The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 13 February 1900, Page 2

The Transvaal.

CASUALTIES AT TUGELA.

The War Office returns shows that in Monday's fighting, the Frst Battalion (68th Foot) of the Durban Light Infantry lost eighty men, the Rifle Brigade seventy, and other regiments sixty. The total strength of General Buller's field force is thirty-four thousand, and the artillery have more than too guvs. PLAN OF ATTACK. From the latest news from the front it appears that after the passage of the Tugela, three additional pontoons were thrown across the stream, by means of which heavier artillery and more infantry were transported to the northern bank. General Buller is at present engaged in entrenching his base in wedgeshape formation. His intention is to advance the artillery into a position to dominate the Boer guns. General Buller is hopeful of success, and describes the position taken up by the relieving army as effective. ATTEMPTING TO FLOOD LADYSMITH. The Boer scheme to flood Ladysmith by turning the course of the Klip river is regarded- as impracticable, although there are 1300 natives at work constructing a large dam. ARMING THE NATIVES. It transpires that the Boer .employed armed natives in the fighting line at Vaalkrauts. The " Daily Chronicle" says that if the Boers continue to arm the blacks Great Britain may consider the question of employing Indian troops, for garrison and: police duties, APPEAL TO DESERTERS. Field-Marshall Lord Roberts has issued a proclamation wherein he invited the enemy to desert from the Republican army. He promises that those who do so will receive generous treatement. WITH LORD METHUEN. In order to prevent the passage south of the Boers north of the Reit river, Major-General Hector Macdonald, who has entrenched the Highland Brigade at Koodoosberg, is building a fort.

A force of 120 Boers tried to rush his position but they were repulsed. General Macdonald's brigade safe* guards the operation of troops who are gathering at a position in the direction of Douglas, the object being to intercept and capture the Boers north of the Reit river.

The southern slopes of Koodoosberg where General Macdonald's force has been entrenched, are so steep that it has been fonnd impossible to mount guns on the summit* He holds the heights on two sides, the Boers being in possession of the lower slopes to the northward. Instructions have been issued by the general to his men to reserve their fife till the B"oer3 are close, and to seek cover when fighting.

News has been received here of fighting around the heights of Koodooberg, where, near the banks of the Reit river, Major-General Macdonald entrenched the Highland Brigade, after meeting with but little resistance from the Boers.

Throughout Wednesday, the brigade was engaged in meeting attacks made by the Boers upon the position taken up. All the assaults were repelled, with the loss to the British of about fifty men killed and wounded.

A further message states the Highland Brigade encountered a strong force to the west of Koodoosberg.

Heavy fighting followed, and the Boers abandoned their trenches during Wednesday night. Major-General Macdonald would have been able to surround them if strong cavalry and artillery reinforcements which had been despatched from Modder river under Colonel Babington had arrived. Unfortunately these forces failed to come up in time — for what reason is not explained. Lord Methuen then ordered the retirement of Macdonald's Brigade. Lord Roberts has cabled to the War Office with reference to Major-General Macdonald's operations, explaining that the column fulfilled its mission of dispersing a body of Boers who had expected to traverse the Reit river drift and cut Lord Methuen's lines of communication.

Major-General Macdonald also covered Colonel Broadwood's column and all the arms operating in the vicinity of Sunnyside. The reinforcements under Colonel Babington, which were sent to assist General Macdonald. arrived during Wednesday afternoon on the right bank of the Reit river, and threatened the northern slopes of Koodoosberg. The Boers thereupon withdrew. Prior to the withdrawal of MajorGeneral Macdonald's column, the Boers deserted all their camps on the northern slopes of the Koodoosberg hills. The British casualties were seven wounded.

Field-Marshal Lord Roberts has arrived at Modder river.

General French, with his cavalry brigade, has also reached the same place, and other reinforcements are arriving.

BULLER RETIRES ACROSS THE TUGELA. Reports received through Boer sources indicate that after being shelled General Buller again withdrew across the Tugela river. The War Office has also received official confirmation of General Buller's withdrawal.

Prior to the official confirmation of General Buller's retirement across the Tugela, the Hon. A. J. Balfour, First Lojfd of the Treasury, said that the advance on Ladysmith was not being pressed from the position held by the British troops on Wednesday. The Government, proceeded Mr_ Balfoar, was not pressing Genera Buller for information while operations against the enemy were in progress.

From the particulars which have reached Durban of the operations in the Tngela district, it appears that the British troops discovered the enemy to be in great strength, especially on the Brakfontein hills. An incessant fire was kept up by the Boers from masked guns, which rendered V?alkrantz untenable.

Several shells from a " Long Tom " (or forty-pounder) fell amongst the British transports, while others reached Swartzkop. Meanwhile the entrenched British infantry were assailed by Nordenfeldt fire, and severe damage was done by a La Creuzot siege gun and a hundred pounder on Doornt Kloof. The retirement of the British troops commenced on Wednesday night and was conducted without special incident, the casualties being mostly slight wounds. The Boers report that heavy firing was heard in the direction of Ladysmith daring the same night, the garrison having attempted to make a sortie towards the Free State laager.

The Boers assert that they com* jtelled ail armoured train with two thousand troops that was threatening their positions near Colenso On Tuesday to return to Chieveley. MAFEKING. , Letters received from Colonel Baden Powell, Commander of the, Maf eking garrison, state that be has taken forty Fenians prisoners, including James Quinlan, late stationmaster at Mafeking. The ground of the arrest is that the accused were detected carrying on treasonous correspondence with the enemy. The Hon. George Wyndham, Parliamentary Secretary to the War Office, replying to a question asked by Mr Timothy Healy in the House of Commons, said he had not been informed whether Quinlan was to be allowed before being shot to write a vindication of his action. GENERAL CLERY,

Major.General Sir O. F. Clery. who has been second in command to Sir Redvera Bailer in the Ladysmith relieving army, is returning to England, invalided.

STRENGTHENING THE ARMY.

Supplementary Estimates have been submitted to the House of Commons totalling £13,000,000. It is proposed to provide for an additional 120,000 men. NEAR COLESBERG.

The correspondent of the "Daily Newa " with Lieu tenant-General French's column, reports that od Tuesday the Westralian troops, under Captain H. G, Moor, had an engagement at Pofctsberg, near Slitjgeresfontein. The colonials attacked a position held by the enemy, and by the ruse of feigning to retreat, drew many of the Boerß out of the veldt. When thus drawn into the open, the enemy were shelled effectively by the artillery that had accompanied the tropp, and ultimately Ihey fl.?d back to cover.

Daring the engagement Captain Moor gave up his horse to a wounded man. The Boers tried to intercept Moor, when Lieutenant H. F. Darling, of^ the Westraliana rode back under a heavy fire and brought Moor safely to camp

The Boers shelled the New South Wales troops with a Vickers Maxim gun at Coleskop, but no casualties resulted.

On Friday a troop of fifty Australian? and Tasmanian troops under Major Cameron, made a reconnaissance near Colesbarg, and drew the fire of a large force of Boers:

The colonials wore forced jto retreat, but did so stubbornly, fighting from kopje to kopje. The Boers twice wdrked to the rear and once nearly captured the party's horses, bat the Australians re mounted amidst a hail of bullets and got away.

Trooper Peers, of Tasmania, was slightly wounded. He declares that be shot three Boers. Major Eeay, of the Victorian Mounted Rifles, took Peers to the camp of the New South Wales Lancers.

Mr W. J. Lambie, the War correspondent of the Melbourne " Age " is missing.