Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1900 — AMBUSHED BY BOERS. [ARTICLE]

AMBUSHED BY BOERS.

Driven from Poettlon by Hot Shell Fire—Men Retreat Into a Carefully Prepared Trap and Are Taken, with I n large Casualty Diet. The Boers Saturday captured a British conroy and seven guns. The force was commanded by Col. Broadwood. It consisted of the Tenth Hussars the Household cavalry, two horse batteries and a force of mounted infantry, under Col. Pilcher, which was garrisoning Thaba N’Chu Friday, but which waa obliged to leave Friday night on account of the approach of a large force of Boers. The British marched to the Bloemfonr tei» water works, south of the Modder jiver, where they camped until 4 o’clock , Saturday morning. At. early dawn the Boers opened a hot shell fire from the rear. Col. Broadwood sent off the convoy and batteries, the rest of the force remaining as a rear guard. The convoy marched into a carefully prepared ambush in a deep spruit, where a strong force of Boers was concealed. The whole detachment, together with five guns of Q and two guns of U battery, were captured. Broadwood’s report to Lord Roberta contains no details, but states that he lost seven guns and all the baggage. He estimates his casualties as 350, including orerd 200 missing. Bushman’s Kop, from which place news comes of the capture of a British force and a number of guns, is probably the Boesman's Kop, which appears on the British war office map, about fifteen miles east of Bloemfontein. Apparently the Boers, strong forces of whom temporarily evacuated Ladybrand, turned back, after getting'their convoys into safety, to attack the small British force. The news generally further confirms the reports that the Boers are facing Lord Roberts and Gen. Methuen, and that they have greatly recovered their morale. The correspondent’s vary regarding the value of the battle near Karee Siding, some claimiug that the 200 casualties were fully recompensed by the clearance of the rood to Brandfort. Others doubt this. Gen. Roberts’ dispatch probably indicates its value, he stating that it will prevent maranding on neighboring farms. Moreover, it opens a further stretch of railway northward. A Boer dispatch from Kroonstad says. that Gen. Smuts engaged the British Thursday at Mafel Kop, south of Brandfort, and held them at bay for six hours. The burghers fought well. The casualties are not known. A dispatch from Maseru, Basutoland, says that President Steyn is reported to be at Ladybrand, urging the burghers to persist in their resistance to the British. He has issued proclamations and manifestoes against the enemy who has come to destroy the independence of the republics. A Cape Town dispatch says that an army order has been Issued abolishing the title of the Free State railways, and ordering that hereafter they be known as imperial military railways. The correspondent of the London Morning Post, telegraphing from Bloemfontein, says that the Boer losses in the battle near Karee Sidings station on Friday were probably inconsiderable. The British battery in the right center was unable to go into action on account of the nature of the ground. The colonel of the Norfolk regiment had two horses shot from under him.