The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-08
ON THE BRAKSPRUIT.
The Magnificent Fight Put Up by the
 Canadians and Montreal Infantry.

The Magnificent Fight Put Up by the Canadians and Montreal Infantry. The engagement took place at Rool-
 val, on the Braksprut, about sixty
 miles to the west of Klerksdorp, and re- suited in perhaps the most decisive
 check that the Boer general has met with during the whole course of his re-
 markable career, General Walter Kitchener, who had left Klerksdorp at the head of a body of infantry and mounted troops, reached camping 1 ground forty miles to the westward on | Monday morning, and at half-past two | dispatched mobile column, under the l command of Colonel Cookson, to recon-
 hotter in the direction of Harts river ] The force consisted of about seventeen l hundred men, all mounted on good horses Colonel Keir was assigned the l command of portion of the column,
 composed oftwo Twenty eighth Mount ed infantry, the Artillery, Mounted ri- | fles and the Second regiment of Kitohe- ners fighting scouts. Under the per- sonal direction of Colonel Cookson were
 the Second Canadian Mounted infantry,
 Damani's Horse and the guns that &C.,
 companied the force--namely, two sec tions of the Seventh Battery Royal Field artillery, and three pom poms. The supreme command it should be
 again ated, was vested In Colonel
 Cookson
 The expedition, which was not en-
 cumbered by unnecessary baggage,
 covered the ground rapidly, and shortly
 after daybreak lighted upon the spoor
 of the enenys convoy. The trail was
 closely followed up, and by about nine
 o'clock the clouds of dust stirred up by
 the convoy were clearly visible ahead.
 A report was brought in to the effect
 that the escort consisted of about five
 hundred Boers. Shortly afterwards the
 mounted infantry, who were moving at
 the head of the column, were ordered to
 advance at a gallop, and after covering
 eight miles at good speed, came in
 touch with the enemy. They at once dismounted and entered into action. Both sides sustained few casualties, but the Boers kept the convoy moving on steadily, and succeeded in getting it away over a ridge. The mounted in- fantry were restrained from a pursuit as the information had been obtained that a further force of over two thou sand Boers, who had been marching considerably ahead of their convoy, were hastening back to the scene of the fighting.
 Colonel Cookson had by this time ar rived at the front with the whole of the | column Orders were given for the men | to halt and encamp on the Brakspruft, | while outposts were thrown out to | guard against surprise A few minute later, however a shell from one of the three Boer guns, which had been moved up to a long low ridge four thousand | yards distant from the camp, dropped into the midst of our men, At the same time masses of Boers began to show on all sides, especially on the Hanks of our column.
 A general engagement ensued. The disposition of Colonel Cookson's force was roughly as follows; A mile and . half away from the camp, on the right flank, was a small body of men, com posed of twenty-four Canadians and 'orty-five Mounted infantry. They were posted five hundred yards in. front # a belt of trees. On the left flank, lbout one thousand yards from the amp. stood farmhouse, which was ,eld by two companies of the artillery md Mounted rifles. Along the line of he Brakspruit, in such position that hey could cover the farmhouse were he remainder of the Artillery rifles. l Jext to them came the Twenty eighth dounted infantry, Kitchener's fighting couts, the bulk of the Canadians and vas possible to safeguard in that way we're placed under shelter in depres- l ions in the Spruit. It
 As in his previous and more success { ul engagements, Delarey's object was 0 rush the British defense by coup e main Shortly after his heavier l uns had opened fire on our camp, a z om-pom was trained on our men, who 1 [ ,ere lying down along the Spruit. I five hundred Boers, | iding in lines and in widely extended l rder were launched from the ridge \ nd galloped straight for the farm ( ouse, which was undoubtedly the key | our position The enemy came on at | g headlong pace, and did not draw rein t ntil they were within five hundred | ards of the building. Volleys were di- k scted at them from the house and its 1 l. cinty and the BoerS halted, and wit h l V le reins thrown loosely over their left r rms, returned the fire from the saddle. l, he moment they came to staudstill d IT guns in that corner of the camp $