Show p BATTLEAi IVIOITENW I Boers Made Attack Early Yesterday Morning ENGAGEMENT A BRISK ONE Prom Nautvpoort Comes Advices of Sovoro Fighting in the Hills Around Colcsberg Boers Stubbornly Stubborn-ly Resisted the British at Every Point but Gradually Retreated Tho British Held the Extreme Posi tlon 4 to the South and East of the Town London Jan 1A 1 dispatch from Stcrkslrom Cape Colony dated January Jan-uary 3rdmorning says jThe Boerti attacked Molteno this morning A brisk action Is now In prosrcsa1 Nauwpoorl Cape Colony reports brisk fighting In the hills around Colcs bcr The Boers stubbornly resisted the British at every point but gradually retreated The British hcjd the extreme ex-treme position to the south and east overlooking the town The hills around Colcsberer arc numerous not In ranges 4 but In groups making it very difficult to hunt the BOOTS ouU Sixteen wounded wound-ed have arrived at ArundeL BTUTONS CUT OFF BOERS A special dispatch from Nauwpoort dated Tuesday January 2nd says The British command NoryaUppiH bridge with two guns AiuKulso com round the Colesbcre bridge and that the Boera have no way to retieat except ex-cept by way of Normberg The did patchatlds that bis developments oxpoetcd tomorrow The report of tha Boer attack upon Alolteno Is not yet confirmed at the War office Apparently Gen French holds nothing within live mllea oC Colcs berg Junction His request for reinforcements rein-forcements dispels any present hope thathe will bo able to seize one of the crossings of the Orange river It is probable that when Lord Roberts I Rob-erts arrives Gen French will be ordered or-dered to ault his present unsupported position and to concentrate his command com-mand at De Ant or Orange river As the Dolly Telegraph Hayw Gen French hccms to be In tho position of a man having a tiger cat In a trap and unable to kill It for want of a stick A dispatch from Dover Farm announces an-nounces that LleutCol Pllchcr has returned there safely from Douglass BOER SHELLS EFFECTIVE Since CommandantGen Joubcrts return to the front the cannonade of Jjulysmlth by the Boors has been much livelier Between December ISth and December 20th four shells killed ono officer and thirteen men and wounded thirteen officers and eleven menThe men-The War office acknowledges the Inferiority In-feriority of the regular artillery by authorizing au-thorizing the equipment of the new battery bat-tery attached to the London volunteer corps with Vickers and Maxims some of which the Boers use and by ordering 300 of those l2Vipounders quickfirers built immediately The officers and men of the new battery will be supplied from the Honorable Artillery company A dispatch from Kimberley dated December JiGth says The Boers last night evinced considerable Interest in the Premier mine using their searchlights search-lights This morning they actively shelled the fort The Royal arllllcry replied Our sheila were well placed and dropped amidst the smoke of the enemys guns Last nights storm Ignited I Ig-nited some of our military mines but there were no casualties Cecil Rhodes has supplied the Boer prisoners with new clothing BOERS FORCED TO RETIRE I From Stcrkstrom a telegram announces an-nounces that Gen Gatacrc yesterday met tho invading forces at Cyphorgat near the Brjllsh advance camp at Ttaahmaushoclc The Boors retired hut flfidly shortly after the British artillery opened fire The enemy occupled Mol tuno and Cynhcrgat but the latter place Is now reoccuplcd by the British The Dukoof Westminster It la announced an-nounced will remain In Capo Colony during the war It Is understood that a prominent Inhabitant In-habitant of the Orange Free Slate a near relative of President Stcyu has gone to the United States to lecture in the Interests of the two republics Capt Thornycrofts patrol found the I enemy In some force at the little T use In bridge Their presence was discovered by scouts It Is reported that five men mid a Lieutenant of the party have not returned |