The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-24
SHARP FIGHTS WITH BOERS
BOTH SIDES SUFFER SEVER
 THREE ENGAGEMENTS.
Two Hundred British Mounted In- funtry Attacked While Split Up in Small Pnrties-SpIendid ltace for n Were Later Driven OH-Comman dant Krieze Killed.

London, Dec. 2S,-Lord Kitchener, in
 dispatch from Johannesburg, dated Saturday. December 21, sends reports
 of sharp fighting in the Orange River
 and Transvaal colonies. The engage ments occurred December IS, December 19 and December 20 at points widely apart. The casualties, so far as known,
 aggregate about 150, equally divided. In | this last mentioned fighting two hun dred mounted infantry in the neighbor- hood of Beginderyn were divided into parties and were searching farms, when they were attacked by three hundred Boers and forty armed natives, under Commandant Britz. The Boers charg- ed determinedly in overwhelming num- bers. The British casualties were se- were, but details have not yet been re- ceIved.
 On December 20 M Botha, with 800 Boers, surprised Colonel Damant's ad- vance guard at Tafel-Kop, Orange Riv- CT colony. The Boers rushed the kopje commanding the main body and the guns. but Damant rallied his men and drove the Boers from the kopje. The British casualties were heavy. Damant was dangerously wounded, two officers and twenty men were Killed and three officers and seventeen men were Wound- ed The Boers left six dead on the field and dispersed. The British pursued the enemy and captured number of pris- oners, including Commandant Keyter.
 Later the Boers, under flag of truce, asked permission to remove their dead. They admitted having buried twenty seven men. \
 In the fight at TafeI-Kop the Boers, dressed as British Yeomen, engaged in a splendid race with the British in the attempt to be first in gaining the crest of the kopje. The Boers gained the summit first and opened heavy fire on the single troop of Dafnant's Horse which took part in the race for the kopje These troopers took advantage of all the small amount of cover avail able immediately below the Boers, and fought until all but four of them were killed or wounded. By that time rein forcements of Damant's 8 Horse came up and charged and captured the kopje.
 Tn the eastern part of the Transvaal colony Colonel Mackenzie attacked Commandant Smit's force of Boers at Lake Banagher December 20 and killed six and captured sixteen of the enemy. Commandant Smit escaped.
 A force of Boers during the night of December 19 attack the British post at Bland -Spruit, but the burghers were driven off, leaving eight men killed, in cluding Commandant Krieze. Field Cornet Mahon, who was wounded, and three other wounded men were also left on the field. Other wounded Boers were carried off in blankets. The British casualties were seven men killed and six officers and eighteen men wounded.
 Lord Kitchener also reports that dur ing General De Vets attack on the British force commanded by Generals Dartnell and Campbell at Langberg De- cember IS the Boers charged bravely and fought desperately for several hours. De Wet was driven off with the loss of twenty men. There were twelve on the side of the British.
 London. Dec 24--No further details have been received here of the fighting in South Africa. The news received yesterday convinces the newspapers that it is hopeless to expect peace in the immediate future. That 1t Is also the government view of the situation is | apparent from the fact that between l now and January the drafts of troops | proceeding to South Africa from home | and the colonies aggregate 15000 men.