The Penn's Grove record., 1899-11-03

stores. The townsfolk thereupon became
panic-strieken and took to Aight. They
left the place on horseback and afoot, max
ing their way through the darkness and
Heavy rain to Keker's Farm and Rowan's
Farm, several miles south of Dundee.
News reached Keker's Farm that General
Yule had urged instant retreat to Lady
smith, as the Beers surrounded Dundee.
Then ensued a pitiable panic. Three hum
dred persons, including women n chill
dren, plodded all night In tho torrential
rain over the sodden veldt. Some took
refuge for part OF the night in Il Kafir
kraal. The rest went on to Umsinga, Grey
town and Pietermnritzburg, to which
places they were followed by those who
had sought refuge In the Rraal. The few
persons who had remained In Dunde,
were startled when they found that the
troops had gone and they fed hurrledly.
The Beers we're swarming on the sur
Rounding hills, especially Smiths Hill, on
whieh they had been defeated Friday.
TheJ commenced Smelling the hospital,
from which a party with a flag of truce
went and told Commandant Erasmus that
British and Boer wounded were in the
building. C~ommandant Erasmus expressed
regret for Smelling the place and imme-
diately orderei the firing to cease. He
said he had mistaken the Indian hospital
attendants for soldiers.
AT ~ OclOck IL iaTRe nunoer Oh bOtr
soldiers entered the town and there was Il
~riotous scene. Then u more disciplined
contingent entered and planted the Trans
saal Gag on the courthouse. They informed
;he few inhabitants that they would not
30 molested, adding that the Beers only
aeeded provisions, but needed them badly.
Subsequently there was n wild scene OF
looting. The stores were all broken into,
the Beers taking the most homogeneous
11iYtura nf nlundar 1ndloas pInthfuy
parasols, etc. One burgher, in addition to
a load Of articles OF every conceivable
variety, succeeded In tying a bicycle In
front Of him on his pony.
The correspondent, who had been ar
rested, managed to get away, his guard,
who had taken him outside the town, be-
coming drunk. The correspondent re-
Boer occupation. By Tuesdaythey had APP
pointed a town guard. The patrols pun
ished the Kafirs who had presumed to join
In the looting. A proclamation was Issued
promising safety to those who remained,
and, generally speaking, the Beers were
well behaved.
Tho correspondent saw the funeral OF
a comm, the body being wrapped In a Union
Jack.
Meanwhile General Lucas Meyer was in
formed of the turn OF events and he re-
turned with the Beers who had been de-
feated on Friday to re-enforce Command
ant Erasmus. In the afternoon the Beers
entered the town in large numbers aud
securing more liquor they became excited
and quarrelsome. Some paraded the
streets singing "We are soldiers OF the
Queen" a popular song among the British
troops.
The correspondent Their obtained Com
mandant Bothe's permit to go free. He
left on Thursday and reached Ladysmith
on Saturday. He says that while among
the enemy he learned that many of them
were returning to their homes, having be-
some tired ofthe campaign, which was not
like what they expected.
The most important feature OF the Parlia-
ment session was the Queens propagation
speech, for it contains the assertion that
the Transvaal is already part OF her En-
pire. The phraseology passed almost un-
noticed, but the sentence, 81 trust that
divine blessing will rest on the efforts to
restore peace and good government to that
portion of my Empire" cannot be taken to
mean anything but that Great Britain re-
CARDS the Transvaal as already reverted to
her direct sovereignty. Another interest
Ing point Of the speech was that the war
Was referred to rs "military operations.'
Tho large number OF British officers
killed In the battles which have already
laken place In Natal has brought out
strenuous protests, from many quarters
against tho ancient custom OF British Of
ncers In refusing to take cover when under
fire. From figures Mt Glencoe 1t Is appar-
ent that one out of every four men Killed
was an officer, whereas the organization
exists upon the principle that to every
twenty-five men there is one ofleer.