Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 April 1900 — CLEVER COUP OF BOERS. [ARTICLE]

CLEVER COUP OF BOERS.

Rout of Broad wood** Force Prove* Skill in Preparing Ambuscade. The London correspondents with Gen. Roberts add little of importance to the coimnnndor-in-ehief's accduiit' of the di»uster to Col. Broad wood’s column. All the accounts of the fight front a British source concur in stating that Col. Broadwood’s force of about 1,000 men was outnumbered by’ the Boers eight or ten. to one, and the arrival of the infantry division and Gen. French's cavalry alone prevented the annihilation of Col. Broadwood’s command. As regards the details rtf the affair, (he stories differ considerably. The affair seems rather lo testify to the skill of the Boers in preparing ambuscades than to neglect of the British to reconnoiter the route of the convoy. It seems thati the scouts of the convoy must have passed close to the ambushers, who apparently were as invisible as partridges in cover.The correspondent of the London Morn-, ing Post, iu describing the working of the trap, says the convoy had scarcely- proceeded 300 yards, and the men were still eating breakfast, when the enemy opened tire from a dongu in front and eighty yards from the head of the convoy. 'The fife was deadly, and the men of the leading troops, Roberts' horse, were swept from theif saddles. A scene of confusion followed. The teams of four guns, their drivers having been shot', stampeded and carried the guns out of action. These and one other gun were saved. The teams of the other guns wore shot, and the guns, with the convoy, fell into the hands of the enemy. Meanwhile Gen. Alderson’s brigade held back a force of the enemy, estimated to number 7,000, with great gallantry, losing heavily, and falling back by degrees. The enemy in a donga in their rear pursued the flying guns until the approach of the Ninth division from Bloemfontein checked the pursuit.