The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-11-14
THE BOER WAR!
No Progress Made by the Beers
The British Holding
Them Off.
British Reinforcements Arriving
Probable Outline of General
Buffers Campaign.

The Beers have not improved their
ing the British at several points before
they were expecting it, they won sew
eral small victories, at the start, but
they were brought to check before
Mafeking, Kimberly and Ladysmith
and have since made no. substantial
progress. The British forces at these
three places have not only held them in
check some two or three weeks, but
they have inflicted considerable loss
upon the Beers.
The hope of the Beers was in a sudden
rush that would capture the different
British posts and whip their army in
detail, before it could be reinforced.
They then expected rising of the
Beers in Basuto land, the Orange Free
State, Natal and Cape Colony, and this
would have enabled them to sweep
on to Cape Colony and drive the
British out of South Africa. But they
have lost their opportunity. A force
l
it first appears before it, never cap
lures it afterward without siege, that
is often protracted. The Beers ap-
peared before Mafeking, on their west,
Kimberly, on their southwest, and
ILadysmith on the southeast, soon after
they began the war, and they are there
yet. The British forces have made
several sorties from each of these
places, and severely punished the Beers
showing that they are active, in goot
force, and good spirits.
This week, Gen. Buffers reinforce
ments of $4,000 men will arrive from
different points in the British possess
ions. If the Beers strike before thes'
} troops get ashore, they must do it thi
week, or they may as well give up th'
fight, for Buffers army is superior t.
all their forces, to say nothing of tn
British forces at Ladysmith, Kimberly
Mafeking and other points.
If the Beers attack these three place
this week, they will doubtless be re
pulsed, for these places are all stronge
now than when the Boer army appear
ed before them. And the British vii
not be inclined to surrender, knOwin
that relief is so near.
: Gen. Butler will have three lines {
, operation open to him, but there is n
, information given in the dispatches a
, to which he will take. He can com
Z from Cape Town and Port Elizabeth o
T. the south, and move his force by raj
] north tor Kimberly and Bloenfoumtail
u This would at once raise the siege
r Kimberly and throw his army in ii
5 rear of Kruger's army at Ladysmith, al
u force it to raise the siege of that plac
e and would unite Buffers army wit
: Gen. Whites NOW in Ladysmith) in
march on the Transvaal, with two lin
of railroads for lines of supply. b
~ this would require a movement of g.
: miles from Cape Colony to Kimberl
! Another plan will be to land his arm
- at Durham, 1S9 miles south of Lad
D smith. He would have to move b
:" army from Durham over two or thr,
y ranges of mountains to reach Lad
D smith, with only one line of railroad
" haul supplies over, and he would ha'
~ to fight the Boer army in the passes
% the mountains even after he had r
IL lieved Ladysmith. A third plan
n campaign open to him will be to lal
his army at Delagoa Bay, north of Du
Us toria, the capital of the Transvas
LII This is 13 miles nearer Pretoria thi
Ladysmith is, and Butler would thus
13 miles nearer the Boer capital
N landing at Delagoa Bay, than he wou
be at Ladysmith, after raising t
siege at that place. By landing
D Delagoa Bay he would so threaten t
Boer capital that their forces at Lac
IL smith and Kimberly would have to Fl
back and raise the siege of those plac
or permit HIM to capture the Boer ca
tai and country, and cut off their 81
plies. If they fell back, he would ha
: the shortest line for operations, and c
- forces at Kimberly and Ladysmi
could assist him from the south or
line of railway that runs north fir,
- Ladysmith to Laing's Mex, or til
could join him from Durham by shippi
to Delagoa bay.
Unless exigencies exist that the pl
lie does not know of, Delagoa Bay W
:, in all probability, form Buffers base
A' oper ations. In this event the cont
~ will soon be decided in favor of I
W British.