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Manawatu Herald, 5 April 1900, Page 2

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THE RECENT AMBUSH. Later details show that with a view to harassing Major-General Broadwood, a German-American named Reichmann organised the ambush at Koorspruit and occupied the riverbed, allowing the convoy to plunge into a steep donga which was surrounded by invisible riflemen and machine guns. The scouts and artillery wagons entered the spruit unsuspecting, and the enemy fired from a stone enclosure on a knoll and elsewhere, also from a double tier in front. Battery " W," RoyalHorse Artillery, (Major Taylor) lost seven guns. Battenr " Q " (Major Hornby), Rimington's Guides, Roberts' Horse, Burmese and the New Zealand Mounted Infantry, all fell into the ambush and suffered severely, but rallying, they covered the retreat which followed. When battery «Q" was challenged '* ; they surrendered. Major General Broadwood collecting his forces struggled heroically ana ! fought his way across the river near the waterworks and seized Boslan's fcopje,; Roberts'Horse and the New Zealan* ■■ ders kept the Boers at Bay under a , heavy fire at a thousand yards range, ! until General Colville, after a magnificent night march of 18 miles, arrived and extricated Broadwood. Major-General Sir Henry Colville, with the assistance of Sir Hector MacDonald's Brigade turned the enemy's flank, compelling their retreat to a distant laager 'on further side of the river. Lord Roberts has sent an encouraging message to Mafeldng asking the L garrison to resist a litttle longer. *V Remington's Guides, and Roberts' Light Horse rode right into the midst of the Boers at the Doronspruit engagement, the enemy shouting *• You need go no further you are all prisoners," and opened fire with the machine guns., stampeding the. hones and panicking the Kaffar drivers. The cavalry wheeled, and retired at the gallop. Captain Prince Adolphus of Teek, who had charge of the convoy.tescaped. The newspapers sharply criticise the absence of precaution and lack of efficient scouting.