The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1900-02-23
REAR GUARD FIGHTS
Beers Flying TO BlOemfontein Be
fore the British.

fore the British.
London, Feb. 19.-It il now amnlv
confirmed that General Cronie escaped
Every detail received, however. proved
how admirably Lord Roberts plans were
conceived and were succeeding, But for
the unexpected delay at DekiPs Drift.
which was almost impossible for wagons.
the whole BOpr force would have been
surrounded. The delay Of one day there
gave them their chance for hasty re-
treat. All the other movements OF Lord
Roberts were executed exactly on time.
Apparently, General CrOnje is retreating
with the main army and even il he ca
capes altogether he will probably lose
all his baggage. There il still some
thing doubtful about the capture Of the
British convoy. According to a Daily
Mail correspondent with the CONVOY.
which consisted of 200 wagons. each
loaded with 5000 pounds Of rations and
OF forage, each drawn by 16 oxen, it was
quite unexpectedly attacked by a com
mandO supposed to come from Coles
burg. The escort, consisting Of 80 Of
the Gordon Highlanders, 40 men Of the
army service corps, and few Of Kitch-
ener's horse, maintained defense until
the arrival Of reinfOrcements, sustaining
insignificant casualties.
The Standards correspondent at
JacObsdal telegraphing Thursday, Feb
ruary 15 says: "An attack was made
yesterday upon the rear guard Of our
main body by force Of 14OO Beers,
who were hurried up from CoIesburg.
They succeeded in capturing some OF our
wagons, but Lord Roberts did not delay
his march to retahe these. There we're
but few casualties on our side.
Lord Roberts combinations for the
movements OF the corps dOvetaiIed with
precision, although obstacles that had
not been fOrseen had been overcome.
The execution OF his design began at 3
a. N. Sunday. General French rode in
to Kimberly Thursday afternoon, lust
when be was due, according to the field
marshals time table, having in four and
half days marched 90 miles with ar
tillery, and having fought two small en-
gagements.
The relief OF Kimberley was accom-
plished with the loss of only 80 men.
Twenty thousand infantry made splen-
did marches under a sub-tropicaI sun
and through dust storm to hold the
positions which General French took.
French's March 10 Kimberley.
Modder River, Feb. 2O.-Although the
rapid march Of General Frenchs divis-
ion was marked by number of conflicts
the entry to Kimberley was unoppOsed.
When the British were still eight miles
of the signalling corps intercepted a
hellograph message from the beleaguered
garrison to MOddeT river, saying: THE
Beers are shelling the town"
The advance column replied: "This
is General French coming to the relief OF
Kimberley"
This was received incredulously and
the Kimberley citizens thought the mess
age was Boer ruse and flashed the
query: What regiment" The reply
satisfied the residents. A few hours
later General French at the head Of a
column made a triumphal entry into
the city, the people surrounding the
troops and intermingling with them,
cheering wildly, grasping the soldiers
hands, waving flags, hats and handker-
chiefs and exhibiting in a hundred ways
the intensity Of their Joy.
The inhabitants had been living on
horsefesh for a long time and had lived
in burrows beneath mine refuse RatiOns
were served daily at IL O'Clock in the
market square under the fire OF the
enemy, whose guns opened on the square
whenever the inhabitants assembled. No
horse food was left.
Throughout the siege Cecil Rhodes
provided the natives with work and food
and thus kept them quiet.
The miles ofconvOy bearing provisions
for the relief OF the column and the town,
slowly winding its way across the plain
in the direction of Kimberley, was the
gladdest sight which greeted the eyes of
the besieged for four months.
General French's march was 60 rapid
and the heat so intense that many OF
his horses died Of exhaustion. At the
crossing of the Modder river the Beers
bolted, leaving their tents, guns, wagons
and large quantities OF ammunition in
the hands OF the British.
Moving northward, the Beers again
attempted to stem the advance but Gen
eral French turned their flank and
reached his goal with insignificant losses
seven men killed and 80 wounded
during three days from February IA to
February 16. After a nights rest at
Kimberley General French's column pur-
sued the Beers to Brontveld, surrounded
the kopies on which they were camped
and shelled them until nightfall, when
the Beers fed, leaving many dead.
General Cronie left his tents, food and
clothes at Magersfontein.