Atwood Bee, 15 Dec 1899, p. 2

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'CAOSTLY ~ LADYSMITH BOMBAI Heliographing Between Frere" and Ladysmith. Methuen Still Gen. GEN, WHITE TALKS AT A BANQUET. Detained at Modder Rivet. London cable: To-day, just a week after the battle of Modder River, the morning papers print, under date of November 29th, their correspondents' descriptions of the engagement. There is nothing whatever in any of them to justify their detention or explain why they were withheld, unless the censors were engaged in trying to har- monize their conflicting statements. No two of the stories agree, and each leaves something unexplained. The fullest account is published by the Standard, which says: "On _ the south side of the aroader LIEUT.-COL. STOPFORD, Of Genera! Buller's Staff, Killed at Modder River. River there is a vast plain stretching as far as the eye can reach. Atong the river the north bank had been strong- ly fortified. On the east side of the bridge stunds Rastall's Junction hotel and the Farm hotel, stone buildings, with a number of outhouses of galvan- ized iron, the whole surrounded trees. The group of buildings was the centre of the Boer pusition. Here the main body of the enemy was concen- trated. "On the right the enemy's line ex- tended for two miles, and on the left from the bridge it extended three miles, reaching beyond the border and into Free State territory. The left flank rested on a farm-house just across the border. Thé farm was sur- rounded by earthworks, in which two guns were mounted. There were also two guns on the extreme right, and others were distributed along the line "Close to the bridge were several guns, including a Long Tom. The enemy was better equipped in henvy ordnance than the Brit "About 1,000 yards in ascunen of the centre the enemy had a small post. Along the whote of his front he had dug rifle pits, strencthehed with breastworks of sand, rivetted with galvanized iron plates, and parapets of sand-bags. These works were ad- mirably constructed, and gave the riflemen an absolutely rifle-proof cover." BRITISH FELL IN SCORES. After describing the British forma- a al Engineers, in charge of the pai br 2 telegraphic department at 'all the time it was absolutely impos- sible to catch a glimpse of the enemy. 0 men fired as best they could, while under this withering fusiilade they fell in scores. There was no cover procurable, so the order was given to the men. to Iie down, and then for three hours it rained lead without inte. mision It meant in.§-nt ceath 'to stund upright. "By a serics of short rushes our men sought to get to closer quar- ters with the enemy. Undismayed by the torrent of shot and shell, they strove to press forward, pouring volley after volley into the enemy's works. "The ground was strewn with our Cone. The officers set a magnificent 'e in sacrificing themselves iniiiebitatingty. Thus jell Col. Stop- ford, of the Coldstream Guards, and many others, until the ground was littered with the dead. SCOTS GUARDS' BRAVE DASH. "At length the Scots Guards reached the bed of a dried-up water- course. They dashed into it, while a hail of the enemy's bullets swept over their heads. Then up the slope of the opposite bank they went, un- til they stood again on level ground, fuily exposed to the enemy's fire. The cover afforded by the water- course was gone, and they were as- sailed in front and on the flank by a murderous fire. It simply rained bullets, and they lost heavily. "Meanwhile, the Grenadiers, the Coldstream Guards, the Northumber- | Jands, the Highlanders, and the rest of the ninth brigade were pushing gallantly forward on both sides of the raiiway, which bisected our ad- vunelng line. The riullway line is here higher than the surrounding plain, and everyone' who trie advance along it was hit. "The whole of ouwr line was now about GOO yards from the south bank 'of the river, and taking advantage of the litthe cover procurable, the in- fantry lay for hours returning the Boer fire. Still not one of the enemy could be seen. It was at the best haphazard firing. Several rushes were made for the river at various points. CROSSED THE RIVER. ompany of the rgyll and Sutherland Highlanders qunkeeded in getting across, but lost heavily, and had to fall back to the south bank. We found five of their dead in the Boer entrenchments to-day. The Northumberland Regiment and "the Guards also attempted the desperate task, and the former surprised a a, = the enemy, who were all ba yon While the Argylls were pushing across the river they were fired on from a house, and several . fell, on which a dozen of the Highlanders stormed the house, and though the enemy hoisted a white flag no quar- ter was given. They were all shot. The enemy had acted most unstrupu- lously in shelling our field hospital, so that some of our wounded were killed, and they sepa ponte fired on our stretcher par A WELCOME en. The correspondent re-deseribes the swimming attempt from which Col. Codrington was rescued with diffi- culty, and then says: "In the afternoon our artillery con- centrated its fire on the centre of the Boer position, the Naval Battery on the left making very fine shooting. At 8 ovlock the 62nd Battery of Artil- lery, with a detachment of the Mun- ster Fusilliers, arrived by train from Orange River. This was a very wel- come reinforcement. The effect of our artillery fire was soon visible. The ene wed 's fire slackened, and then ceased, except from the Long Tom in the contre, which blazed away to fhe last "The British shells were setting fire to the buildings held by the enemy aloug the river bank, and drove _-- out, many of the houses colla my shells must have killed seonidnete { Boers in the trenches. We ascer- Saleed to-day that the enemy was terrified by the effect of our shells. Numbers of them threw down their rifles and fled. The contingent, head- by General Cronje, retreated at about 4 o'clock towards Langesberg. Others followed in quick heading for Jacobsdale. Coaktnoed on both sides until dark- ess closed in. At about 8 o'clock the pee body s Lie enemy retired, taking thei BOER fone an nVERYWHERE, "In all, the fight lasted fourteen hours. To-day, Nov. 30th, the the British helled Boer. : of the ) id geem aly which is ter; was' Ae too Soon: d by the swol- Pio happened Bi thi e Phandl gagement is. ene. Some. a Daagy ol pati believe that Kimber- m reac The Daily Mail learns that a private despatch has been ved froni areeowe officer of the. Guards; with Sho Methuen, containing the | words on either side of those quoted. WILL TEST CANADIANS. But it is Not Likely Buller Ever Said These Words. London cable: At the War Of- fice conference which practically de- ; cided the arrangements for the col- onial contingents, Sir Redvers Buller insisted strongly that not more Canadians and Australians should be | accepted than could be put to really ; effective use. "T mean," he "to put --_ see who will win." Buller is fulfilling his promise. The' Boer words "In Kimberley," but the censor ,.towards the vey a borders. The perhaps relieved the monotony of his) Pretoria despatc: duties by humorously lopping off the ; northward with w ~. eN o Y QUARREBLING." '/ Discord between 4 and it Staters a here was no indication that the | re were Atal to Gampntic their gun positions, but, the Agee w prevalent in some naartere Tay: smith that the Seer asad dlocian of the place was, ded 'to cover * forces h of Saturday, Dec. ro | via Lorenzo Marquez, onday, 4th, however, announced thata Bees council of war on Dec. 2 was planning a renewed assault on Ladysmith. KILLED 15 BOERS. said, these | -- burghers leave Ladysm colonial boys right in frome. We will i day's news shows that General | from the w A despatch from Frére, gig om Sun- ' day, Dec. 3rd, reports that Col. 'Lerd Du near Colenso, fifteen Boers killed' and many were wounded. The road bridge across the Tugela River ig intact. The some message reports that President Kruger is anxious that ith in or- op the Bultish march- in the direction of Pretoria est. Advices from Putter's Kraal, the ek ee ee ee ee ' ' t t ' ® , ' ' t . ' ' ' Sa with several Imperial detachments from Cape Town to waten the De Aar and Belmont Railway line in rear of Lord Methuen's column. Military experts say that the oe will be ample to remove all d from the Boers now retiring from their invasion of Cape Colony. 'The colonials may perhaps be le to harass the Boer retreat when the en- emy is falling back before General cre. As yet Queensland ae colonial honors. One of ge cers, -- panied by a dozen enetames wam nearly across the Sioddac Pixar in the face of a terrible fire, but being forced to retire, joined hands pi swam back again. Belated cablegrams received this afternoon say iy the Canadians were wnkbndiaaticn received on landing on Thaeelon the cheering be- ing continuous as they marched throngh the gaily-decorated streets. London cable: A budget of news rom Ladysmith. which arrived this morning brought the history of the bel 1ered garrison up to Noy. 29. In spite of the rumors of a retrograde movement on the part of the Boers the story just received show the gar- rison, although still strong, was suf- roy and the increasing the Boer artillery fire, pale that additional heavy calibre Fo yards f ale i J. LEYDS, THE BOER AGENT IN EUROPE. DR. W. Canadian:, with the Australians, have been sent north in company ' ---- a pee! Setter eee ce Oe ene ne PIS T SS ee headquarters of Gen. Gatacre's diyi- sion, dated Saturday, Dec. 2nd morning. This is probably Gen. Grob- ler's force of 1,500 men from Storm- tT ' KILLED IN A SORTIE. The War Office has received the list |: of casualties during the sortie from Kimberley, Nov. 28th, as follows: Killed--Major Scott-Turner, of the Biack Watch, Lieut. C. Wright, of the Kimberley Light Horse, and 20 non- commissioned officers and men. v ound. ed--Capt. Walleck, Lieut. Clifford and Lieut. Watson, and 28 non-comrais- sioned officers 'and men. If Gen. Buller should ask for further reinforcements a brigade of militia may be sent to South Africa, with the view of con- ciliating the militia men, who_ think thut-branch of the service has been ot in favor of the reservists. A SQUEAL FROM DUBLIN. In compliance with a requisition signed by Messrs. W. Redmond, John Clancey and others, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Locum Tenens, has called the corporation for @. corporati the attention es the South Republic against' a policy "involving loss of life and enormous expenditure." | BOERS' LOSSES. The- War Office has recelyed the ~ wing : despatches contain deci ag rate information in this respect. | } ; ie Sidraks Sass ree days COMMANDANT-GEN. ERASMUS, Who captured the squadron of the Eighteenth Hussars and their of- ficers, together with the officers of the Dubi Ln Fusiliers. efore the optuing of hostilities, Mrs. H, Dickerman, the last woman refugee to get out of the principal Transvaal eity, arrived at the home of her par- e Her husband, a mining engineer, remained to guard his min- ing interests, in which he is associated with George Clyde, also a former Haz- eltonian. Mrs. Dickerman was accon- panied by her five children be a most ata og one, and will task Buller's resource: METHUEN "TO MOVE ON. Gen, Methuen, it is reported, re- sumes his ad¥ance toward Kiimberley to-day, in personal command of his column. His delay is explained by the need of bringing up more ammunition and concentrating large supplies for pimberleye which is in great straits or It is reported that fighting has taken place at Arundel between Gen, French's force, which is advancing from Naauwpoort and the Free State commandoes The two relief expeditions now in progress must not be confused with the general scheme of invasion of the er republics. When Kimberley is relieved most of its inhabitants will go south, and it will become the ad- vanced BASE FOR THE INVASION of the Free State. Stores of every kind will have to be brought from De Aar to Kimberley before any ad- vance toward 'the east can begin. This is a matter of weeks, not of ays. 'The relief of Ladysmith will be the beginning of the Transvaal campaign. The Natal operations will be directed mainly against the Trausvaal Boers. It is quite possible that the defeat of Gen. Joubert's force will be fol- lowed by the invasion of the Trans- vaal. Not from the Orange Free State, as originally intended, but from Natal War Notes, The War Office has. ordered from a firm in Belleville twenty-five thousand pounds of evaporated vegetables for the use of the troops in South Africa. Charles Ross, the Indian scout and fighter, who has been in Ottawa for the past few weeks, endeavoring to secure transportation to touth Africa to Join in the campaign there, lef{t.last night for Boston, where he will take ship for the Transvaal. He was given a good send-off at the statian The first batch of wounded 'soldiers from South Africa, numbering 133 men, arrived in the Thames yesterday on board the British transport 8u- matra, which left Table Bay © about Nov. 15th. The Daily Mail's correspondent at Lisbon; Portugal, says that on Decem- ber Ist two Russian colonels, n French general, and a French colonel started for Lorenzo Marquez to assist in the defence of Pretoria. The secretary of the French ation escorted them to the ship on which they had taken age. Morning Post's correspondent. at Estcourt, tele repay under date of November 29th, says: "It has been decided not. to repair the Frere beldge, but to deviate." They, Telegraph publishes a cespareh -- eS MA "A a> ILE

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