Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-02-23
lord ROBERTs' REpoRT.

|
London. Feb. 22.-i:l1 p. m.-Thc War
Office has received from Lord Roberts
the following message, which was de-
layed in transmission. dated Paarde-
berg. Wednesday, February 2l:
~ eSterday afternoon | was satisfied,
| DF careful reconnaissance in force OF
| the enemy'S position. that | could not
assault 1t without very heavy loss.
| which / was most anxious TO avoid. Ac-
| cordingly decided to lombard him
| with artillery and turn my attention to
f, the enemy's reinforccments. The re-
suit was most satisfactory. The Beers
/ NcTc driven on III lit directions, LOSING
Il good many killed and wounded and
| about 30 prisoners who say they ar
| rived from Ladysmith two days ago by
| rairond. They also say 1t was our ar
! tillcry fire which caused them TO aban-
don the kopjc they were occupying.
our loss was Two officers, Captain
Lieutenant Houston. OF the artillery,
and four men, all slightly wounded.
TERRIFIC FIGHTING
paardeberg Drift. o. +. S.. Tuesday.
via Modder River, Feb. 2i.-Onc OF the
costlicst actions of the war occurred
| at Paardcberg Drift Sunday, February
| 18th. General Kelly Kenny, in his pur-
suit of General cronjc, caught his rear
| guard AT Kip Drift and followed tho
! Burghers To tie Beers laagcr at
| koodoosrand. irhc-Brft action-bef5a,i-
AT daybreak, the mounted infantry
| driving the Boer rear guard up the
river towards the main body, while
another body Of mounted infantry ma
| noeuvred on the right, front and flank
| OF the Beers. The British main body
advanced to outtlank the Bocr luager
| on the north bank of the river Gen
crai kelly-kcnny having seized two
drifts. found the Beers strongly en-
closed and ordered an attack, with the
Highland brigade on the left and Gen
cral KnoX's brigade on the centre and
right. while General Smith Dorricn's
brigade crossed the river and advanced
along the north bank. On both the
| north and south banks the ground is
level and the advance across this was
deadly and the British losses were
heavy. Tho battle was an exact
replica of the Modder River. The SOL
! dicrs We're under fire all day long. aud
MI tho fighting had no definite result.
rs the Hoers lager was we'll barri-
| caded and they remained therein The
! british guns shelled the laager vigor-
| ously and the l'ocrs confessed to a los.
! OF over 500 mon
The terrific Smelling was resumed
Monday. when General Cronic asked
for an armistice
| The Smelling was continued Tuesday.
over fifty guns pouring lead into the
| Boer camp.
GENERAL cRoNJE's POSITION.
Paardcberg Wednesday. Feb. Ell
G:a0 ~ MA Boer kopje has been
captured, with fifty prisoners.
| General Cronje's position is I'M
changed.
EuLLER's CASUALTIES MONDAY.
London. Feb. 22.-Gencral Butler re-
| ports that his casualties Monday. Feb
rrary IL. were: killcd-Captain Thor
burn, of the Royal Eusiliers Wounded
Two officers and fourteen men.
SEIZED STEAMER MASHONA.
! Cape Town, Feb. 2l.-The Supreme
| Court has adjourned the case of the
| seized steamship Mashona To March ..
in order 10 give the owners a chance to
SHOW the vessel had no intention of
| trading with the Beers
BuLLER TO AID ROBERTS.
London, Feb. % q :i5 p. mall the
! critiaS- Gf-1he-aE ieinoan- "a perei
urge rushing reinforccments to Lord
! Roberts. so that he may be able to risk
much i'm cndeavoring To innict deci-
| sivc defeat before the l3ocr forces. gath
erng from every quarter. strengthens
ing General Cronjc's threatened force
The relief OF Ladysmith is now taken
to be matter OF course. and is likely
| 10 be announced before the end OF the
| week. hut ii is quite within the proba-
bilities that severe lighting will occur
| previous 10 the relief, while the detach-
ments To be sent by General Butler to
| reinforce Lord Roberts. subsequent to
the relief. are likely to meet with siren
uous resistance in the passes OF the
| Drakensberg, in which fairly powerful
| burgher forces remain
Boer reports say General Joubert's
ncves are unstrung, and that he no
longer exercises the chief command.
AN IMPROBABLE STORY.
London, Feb. GA dispatch from
Sterkspruit. dated Wednesday, Febru-
airy u, says:
The prominent rebels in this dis
trict intend 10 surrender. ana the
Stcrmburg rebels will shortly lay down
their arms
There have been many euogistic ref
erences TO the speeches of Laurier and
other Canadians on the subject of the
losses of the Canadians in South At
RIGA. concerning which. curiously
enough. there is not single word. oili-
/ cal or otherwise, known or published
/ here, except that two officers were
! wounded.
\ ROBERTS GRIP TIGHTENING.
/ Great relief has been caused here nv
'tHe recipe va tie ftNS from faarde-
| berg. showing tina; Lord Roberts is
/ personally experimenting the opera
tons, and, though it is difficult TO
! grasp the real situation, it is generally
| thought Lord Roberts is gradually
tightening his grip on General Cronje's
forces. In spite of the apparent fail
ure OF Sundays attempt to storm the
l3oer position it is evident that General
| Cronic is not merely laagered in the
| ordinary acceptatiun of the term, but
| occupies Il carefully prepared and
strongly entrenched position, previous
! ly made ready with the object of