The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-11-04
b0ERS DISPLAY
GREAT BRAVERY
Charge the British Lines
Repeatedly and Lose
Heavily.
Botha Personally Directs the
Attack Upon Colonel Ben
sons Command.

PRETORIA. Nov. 3.-Further details
have been received regarding the attack
by the Beers under the command of Gen.
eral Botha last week on Colonel Benson
command near Brakenlaagte, Eastern
Transvaal. 1t appears that General Bo.
tina, who had been Joined by another big
commando, aggregating 1000 men, attack.
ed Colonel Bensons rear guard on October
80 on the march and captured two guns
but was unable to keep them.
Colonel Besnon fell MORALLY wounded
early in the fight. Major Wools- Sampson
took command, collected the convoy and
| took up position for defense about 1O(
yards from entertainments prepared by
the Beers. The captured guns were Sc
situated that neither side could touch
them.
The Beers made desperate efforts to
overwhelm the whole British force, charg-
ing repeatedly right up to the British lines
and being driven back each time with
heavy loss. The defense was stubbornIy
and successfully maintained through the
whole of the following day and the next
night, until Colonel Barter, who had
marched all night from Bushaman's kop-
je, brought relief on the morning of No
vember l.
The Beers then retired. Their losses are
estimated at between 300 and AGO. Colonel
Benson did not long survive.
Not only did General Botha direct the
attack, as already cabled, but he person
ally shared in the fighting.
Beers Charge During Storm.
LONDON, Nov. 4.-The special dis
patches from South Africa reveal practi-
cally nothing further about the disaster
to Colonel Benson's column. 1t appears
that the first attack was made in a blind
ing rainstorm.
The heaviest casualties occurred while
Major Wools-Sa mpson, who is a johann
nesburg reformer and an officer in one OF
the colonial levies, was gathering the
convoy under the brow Of hill-a most
difficult task.
fifteen-pounders remained in possession of
the British, but the kilograms are not
clear on this point.
Edgar Wallace, correspondent of the
Daily Mall writing from Pretoria on
October II, again protests against official
optimism and declares that the war will
not be ended for another year. He urges
the immediate dispatch of large REIN
forcements of both men and horses.
Even when all that is possible has
been done in this direction, he says, ''it
will be necessary to wait grim.y and not
to expect any quick result"
Pro-Boers Attacked by Mob.
A riotous scene occurred yesterday in
fecknam, a SuDuTD Oh LOnQOn. A small
gathering of the local branch of the
Democratic League undertook to hold a
meeting to protest against the war In
South Africa. The manifestationers start
ed in procession for the place of meeting
but were hooted, buffeted and dispersed.
A crowd estimated at 10000 gathered to
oppose them. There were many ugly
rushes and the police were barely able to
protect the struggling pro-Boers from the
fury Of the populace. After much fight.
ing, during which a maj was stabbed, the
pro-Boers were removed under police pro-
lection. The victorious crowd then held
lingo meeting and sang Rule Britain
MIA"
Dispatches from Warsaw say the news
papers there assert that contract has
been entered into for the supply of 1000.
horses for the British cavalry in South
Africa.
Queen Alexandra, following the exam
pie of the late Queen Victoria, is sendins
Christmas gifts to the troops in South
Africa. For this purpose she has ordered
thousands of brier pipes each silver.
mounted and bearing the stamp of the
crown and her Majesty's monogram.