The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1901-12-27
De WET BUSY AGAIN
Dons Fighting Clothes With San
culinary Results.
BRITISH SUSTAIN HEAVY LOSSES
Deceived by Band of Burghers
Dressed in the Uniform of
the Kings Men.
New York SUN Special Services

London, Dec. 27.-General De Wet has
taken revenge for the recent successes of
the British in rushing laagers at night,
and has captured British camp in the
eastern part Of the Orange River colony
| by the use of tactics similar to those en-
ployed by the British The scene of the
reverse is within one of the areas of the
! Boers main resistance, where General
De Wet has frequently foiled the British
! commanders. The following brief dis
patch from General Kitchener tells all
/ that is at present known of the affair:
Johannesburg, Dec. 26-Rundle reports that
Colonel Firman's camp at Zeefontein was
successfully rushed on the night Of Dec "a.
! by considerable force of Beers under De Wet
| l fear the casualties are many Firman' q
column consisted of the Thirty fourth THIRTY
| fifth, Thirty sixth and Fifty-third companies
OF Imperial yeomanry, one gun of the Sew
! enty- ninth and one pompom. They were
| guarding the head of the blockhouse line from
Harrlsmith to Bethlehem. The First and Sec
ond Imperial Light Horse have gone in pur-
suit of the Beers.
delayed message from Pretoria dated
| Dec. %, says: The actions Of the last
few days have resulted in about forty
Boers being killed and a large number
wounded and about 100 prisoners taken.
| The British casualties in the same time
were also heavy. Most Of the latter oc-
Cured IN the fierce fight of Colonel
Damant's cavalry and the Beers under
General M. Botha, which was directly at
| tributable to the tactics of the Beers in
using the disguise Of the uniform Of the
British yeomanry for the purpose of pet-
ting at close range unscathed While en-
gagged with one party of Beers Cantain
Scott or Damonts Horse, saw what he be-
| l1eved TO be some squadrons of yeomanrv
! from British column that was oneretino o
in that vicinity, which were apparently
! fighting another party of burghers. These
| drew gradually closer to Scott's com
mand
Fraud Discovered Too Late.
When the fraud was discovered Captain
! Scott's men fired on the Beers and drove
| them of, killing three and wounding five
| others. Colonel Damant himself. who was
| some distance away, brought I'D his guns
| and pompons and endeavored to gain the
ridge before the Beers, but he was half a
minute late. The Beers gained the crest
| OF the ridge, which they held and sue
| ceeded in infiicting severe loss on Colonel
| Damant's party, only four of whom es-
| capped unhurt.
captain Scott then came up with the re :
| mainder of the force, and. CHARGING the
| same position, drove the burghers off
| Colonel bennington also arrived about this
| time and pursued the Beers for seven
miles He killed or captured a number nj
them. The Beers sent courier in under
| a white flag to ask permission to hurv
their dead, who numbered twenty-seven
in the neighborhood of the two positions
The Imperial Light Horse HAVING
laagered their transport, made a nigbf
march of about 100 miles with the inten-
! tion of surrounding General Christian
De Wet. They failed to locate his head
quarters, however, and when thew went
into camp they were attacked by De Wei
with a superior force. The Imperial 1jgbt
Horse had fifteen casualties. but renTIsa5
the Beers, killing six and capturing siv-
| teen.
The National scouts, comnosad ~
burghers who have taken the oath of al
| legiance have been constantly doing oood
work under their commander. CelIiors
Their mode of operation is to ride on+
from local bases without transnort and
endeavoring to strike moving grouns ~
Beers. In this way they have lust taken
| fourteen at Brugspruit Major CoIen-
brander, the Afrikander traveller and
scout, captured sixty Beers south of oil
plants river. No details have vet ar
| rived. Colonel Parke to the northeast of
Pretoria, has repulsed Commandant MuI-
ler who attacked with a pompon. Eieht
| Beers were killed.