Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

9 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

- THE TRANSVAAL WAR FROM DaY…

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

THE TRANSVAAL WAR FROM DaY to DAY. # A message from Pretoria dated iSciiurday, which has come through THUIiSlj.iY. Lorenzo Marquez, announces that General Joubert, who is indisposed. has arrived at Volksrust, and is receiviti.; medical attention. During his absence Mr. Sc. has assumed the supreme com- mand iLc noer forces. A despatch from the headqt.:iru-n» of besiegers states that a Council of War (I on Saturday morning to consider the question i an assault upon Ladysmith. The State A me;, had arrived in camp to assist the Boer co'iiuiuiiders with his advice. According to a ttessag patched from Frere, President Kiuger is anxi <!t:. mat the burghers should leave Lady- smith p;-se the British marching from the western i--r r. A message from Ladysmith dated Noveni vs the Boers batteries were active but w t. They were probably, the telegram add" e v ;ring a retrogade ruov.men as bodies been observed moving to the north-e ,gons Meanwhile the British prepai-L, relief of the town are pro- gressing General Sir C. F. Clery has arrivet; ..mp, and has assumed command of the re. It is stated that possibly General ir jJuller will go to the front in a day or two. t., CColony there is apparently no change i'- ittiation. It is reported that there are 1,50c at Stormberg under Commandant Grobler, 'no is said to be anxious to force an issue. I. r Methuen is still apparently resting at Modder "i e! and the engineers are restoring the bridge. s >rtie from Kimberley last week, though s e sful, was attended by severe British losses. C Scott Turner, who led the sortie, Was kille, in addition to 22 killed we had 28 men woui-cie. The W >.r Otfioe yesterday issued a telegram from f Sir Redvel. Buller, (lated Pietermaritzburg, Tues- day, in re-• rence to the losses of the Boers during the present war in South Africa. The British General s:, it is difficult to make a statement on the A,, Belmont 81 men killed were accounti ,"r. and yet the Boers gave 15 as the number ,'iierefore is also every reason to believe that in in- fuiir at Ladysmith on the 9th lilt their loss was V.T 800 killed and wounded. Informa- tion from -t i rustvvorthy Boer source shows that in General Hi iyi, r(I's fight near Willow Grange on the 23rd A ivcmber they lost 30 killed and 100 wounded It i- impossible to say how far these numbers art correct, but it is evident the Boers do not admit one-tenth of the losses they have suffered. Intercepted despatches to General Joubert some of his commandants show even their official despatches contain designedly inaccu- rate information in this respect. Another official despatch states that in the sortie at Kimberley on the 28th till., when a Boer laager was captured, our forces lost- 23 killed and 31 wounded, the Kimber- ley Ligln Horse alone having 13 killed and six Wounded first batch of invalids from the seat of t 130 in number, arrived yesterday inLond- y were accompanied also by the wives a of men sent from Indiato South Africa. I ¡ the women learnt on landing that while tin iiad been at sea their husbands had been kid w.unded. The latest news from Ladysmith is tha all was well on Tuesday last. A FRIDAY. rain from Frere Camp states that i' British patrol at Weenen collected t- that the Dutch are assisting the Baer,, I ung that Pretorius, a member of the Natal Legislative Assembly, has been arrested and sent to Maritzburg. Laffan's correspondent adds that he is known to have supplied food to Boer leaders, and that General Joubert is reported to have stayed two nights with him the week before last. Pretorius, who is a son of the President of that name, fas three sons serving in the Boer army. IVith re: • the movements of the Boers, a correspo Boers passed through Weenen, going n u. aii Saturday and Sunday week. Five Boer calilp- tvs have been established north of the '1 near Colenso, and the enemy is also fortif a position further west, near Springfield. Boers se" L. ve been seen several times near Chieveley station. News has been received from Ladysmith ihat the sick and wounded soldiers and civilians now number 432, and that all are doing well. The Central News correspondent at --Qli reports agree tttaA tb<t. lrree State Boers have taken alarm at the threatened advance of Lord Methuen and General Gatacre upon Bloemfontein and are treking through Van Reenen's Pass. All the Passes are fortified and strongly held, in view of an invasion of the Free State from the Natal side after the relief of Ladysmith. On the Western border communication with .Kimberley by means of the searchlight has been established, and a message from Modder River on Monday afternoon states that the town reported all well, the garrison having ample stores and provisions. Serious dissensions are reported to have broken out in the Boer camp. Full details are to hand to-day of the gallant sortie from Kimberley in "Which Colonel Scott-Turner lost his life. A diary of events at Mafeking published to.day contains a description of some stirring scenes enacted dur- ing the siege. From the Cape border it is reported that the railway line to the Indwe coalfields has been wrecked by the Boers, and other damage done iya the district. Heavy firing took place at Lady- smith on Thursday morning. Dis- SATUKDAY. regarding Sir George White's protest, the Boers continue to fire at the hospital in the beleaguered town, and q, wounded inmate has been killed and others bounded by Boer shells. All the reports tend to "how that the position at Ladysmith continues satisfactory. The Boers are evidently preparing to tnake a last stand, but seem also to be making provision for a retreat. News comes from Pretoria that fighting commenced near Modder River on Wednesday morning. A Mochudl despatch dated November 25th records a brilliant night march by Colonel Holdsworth, who, with seventy-five Counted men and ten cyclists, drove the Boers from their laager at Sekwani. Persistent rumours are current at Orange River that Mafeking has heen relieved. It is believed at Capetown, accord- ing to the Central News correspondent, that Lord Methuen's plans do not include the actual relief of Mafeking, but that the work will in all probability he accomplished by Colonel Plumerfrom Rhodesia, Who is known to have been moving steadily south- wards. From the northern border of Cape Colony, there is very little to report The Boers have not Yet been met in force in the district where General Gatacre is operating, but occasional skirmishes Occur. Sir George White has delivered a successful stroke upon the Boers who MONDAY. surround Ladysmith. On Thursday night be sent out a force under General Hunter to attack the position "Olu which Long Tom was placed. The troops took Gun Hill, destroyed Long Tom and another b.i gun, and brought a Maxim-Nordenfelt gun back With them. The sortie was made on Thursday and that >.he guns were destroyed early on «*iday morning. The troops got past the Boer Picket in the darkness, and were charging several **»ttidred yards up the hill when he awoke. The Boers round the guns fired several volleys and then flerl down the opposite side of the hill. Our men Seized the guns without opposition. A message froin the Boer headquarters outside Ladysmith, ehhas come via Lorenzo Marquez, admits that the big Creusot gun and the howitzer were put out ? £ action by dynamited The message adds that jor Erasmus and Lieutenant Malan will be 1 martialled with the injury to the cannon, A telegram despatched from Frere Camp yesterday 8 that everything is ready for the start to the of Ladysmith. Troops have been advancing |rom Estcourt to Frere almost continuously, and it believed that all who are to take part in the movement are now assembled there. From dodder River it is announced that Lord Methuen Reived news on Friday morning that a thousand were attacking two companies of the Northumberland Regiment which had heen left to guard the line of communication at The 12th Laficers, the Seaforth High- landers, and the 62nd Field Battery were sent out, bUt the Boers withdrew when our reinforcements Were seen. The cavalry went in pursuit. On Thursday the sappers completed the reconstruction the railway bridge over the Modder River, and first engine crossed in the afternoon. The work ha.s been completed in nine days. The position of Boer forces is quite apparent. Signalling with ^■imberlev proceeds regularly. It is reported that the Boers are busily engaged entrenching them- fielves at Spytfontein, and several tiers of works *re beginning to appear at the foot of the heights. *he Boer position was shelled, and they replied With rifle fire only. The armoured train, manned bY a detachment of the North Lancashire Regi- ^ent, tried in vain to draw the fire of the Boer eordite gun. It is believed the gun has been sent 10 Spytfontein. The Boers have made further attempts to destroy the railway north and south of the Modder River, but have been driven off. An ^•ction of some importance is reported to have been *°ight n«ar Spytfontein, part of Lord Methuen's 0fce and ibe garrison of Kimberley being both en- gaged, No details have, however, yet come to hand. On Saturday morning General Gat acre toofca brigade northward to surprise the enemy at Storm- berg, but found a much stronger force here than was expected, and, being met with a heavy fire was compelled to retire to Molteno, a distance of thirteen miles. The British casualties were slight. General Gatacre left Putter s Kraal, his bead quarters, after midday Satur-, TUESDAY. day with a fighting force of slightly, over4.000 strong,including a IJilitalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers, the Royal Irish Rifles, details of Mourned Infantry, and the 77th and 74th Field Batteries. Train was taken as far as Molteno, and thence the force pro- ceeded on foot. The movement may be termed a reconnaissance in force to exactly ascertain the strength and position of the enemy, who were strongly entrenched in the Stormberg range of mountains. Leaving Molteno at 9 p.m, the force quit tly stepped forward with no sound save the tramp of the men, and no distinguishing lights whatever were given. The night march was a memorable one. The moon shone brightly till half past eleven and then went down. On and on went Gatacre's men, tramping over a rock-suriace road, kicking against stones, and occasionally pulled up by large boulders which had dlen in the way and ever and anon striking off into the veldt where the footing was softer and the ceaseless tramping was silenced. Sometimes a dark figure would come suddenly, swiftly, and almost noiselessly up, and in a hoarse whisper an officer would ejaculate an order to halt, as the enemy was believed to be near, Thus for seven hours the little force slipped and tumbled onwards until a natural basin was entered, at the end of which the Rooi Kop, > the enemy's main position, stood out in strong silhou- ette against the morning sky. Morning was just breaking, and it was comparatively bright. Just as the Irish Rifles, with General Gatacre and his staff at the head of the column, were entering the depression a hot and unexpected fire was opened by the enemy on the right. Following the Rifles were 106 of the Northumberland Fusiliers, and the rear was brought up by the artillery. The column was marching four abreast, but not- withstanding the suddenness and fierceness of the attack there was not the slightest confusion or consternation. General Gatacre and his officers, with the utmost coolness and promptitude, brought the column into line of action, and in a short time the battle was raging at its hottest. Our artillery climbed up and got into position to the left on the side of a small kopje, while the Rifles and North- umberland Fusiliers clambered up the hill held by the enemy in skirmishing order. They were met ^ya galling fire, but bravely pressed forward, and notwithstanding the extremely difficult nature of the ground, succeeded in reaching the top. When they arrived there, however, they found they were the centre of a tremendously hot rifle fire, which was poured in upon them from three different directions in flank and rear, and our men were forced to retire. Meanwhile the artillery had got into action and drew the fire of the enemy's guns. A protracted artillery duel ensued, in which our guns belched forth a terrific fire, demoralising the Boer gunners in the fort which they had con- structed at the corner of the kopje. The position being unassailable, and the enemy in over- whelming numbers, our infantry, with Maxim detachments, were ordered to retire towards Molteno. The artillery remained to cover the retreat. Their fire was terrific, but the Boers brought their guns along the tops of the kopjes, and followed the troops on the road below for miles, sending shell after shell down into the valley. The enemy's practice was good, their shells drop- ping and bursting on the roadway close to our men, but so skilfully were the troops handled that not a man was hit during this stage of the retire- ment. Finally the Boers gained a kopje com- manding the road at closer range, and from this position opened with rifle fire. The bullets, how- ever fell short, and the troops ariived at Molteno about 11 a.m., after some thirty nours' hard work, including a desperate engagement lasting three hours. The enemy's numbers are estimated at, 6.000. They are occupying a practically impregnable position, and one which it is hopeless for a small attacking force to carry. An official Boer despatch from Pretoria gives the number of prisoners taken in this desparate fight at Stormberg as 672. Up to a late hour last night nothing had been issued from the War Office which threw any further light on the reverse sustained by General Gatacre at Stormberg. The Queen is said to have been greatly concerned by the news, and yesterday Her Majesty's private secretary, Sip A. Bigge, travelled from Windsor to London to make special inquiries at the War Office. From a return pre- pared by a news agency it appears that the total British casualties up to the present are, approxi- mately, 566 killed, 2,027 wounded, and 1,977 miss- ing or captured. An appalling list seeing that the war is only in its first stages.

WORLD IN A WEEK.

|LLANGEITHO.

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1IIT " YR WYTHNOS.

Y RHYFEL.

ABERARTH.

LLEDROD.

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