The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-03-12 00:00:00

THE POSITION AT POTCHEFSTROOM.

The Daily' Telegraph of Wednesday, in a second
edition, published a telegram under date Newcastle,
March 8, from which we make the following ex-
tract :

A gentleman has just arrived here from the fort outside
Potchefstroom, having walked a long distance on foot. He
swam across the Vaal Drift, and narrowly escaped falling
into the hands of the Boers. He has brought a verbal com-
munication from Colonel Winslow to Sir Evelyn Wood. Up
to the time he left the Boer losses were estimated at 100 men.
There was a plentiful supply of water in the fort, and the
sanitary arrangements were perfect. . . _ _ _

For obvious reasons I refrain from giving any details as to
our own losses or the state of the garrison supplies. It is
believed that our men can hold out for some time yet. The
enemy have managed to bring up an old ship-gun, with
which they fire a 51b. ball. This, if it strikes the wall
within two feet of the top, goes through. When my inform-
ant left on February 19th the Boers had fired 200 rounds with
this gun, but without doing very great damage.
The enemy have splendid cover all round the place. They
have dug trenches within 250 yards of the fort, and are still
digging. They protect their working parties by large bales
of wool, against which our shells are powerless. It is known
as a fact that there are numbers of Free-Staters among the
killed at Potchefstroom, some of them being engaged in
serving the cannon. Our shells have not done much damage
to the houses in the town.

Continual night alarms are given by the enemy, harassing
the sentries and keeping the garrison on the alert. Our
men, however keep hp their spirits well, and look out daily
for the expected reliefs. lhe stock of tobacco is finished, and
grass is now used instead.

It is estimated that Sir Evelyn Wood will, before
the expiration of the armistice, have at the front a
force of fully 5,000 men. They will consist of 1,200
Cavalry—namely, the 6th Inniskillings, the 15th
Hussars, a squadron of the King's Dragoon Guards,
and a corps of Mounted Infantry. He will also have
14 guns, 1,300 men of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of
the 60th Rifles, 200 men of the 58th Regiment, 550 of
the 83rd, 760 of the 92nd, and 780 of the 97th, making
a total of 3,530 infantry of the line. Besides which he
will have the Naval Brigade, with their Gatling guns.
Sir Evelyn will in a few days be joined by Colonel
Redvers Buller, V.C. his old companion in arms,
who was associated with him during the Transkei and
Zulu wars.

As illustrating the rapidity of communication with
the Cape, it may be mentioned that on Monday Mr.
Pender, M.P., chairman of the Cape Cable Company,
telegraphed to inquire whether there was any founda-
tion for the rumour of the death of Sir Evelyn Wood,
and at half-past four received a message declaring the
report to be without foundation.

At a large meeting held at Amsterdam on Saturday
evening resolutions were passed expressing thorough
sympathy with the action of the Boers in the Trans-
vaal, and a firm belief that the love of the people of
England for what is right and just will prevail over
other considerations in regard to the claims of the
Boers,