Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-27

base when ii was stopped by an oDpos-
ing force of Beers, then allowed to go
on until. at Moddcr River. 1t lost more
than 600 men. and was obliged to stay
there at the Beers pleasure.
General Butler had intended to assail
the Free State. but he was alarmed at
the reports from Ladysmith and gave
the command of the army of invasion
over 10 Gatacre, himself going to the
relief of General White. But General
Gatacre walked right into Il Boer trap
ut Stormberg. and for n long time it
was feared That his whole force would
either be captured or destroyed AS for
Butler, all the world knows what hap
pened TO him; in brief, ii Was what
happened TO all the othcrs-he was out
generated. brought to a halt and only
allowed To fight whenever the Beers had
him at disadvantage ana could
slaughter his men without overcXpos-
ing themselves.
During the first two months OF the
war the Beers had a round half dozen
of the British generals bottled up,"
and ther2 theX wore lzent Until The AZ
rival of overwhelming e-enforcements
under Lords Roberts and Kitchener.
With the coming of Little Bobs"
things took on Il more roseate hue By
the skillful use of the enormous forces
at his command he nanked that re-
doubtable old lion Cronje out of his
lair and eventually caused his surren-
der. with several thousand of his men
Another great loss 10 the Beers about
this time WAS the death by disease OF
General Joubort and the capture of SOW
cral foreign subsidiaries who were serv
nS in the federal army All the be-
leaguered points were relieved but
Mhfcking, one after another the Beers
sullenly retleating toward their great
central base in the direction of Pretoria
This withdrawal, however, can hardly
be called retreat. since it had been
anticipated in the Boer scheme of on.
erations and was expected by them in
case the British came upon them in
overwhelming numbers. But thcy con-
tinued TO harass the British lines of
communication by sudden dashes at ex-
posed points and by gathering in small
detached bodies of infantry or cavalry
and whenever the van of the English
columns came up with the rear guard
Of their enemies they discovered that
the snarling boar had teeth. which it
used to good advantage upon the too
sanguine foe.
After the inevitable capture of the
Free State capital Bloemfontein. Rob
erts halted awhile to rest and recuper-
ate-to perfect his line of communIca-
ton with the Cape. nearly ZOO miles in
length; to replenish his exhausted
stores. and 20 nll the gaps in the caval-
~ ranks.
Up to this sroint the respective losses
were all OF two 10 one against the Brit
ish, and the number of prisoners. ag-
gregating over 1000. have become a Sc
we're tax upon the hospitality of the
Beers. Notwithstanding the vast
amounts of provisions of all kinds they
have been accommodating for years
Great Britain now has zoo eco men in
the field, commanded by the greatest
OF her generals and supported at an ex-
pense which the British taxpayer may
we'll regard with dsmay. AT last. but
only after having 1t hammered into her
by repeated tnrashings, she has taken
the real measure of her antagonist and
has come to tho conclusion that he is
not so easy" after ali.
But the kernel OF the matter is this: