English: Newspaper report: The Boer War. The Reverse at Helvetia, in The Argus (Melbourne), 2 January 1901. Page 6. Text:

THE BOER WAR.
THE REVERSE AT HELVETIA.
FURTHER DETAILS.
A NAVAL GUN CAPTURED.
LONDON, Dec. 31.
Further details have been received of the
reverse which on Saturday last befell the
British garrison at Helvetia, a strong posi-
tion on the branch railway to Lydenburg
from Machadodorp, on the Delagoa Bay
line, when a detachment of the Liverpool
Regiment was attacked by a force of Boers,
who succeeded in completely overwhelming
them and capturing the town, the Liver-
pools sustaining a loss of 50 killed and
wounded, 200 of them being taken pri-
soners.
Early on Saturday morning the Boers sur-
prised the town, and rushing upon a 4.7
naval gun captured it.
Subsequently a British force, under
Colonel Reeves, of the Royal Irish Fusi-
leers, opened a heavy file upon the Boers
from Swartz Kopjes, driving the enemy out
of Helvetia.
The Boers surrounded the gun with pri-
soners, thus preventing the British from fir-
ing upon it. By this means they were en-
abled to withdraw it, though they faded to
take away with them any ammunition.