| Show QU MEET MEETA A BAD REVERSE j Boers Take Yaka Two Guns Kill Eight fet Officers and 54 Men Met t FOUGHT AT CLOSE QUARTERS QUART E I j It tear r Jnard of or onn Column Will Wai as Attacked Northwest t of I I lies It Transvaal Lord London Jold Nov 2 has hoe hast reported t to the tie war office n a 1 r to tho the near pear Bethel hethel eastern Trana Trans Transvaal vaal In two guns were lost last t st seY Bey cr eral killed or ht tYCo r men wore cro killed and ICO wound wounded ed Following Follo lg Is the text of ot the tho dis dispatch dispatch patch dated acted dat Pretoria October 31 I have havo i lva Just lust heard ot of n a 1 severa evero at attack t tack mado nade oi eh 01 tho the rear guard cuard of ot Gene Gen Bensons column when about twenty miles northwest of or Bethel near Ilear Broken during n II thick mist Tho The strength of ot tho the enemy Is 19 re ro reported roI ported to kayo VO been a thousand They Thuy two guns gUUS with tho rear guard but bul It Is uncertain whether they were able to remove them therm themI nt I 1 fear Cear ear our OUI casualties were here heavy Col Cui Benson Denson wounded but not se Be seriously sly A relieving column will reach rench Mm him this morning rooming Later Lord Kitchener I telegraphed tele nw nil follows Col Barton who marched 1 fum lean the constabulary line yesterday yc y retched d Bison 1 column early this Friday unopposed lie He re ro reports re reports ports that Col Benson died flied of or hIs hla The TIlo other casualties are tho the I following Col MaJ Mal F D Murray hurray Copts M W Vf Lindsay a and F Ir T Thor flier auld E L V Y I Brooks and R n E ESh ESh Sh Shepard and Second A J Cor Corlett Corlett Corlett lett Died of ot his wounds Capt Calt Eyra Lloyd Llod Lord Kitchener then gives the names nf ot thirteen en other officers who were wore wounded most of them seriously and then announces that non noncommissioned noncommissioned commissioned officers and men Inon were killed and Ind wounded adding that tour four of at the latter hatter have havo hu vo since died of at their wounds wound The Tho dispatch then I 1 assume that the tho two guns have havo len Icon recovered and the enemy enem with drawn but I have no further details detail II III I deeply regret r the loss of ot Col lien Ben Benson son Ion and the other officers and men who toll foil with him In Benson the loses a n most gallant and capable who Invariably led his column with marked success and ancl judgment Tho The fighting was as at very close dose quarters quarters end maintained with whir tion by both sides Tho The enemy J heavily v IJ but I have hao not yet et received d n reliable estimate The Boers Joers retired cist o eu Col Benson had been for tor some sonic time operating In the vicinity ot of Bethel Rothel which Is 18 northeast of at He Ho a I Boer Doer lunger langer October 22 2 hear taking thirty sen AEIn v lul tiers ners T Throe Three days daH later lter ac according according cording to Lord report at nt th thin time after atter a u long night march the under and Erasmus heavily attacked Bensons rear guard and flanks flank at rein hut but were easily driven away Whether Ihl the attack which resulted so en disastrously or nr whether tho the Hoots Who had II l been repulsed took look ad Rd advantage vantage of JhO rol t to Is un unexplained I explained Jord Kitchener does not give sla tho the date dato of othe tho Bethel engagement |
