Connecticut western news., 1899-10-26
MOVING ON KIMBERLEY.
General Cronje Said to Have
 Left Mafeking.
FREE STATE BOERs TO JOIN HIM.
General YuIe Abandons Glencoe and Falls Back to Unite With General white-The Latter Engages Boers to Cover YuIe's Movements.

|
 Falls Back to Unite With General
 white-The Latter Engages Boers | to Cover Yule's Movements. | London, Oct. 25.-The Daily Tele. | graph publishes this dispatch from it's | special correspondent at De Aar, Cape | Colony:
 | "Commandant Cronje, who has twice been repulsed at Mafeking, is stated to be advancing on Kimberley and to be | commanding men, stores and munitions | of war in British territory. He has left | a small command investing Mafeking.
 "The Free State Boers are moving | westward in order to join Cronje for an | attack on Kimberley.
 One rider who rode into Kimberley | last Friday was chased for r miles by | the Bosrs, narrowly escaping with his | life. The same man returned safely with | dispatches to Orange river today. When he had reached a point 80 miles | from Kimberley, his horse fell and kick | ed two fingers of the mans hand against a rock, but despite his painful wound | the gallant fellow made a good journey here.
 Afraid to Attack Kimberley. "He reports that the Boers are three miles from Kimberley, but are afraid to attack the place and are waiting for the arrival of Cronje. There are no Boers south of Belmont, which is 20 miles north of Orange river. "The defeats in Natal are taking all the fight out of them, and they will not attack the British troops, though they may defend few chosen positions. In- deed, 1t is believed here that the heaviest fighting of the war is over, except for a battle near Pretoria. "The Transvaal government is issuing proclamation declaring the district north of the Vaal river, including Bech uanaland, to be Boer territory. The Free State is taking similar action in regard to Griqualand West and the area between the Vaal and Orange rivers. The Daily Mail publishes this dispatch from its special correspondent at Cape Town concerning the operations in Ma tai:
 General Yule has performed a bril- liant strategical movement. By swift march to the south, leaving Glencoe empty, he has effected a junction of his forces with those of General White, slightly to the north of Ladysmith. The two are now in position to offer battle.
 'I believe that the first attack will be made on a large Free State commando
  Tintwa pass and has since been haras- sing Ladysmith.
 To Attack Boer Commands In Detail.
 ''The military authorities decided that by joining forces the two generals would be better able to cope with one large force at time than by having two small attachments oppose simultaneously two big Boer forces.
 Accordingly, after defeating the Free State troops, they will offer battle to Joubert.
 "Only 40 miles now separate the two Boer forces, hence the need of swift and telling action. The two sections of the Boer army together outnumber the en- tire British force by three to one.
 "Hard fighting is certain at a very early date. Our men are confident, and there is much enthusiasm.
 "The fighting outside of Ladysmith was a mere brush, the losses on either side being insignificant. It was merely an artillery duel, in which the Boers came off decidedly the worst.
 "A private telegram from Delagoa bay says a man who has just arrived from Johannesburg states that the Transvaal government has commandeer- ed $50 beds in private houses there for the wounded which are being brought from the front.
 from the front"
 White Covers Yule's Movement.
 The following dispatch from General Sir George Stewart White to the Mar quis of Lansdowne, secretary of state for war, dated Ladysmith, Oct 24, 9 p. m., received last evening at Il o'clock, was posted at the war office soon after mid night:
 "Information received yesterday show ed that the Boers had established them selves in considerable numbers in an ex- ceedingly strong position west of the main road leading from Ladysmith to Dundee.
 "I also had information that the Dun- dee force, formerly commanded by Gen. eral Symons, and since his wound com handed by General Yule, was falling back on Ladysmith by way of the Help makaar road, Beth and the valleys of the Waschban.x and Sunday rivers and was expected to reach Sunday River val ley today.
 "I therefore moved out with a strong force to cover the movement of Yule's column. The enemy was discovered about seven miles out of Ladysmith in a posi- ton of exceptional natural strength, west of the road. When he saw that prepara- tions were being made against him, he opened fire with one gun, with great ac- curacy.
 Our artillery soon got into position, and the gun was silenced. Our troops were ordered to occupy a strong ridge parallel to the enemy's position, but nearer to the road.
 q confined my efforts to occupying him and hitting him hard enough to pre- vent his taking action against Yule's col umn. Numbers of the enemy fed to the west and the firing had practically ceas- ed at 2 o'clock
 Last Weeks Battles.
 The British troops under General French on Saturday captured the Boer camp at Elandslaagte with loss of 150 killed and wounded. The Boer loss was heavy. General de Rock was killed, and