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Show CAPTURED BY BOERS. Unfortunate Rzconnoissance Attempted Attemp-ted By Baden's Forces. London, Feb. 14. An official dispatch from General Buller from Chieveley announces an-nounces a reconnaissance at Springfield I resulting in no ga.n of ground on either ! side. Captain Hamilton Russel, Lieu-j Lieu-j tenant G. Churchill and ten men were wounded, and Lieutenant Pilkington and six men were captured by the Boers. The dispatch contains detailed accounts of what appear to be unimportant unim-portant operations. They only tend to throw light on the situation by proviny that the Boers are actively following General Buller's every move. A dispatch from Mafekiny says th garrison there can hold out until June. General Buller's dispatch from ' Chieveley, dated Monday, Feb. 12, says: ' "The commanding officer at Springfield Spring-field reports this morning that a squadron squad-ron of the First dragoons, moving to the outpost line covering the right flank, and met a party of Boers near Fastenberg. The Boers, reaching the crest of a hill, first opened a heavy, firei on the squadron, which retired without supi.orts, and the Boers retired." 'I The dispatch then gives the casual- ties as already cabled. Continuing, the ! Chieveley dispatch says: Dundonald. with 700 mounted men, a field batterv and the First Royal Welsh fusiliers. Feb. 12. reconnoitered the high ground which the enemy has been in the habit of visiting. The enemy evacuated evac-uated it with the loss of two men after slight resistance. When the force retired re-tired on the completion of the reconnaissance, recon-naissance, the enemy returned in considerable con-siderable numbers and kept up a heavy rille fire, wounding slightly Lieutenant G. Churchill of the South African light ; horse. Five men are missing." It is not quite clear who wrote th ' dispatch, as Lyttleton. Hildyard. War-1 War-1 ten and other generals are believed to i be- in the neighborhood of Springfield, j t is thought possible that Lieutenant ! Churchill, reported to be slierhtly I wounded, is Winston hurchill s brother. John, who was recently given a commission in the South African light horse, and who joined General Buller's command. Advices from Gaberonnes. dated Feb. 4. says: "The artillery duel between Colonel Plumer's force and ."00 Boers; continued until today, when the British dropped two shells into the Boer fort. The Boer guns have since been silent. Colonel Plumer's advance has been checked by Hoods." |