The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-01-02
SERIOUS DISASTER. ACRUSHING DEFEAT.
De Vets Coup on Christmas Eve a
Hard Blow to British.

London, Dec. 3O.--The war Office
has issued list of the British casu-
alties at Zeefontein December "a,
when Col. Firman's camp, consisting
of three companies of yeomanry and
two guns, was successfully rushed by
Boer force under the command of
Gen. De Wet. The length of the list
demonstrates the entire success of
De Vets attack. Six officers and so
men were killed, eight officers were
wounded and four are missing. 1t
is presumed the missing officers were
taken along with the captured guns.
The numbers of the noncommissioned
officers and men wounded and miss
ing have not been received, but the
aggregate promises to make the Zee
fontein affair a memorable disaster
to the British. Simultaneously with
the above the war office gave out a
dispatch from Lord Kitchener chron-
icing a minor success of he South
African constabulary, who raided
Bothaville and captured SO Beers.
Climb steep Precipice.
In a subsequent message Lord
Kitchener sends stirring account of
the fighting at Zeefontein, showing
that the wounded and prisoners must
number about $50. He says that in
the absence of Col. Firman, Maj. Will
liams, who was killed, was in COM
mand. The column was encamped on
the slope of kopje, the southern
side of which was precipitous. Out
posts held the edge of the precipice.
The northern slope on which the
camp was pitched was gentle. The
outposts were well pushed out and the
position, naturally strong, had been
intrenched. 1t was a moonlight
night.
The Beers appear to have climbed
the precipice, and, mastering near
the top, at two a. M, suddenly at
tackled the picket on the summit, Be-
fore the men could get clear of their
tents the Beers swooped through
them, shooting the soldiers down as
they came out.
Fate of officers.
Most of the British officers were
shot while trying to stem the rush.
Lieut.. Harwich himself opened fire
with the "pompoms" and was shot
through the heart while firing. Lieut..
/ Watney was killed while leading a
charge. There Was no panic, and all
engaged did their best, but once the
picket was overwhelmed the superior
I force of the Beers had all the advan-
| tage. A 15-pounder, after two rounds,
! became damned. The men compos-
! ing the detachment stood by the gun
: and were shot down around it. Lieut..
Scarlet, who was wounded, was over
! looked by the Beers and left behind.
He saw two wagon loads of dead and
wounded Beers carried off. They
were mostly hit during the first at
tack on the picket.
Beers Tend to Wounded.
The Beers, who apparently num-
| bered about 1900, behaved well. Gen.
De Wet leaving men to look after the
wounded. The imperial light horse
were IA miles distant. They heard of
the fight at 4:30 and arrived on the
scene at $50. After breathing their
horses they galloped after the Beers,
who, however, succeeded in reaching
the broken country, where the light
horse were useless against superior
numbers. Including the killed and
wounded, about half the stricken col
umn is now at Glands river bridge,
The remainder are prisoners.
Prisoners Liberated.
| London, Dec. 30.-The war Office has
received a dispatch from Lord Kitch-
ener, dated johannesburg, saying
that the British prisoners captured
when the Beers successfully rushed
Col. Firman's camp at Zeefontein,
| December "a, have been liberated and
| returned to Bethlehem.
Peace Negotiations.
London, Dec. 30.-Negotiations for
| peace are under way between Gen
Kitchener and the Boer leaders in the
field. Amnesty and rebuilding of BoeI