Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1901-09-27
english SCOUTS CAPTURED
BRITISH LOSING HEAVILY
Kitcheaer Tells About Receut Engage
ments-One Boer Commando Suffers d
Big Loss -His Attempt to Gross the
Orange River Was q Faflure-Liet OF
Killed and wounded.

London, Sept. 23.-The war Office
has received the following from Lord
Kitchener:
"Kritzinger, while endeavoring to
force a passage of the Orange river
near Herchel at o'clock Friday morn
ing, rushed the camp of party of
Lovatt's scouts. He failed to cross
the river, but the scouts lost heavily.
Lieutent Colonel Murray and Captain
Murray, his adjutant were killed.
Teeply regret the loss of Colonel Mur,
ray, who throughout the war had led
I.ovatt's scouts with great gallantry.
under cover Of darkness the Beers
managed to carry off gun. They
we're promptly followed up and the
gun was recovered in a smart engage
ment in which Kritzinger lost two
killed and 20 taken prisoners"
Lord Kitchener also reports that the
British captured by the Beers in the
ambush near Scheeper's Mex, Septem-
her II, have been released, and that
the British casualties in the recent
Slakfontein engagement when the
Beers captured a company Of mounted
infantry and two guns, were one officer
end five men killed. 70 men wounded
and six officers and 109 men taken
prisoners have since been released.
He further reports the capture Of
SIS men under Commandant Kochs
who were taken together with their
trox, arf 81 AHnnhtrr ond
the other, consisting of 81 men, includ-
ing ]. p. Botha, who were taken with
Az wagons and their belongings As
miles southeast of Carolina.
Lord Kitchener's latest dispatches,
although they contain good news as
well as bad, have done little to reas-
sure the public concerning the state Of
affairs. The loss Of Lieutenant Col
onel Murray, brother Of Lord Mans
field, is keenly felt. There is little
doubt that further details will show 1t
was a serious affair.
Lord Kitchener announces that the
Buffalo river is flooded and that there
is no change in the situation in Natal.
The latter fact shows that General
I-yttleton has not yet succeeded in
Interfering with the movements of
General Botha. p. ]. Botha, whose
capture Lord Kitchener reports. is a
brother Of the Boer commandant.
According to the latest advices from
Cape Colony, the situation there is
serious. owing TO the sympathy and
aid which the Dutch are giving the
Roer commanders. The British find
it difficult to obtain news of Boer
movements. General French's task is
described SIS the hardest allotted him
during the whole war.
At Pretoria the strength of the Beers
in the field is now estimated at II, 900.
II these figures be correct the Beers
must be constantly gaining recruits.
Their supply of arms and ammunition
seems to be inexhaustible.
In Boer circles in Holland 1t is as
serted that everything is prepared for
a Dutch uprising in both Cape Colony
and Natal. A most alarmist letter
from Cape Town is published today
by the Daily Express. The writer
says: 'The Beers are overrunning
Cape Colony. They are on both the
coast lines and within 40 miles of
Cape Town. Even the intelligence de-
partment does not know how many
colonial rebels have taken up arms in
the last fortnight.
The town guard of Cape Town has
been ordered to hand in the magazine
rifles and ammunition. ostensibly be
cause they are wanted at the front
Martins have been served out in.
stead"
In conclusion the writer declares
that the Dutch element in the colony
Is In revolt and it is useless to dis.
guise the fact.