reported 70 be intrenched
ier the vicinity, Quantities of ammunitio
- - were captured and destroyed
III 4 dispatch from the NInddcr river iut
mates that the Sunnysidc prisoners WI
lis not be treated as prisoners Of war, b,
ish AS British subjects caught in open T
ay, bellion
g" Az the Modder river camp The condu
~ Of the colonials is greatly admired AZ
all are delighted that they have strnC
lso the first blow On the western fronti
sy, since the hattie of NIagersfontein. Il
believed that the relief Of Kuruman "
pa quickly follow.
sE Canadian Volunteers officers.
- Ottawa, Jan. 3.-Thc list Of Office
for the two western squads of the Sc
ATE pnd Canadian contingent foi. South An
ca has been given out. Commission
ali, Herchmer of the Northwest mounted =
E, lice will command, and Lieutenant Col
y. mel Steele, also ofdhe mounted polio
; - will be second in command. Inspect
,c w. Baker will be adjutant r. W. !
IS; Eustache, Moosomin Northwest, tran
port officer and inspector; J. X. Allen
the mounted police quartermaster.