Show ROBERTS EGBERTS TELLS OF DEFEAT BY BOERS London April 2 The war office has received the following g dispatch from front Lord Roberts dated April 1 I received news late yesterday even evening evening evening ing from Colonel at miles east of here that information had reached him that the enemy enem was approaching in two forces from the north and the east He stated that if the report proved true he would retire towards the water waterworks waterworks waterworks works seventeen miles mUes nearer Bloem Bloom fontein where we have had a detach detachment detachment ment meat of mounted infantry for the pro protection protection protection of the works Broadwood was told in reply that the Ninth division with Martyrs mounted infantry will march at day daylight da dalight daylight light today to support him and that if he considers it necessary n he should retire from the waterworks He moved d there during the night and bivouacked At dawn dann today be was by bythe bythe bythe the enemy who attacked on oit three sides He immediately dispatched two horse artillery batteries and an his bag baggage baggage baggage gage toward covering some of them with hit his cavalry Boers Beers Were in Ambush Some two miles iles from the water waterworks waterworks waterworks works the road crosses a deep or in which during the night a force of Boers Boors had concealed them themselves themselves selves So well wen were they hidden that our lending leading scouts passed over the drift without discovering them and it was not until the wagons and guns Were vero entering the drift that the Boers Beers showed themselves and opened fire Many of the drivers of the artillery horses were immediately shot down at short sort range and several everal of the guns were captured The remainder gal galloped galloped galloped loped away covered by Roberts Horse which suffered heavily Meanwhile Lieutenant tors of scouts found a passage across the unoccupied by the enemy Enem by which the remainder of force crossed They reformed with great steadiness not notwithstanding notwithstanding notwithstanding withstanding all aU that had previously occurred report which has just reached me and an contains contain no details stated that he had lost seven geen guns and andall andaU andall all aU his baggage He estimates all aU his casualties at about including missing mi On hearing this morning that Broad Broadwood Broadwood wood was hard pressed I immediately ordered General French with two re remaining remaining renaming naming cavalry brigades to follow in support of the Ninth division The lat bat ter after a magnificent march marth ma h arrived on tho the scene of action act on shortly after 2 p m in Loss Was Heavy force consisted of the Household cavalry the Tenth Hussars the Q and U j batteries of the Royal Ro nl Horse artillery and Pitchers battalion batalion of or mounted infantry The strength of the enemy is eat estl It f t II mated at from to men with guns the number of which is not yet reported The war office has received another dispatch from Lord Roberts dated Sunday April 1 p pm pm m in which after referring to his pre previous previous previous telegram he be gives a partial list of the missing British officers Of Q battery batter four officers were wounded two of whom are missing One gunner was killed and forty noncommissioned officers and men are wounded or miss missIng missing missIng Ing Lord Roberts then continues In U battery all are missing except Major Taylor and a sergeant major Two cavalry regiments did not suffer so 9 much muchA A re ort has just come in that the enemy has retired towards leaving twelve wounded officers and some seventy mep me at the waterworks We are now sending an ambulance for them then It will be noticed that In the fore foregoing foregoing going advices Lord Roberts says sa s noth nothing nothIng nothing ing In regard to the British guns being recaptured Dismay at London Rumor of the recapture by the Brit British British British ish of the seven Sleven guns taken from Col Colonel Colonel Colonel onel force based on n a dispatch to the Chronicle from Bloem fontein which is in all probability cor correct correct correct fails faila to compensate London for forthe forthe forthe the severe shock experienced bv by the humiliating defeat sustained within a afew afew afew few miles of the headquarters of the British army of occupation The public is iB painfully surprised to learn after all aU that British officers of high position can still neglect neg ett precautions which the tyro might be expected to ob oh observe observe serve and blunder into traps which the observance of or the elementary elem military rules would have revealed There Is no attempt here to minimize the of the whole af affair aff a fair f ir so far as the British are con concerned concerned concerned or detract from the dexterity of the Boers who were were apparently corn com commanded by bv General DoweL DeweL The tac tactics tactics tactics tics of the burghers were evidently ex ox excellently conceived and boldly carried Qi c Kruger Keeping His Promise President Kruger is said to have promised to reoccupy this thle week neck and the stubborn burghers seem to be closing around the place olace in such force as promises promise to be trouble troublesome troUblesome troublesome some especially when it is realized that the activity of a strong Boer Beer force in inthe inthe inthe the vicinity of has already interrupted direct communication tion be between between between tween Lord Roberts and Kimberley But for the overwhelming numbers at atthe atthe atthe the disposal of Lord Roberts the situ sUu situation sItuation would justly cause Great Britain greater anxiety A special dispatch from this morning reports that the water supply of tie the place has been cut off This is the natural sequence of the Boer success at the waterworks But the authorities are hopeful that the strong reinforcements sent Gent by the com corn commander commander mander in chief will promptly remedy this It is evident from Lord Roberts dispatch that a big engagement Is in L progress Although it is difficult to es estimate e the number of British engaged ed they probably exceed even the or men which the Boers are estimated ed to number The scene of the British disaster dister ap appears appears appears pears to be Mealie where the road crosses a tributary of the Modder river |