St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-04-11
WAR IN THE TRANSVAAL.

London. April l0-When it is borne II
mind that all the dispatches from the
front are severely censored, there is little
in today's news to bring satisfaction to
England Assurances that nothing need
be feared, even if the railways and tele-
graphs are cut and Bloemfontein is iso-
lated, together with the news that the
women and other civilians are being or
dered away, do not augur well.
There are rumors from Cape Town that
the telegraph wires were already cut yes
terday. and also that the Hussars VINO
were sent to the relief of the Royal Irish
rifles are also missing, although these
may be the outcome of Boer eXaggera-
lions designed to encourage the burghers
The attempt of General ColV1lle to
catch the Boer leaders in conference at
Reitfontein failed probably, as usual be-
cause of the lack of cavalry
The results of these serious checks to
the British arms is that the whole Free
State is up again, and that the Beers are
full of activity over the entire field.
A belated Boer dispatch says that
bayonets were being made for the foreign
legion under the late General Mareuil.
The Beers are Boosting that the Coles
burg and Stormberg commanders, num-
bering 60O0, with 10 cannon and many
wagons, have gotten safely through, thus
performing magnificent strategic
feat"
A. Boer account of the Bloemfontein
waterworks affair says: Colonel
Broadhead evacuated Thaba N'Chu ow
ing to the advance of Commandant Oil
vier from the south, The federal troops
found the British camp in peaceful SUM
Der, without a sentinel or an outpost to
give the alarm. General De Wet inn
mediately placed guns and the COM
mandoes in such positions as to surround |
the British, who did not have time to re-
cover from their surprise"
The Cape Town correspondent Of The |
Times, discussing the affair, says: All |
the details only serve to bring out clearly |
the marvellous cleverness of the Beers, |
no less than the marvellous carelessness
and improvidence of the British officers,
whom, it would seem, no series of dis
asters will ever teach to keep wide
awake. The Beers in Colonel Broad
woods rear drove his force into the
party at the drift exactly as partridges
are driven to a gun. At the drift itself,
as each wagon descended the hollow, 1t
was shown which way to drive, so as not
to block the convoy. When the guns ar
rived the trap was all clear again for
their reception. AS one who was present
said, 1T was like a cloaToom" The
Beers politely took your rife and asked
you kindly to step to one side. There
was nothing else for you to do.
The American scout, Burnham, testi-
fies to the terrific pace with which the
Boer commanders cover the ground and
the ease with which they move their
guns.
The Beers are displaying increased
activity in Natal, but there is no sign
that General Butler is moving.
Mafeking was still besieged on April l.
The garrison was suffering severely from
lack of bread, and mixture of oats, bran
and mealies was doing duty for the ar
ticle. which is described as coarse in
of the color of gingerbread,
and of the consistency of Norwegian
pine"
A delayed dispatch from Bloemfontein
says that the Royal Irish rifles had been
in the eastern part of the Free
State, collecting arms, and We're return
ing to Bethany Tuesday, when they were
Intercepted by Boer commando, which
lad placed three guns in position. The
IRISH entrenched themselves, while the
mounted infantry secuted along both
tanks, only to find escape impossible.
Che Beers opened with gun and rifle fire.
rhe British replied sparingly with rifle
ire, outstanding their cartridges in the
nope that help would arrive. Gradually
The Beers drew into closer quarters.
They fired internationally during Tues
day night, but did not attempt to rush
the British position until Wednesday,
when the Irishmen, who had fought
tenaciously, were suffering severely from
want Of food and water. BY this time.
also, the rifles had expended their last
cartridges. Finding that there was no !
succor, they surrendered, having fought
for nearly 30 hours. They lost 10 killed
and many wounded. Among the cap |
tured is Captain Tenant, General Cat
acres chief intelligence officer.
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