Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-30
THE RIDE TO KIMBERLEY
GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF FRENCH,s RE.
LIEF OF BELEAGURED CITY.
Brilliant Dash Across the veIdt, by
Which Cronje's Position
Was Turned.
Of the Associated Press.

Correspondence Of the Associated Press.
LONDON, March q. 1900
In the rapid course OF epoch-making
events which preceded and followed the re-
lief OF Kimberley Gen. French's ride to
Kimberley escaped the minute attention 1t
would otherwise have received. 1t is said
that since 1900 cavalry charged and
charged fruitlessly at Balakiava no such
spectacular sight has been recorded in the
annals of war. In this case there were
10000 men, and with them raising the dust
Of the plains were some forty-two guns.
The correspondent of the London Times de-
scribed these things as follows:
From Modder river, from Rensburg and
from De Aar the cavalry, mounted infan-
try and horse artillery came in long lines,
eynestkloof. On Monday the march began.
Ramdam, eight miles to the southeast, was
soon passed. and sharp skirmish secured
Dekiefs Drift. on the Riet.
After q halt of a day the column
moved on. At Kip Drift the cavalry divi-
sion halted night. The GREATNESS haste of
dash through the enemy's country. car
ried out with rapidly probably without
parallel. had left its mark on the horses.
and the transport was hopelessly in the
rear. Five days rations and forage were
carried by each man. and scanty, indeed.
was the amount doled out day by day.
Some of the horses used had but recently
been disembarked and the unexpected eli
mate had impaired their health, apart from
the inevitable slackness caused by a long
sea voyage.
Moving at High Pressure.
1T had not been possible to spare them.
Day after day the cavalry moved at high
pressure over the shadeless veldt during
the hot Of ba &c Hc,11t
to convey to English readers the burden
that this alone entails. The absence OF
shade is not a relative matter. Often for
twenty miles continuously there Is not a
bush that child could creep under for
shadow; the very leaves of the trees that
or deeply serrated-poplars, willows and
babel thorns giving little no shelter from
the tremendous heat of the midday sun.
"On Thursday, the 10th, at 10 o'clock the
critical advance was made and the she'll
ing and capture of two laagers few miles
out Of Kip Drift on the northern side OF
the river cleared the way for the junction
Of the force encamped on the Modder, some
five miles east of the border fence. This
body was composed Of Kitchener's and
Roberts horse and two more regiments OF
mounted infantry. Before they entered the
great plain Of Alexandersfontein the con-
tingent from Modder river-the Scots Grays.
Household Cavalry and two lancer regi-
ments-alos Joined the force, which now
numbered some 10,UUo men, seven batteries
Of horse artillery and three field batteries.
Their entry into the plain was the signal
for the great event Of the day. The plain
Is perhaps three miles In width and five in
length, converging slightly to the north and
fringed with kopjes. Wild ounces and ba-
bel thorns in scattered groups Of threes
and fours are the only trees in this wide
and level expanse, and the whole force,
headed by the lancer regiments and the
Scots Grays as advance guard deployed to
ten-yard intervals and Numbered across il.
Beers Chased From Kopjes.
1.-THE kopjes on either side were held by
Beers. who poured bullets and shells into
the advancing mass, almost hidden by the
curtain of dust that rose from under the
hoofs of the horses. These kopies were
quickly cleared Of their occupants by the
impetuous rush Of the mounted infantry.
Lieut.. Sweet Escott Of the 10th Lancers
was the first officer to fall shot dead at
fifty yards by Boer, who received a lance
through his throat almost before he could
produce the invariable cry for mercy.
Kopje after kopje was cleared, and the
Beers were driven from them right and
left as the column crashed forward like
some great plowshare. thrusting aside the
enemy on either side. helpless to Withstand
this tremendous charge and almost power
less to harm it. A barbed rinderpost fence
across the plain checked the adj
vance for a moment, and that enabled tho
Beers to withdraw their guns. 1t was no
time for flank movement to capture
them.
"At De Villier's farm at the northern
end Of the plain, the column halted and
reformed in column, after watering the
horses. They had come ten miles and bro
ken the ring around the besieged town.
The pace at which the advance had been
made had both minimized the casualties
and prevented Cronie from appearing with
TO- 900 men to line the kopjes on the plain
Cronte realized that he was defeated, and
acted with his usual sagacity. The cav
airy column had scarcely gone five miles
beyond the plain before the OK wagons of
the Beers were tnspanned and the long
lines Of transports were trekking back
across the very line of advance he had
been powerless to check. Cronje decided
with promptttude and acted with decision.
By the evening Of this same day not
man OF all the thousands Of the investing
force beyond few struggling bodies of
men out patrolling or foraging when
Cronje gave the order to retreat was left
on the hills and ridges that had been their
camping ground 50 long.
Horses Feel the Pace.
Meanwhile the cavalry pushed on. From
De Villiers farm the country resembles
some great English park, studded with
single trees and undulating under the long
grass. through which the guns plowed long
tracks in the erumbling red soil. Here the
pace began to tell, and horse after horse
that had struggled on SO far fell dead from
some wound unnouced in the heat of the |
fight. The strain upon the horses Of the
Royal Horse Artillery had been extreme,
and 1t Is impossible to praise too highly |
the handling that brought nearly oil of |
them safely through the melee. |
There was no time to pause and at
last, some three miles on, the first sight
Of Kimberley burst upon the column
through the fringe OF trees AS one ap-
proaches from the southeast the first view
Of the Diamond City. lying stretched along
the line of hills on the horizon, is striking
enough. The long, low town OF white
walled houses, confused in the distance
among the green gardens that surround
nearly every house. divided by huge BLUFFS |
or ratings. each crowned with Its TIM
bering or the occasional spire Of church,
all shfvering in the heat Of the ground /
haze that Is never entirely absent here in |
the heat OF the day. presents picture to |
which there can be few parallels. Senti-
ment apart. this Isolated town of English
men, raised far higher than the crest Of |
Snowden above the sea, Is noteworthy |