Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-27
Which Will Oppose Roberts
is a Large One.
GENERAL WHITES GUNS
Have Been Hard at Work and the
Garrison Expects Early Relief
No News Has Been Received From
Mafeking of Late.

London, Feb. q. 4:2O "a. m.-The Beers
are assembling an army near Bloemfon-
tein with which to dispute the invasion OF
Lord Roberts. This intelligence m
from Pretoria by way of Lorenzo Mar
cues. The commands are described as
'hastening from ali quarters OF the two
republics" No estimate 8 made iof their
numbers, but the withdrawal of the Beers
from most of the places where they have
been in contact with the British except
the district near Ladysmth may rIanse
the resisting force to 80, 1000 men. This hg-
ure assumes that the Beers have between
60. 1000 and 20, 900 men in the field. The
gathering of this army across the path OF
Lord Roberts gives significance TO Gen.
Cronje's %steadfast defense. He has en-
gagged the corps of Lord Roberts for ten
days and, whether he is relieved or not,
he has given time for the dispersed Boer
fractions to get together and to prepare
positions to receive the advance of the
British when Cronje is overcome n
Lord Roberts moves forward.
1t is difficult to conceive that the Beers
are strong enough to take the offensive
and to rescue General Cronje from his
precarious situation. The war office has
nothing after midnight to indicate MS
collapse and he may hold out Tor a Few
days. The correspondents seem to nave
no exact information respecting his re-
sources. Some say he has plenty OF 1000
but is short Of ammunition. Others as
sert that he abandoned his food supplies.
but kept abundant supplies of cartridges.
General Butler on Saturday faced the
last and strongest position OF the Beers
who bar his way to Ladysmith. The
strenuous lighting indicates a battle be-
tween armies rather than rear guard ac-
ions protecting a retreat. On THURSDAY
and Friday he lost forty-three officers
killed and wounded, representing proba-
bly, a total loss of from 400 to 500.
General Whites guns worked on Satur-
day upon the Boer position n a hellO-
gram from Ladysmith reported that the
Beers were retreating and that larger ra-
tons were being issued in view Of the Fact
that relief was at hand.
Nothing has been heard from MateKlng
since Feb. II. The movement on the weld:
away from the railway us becoming in
creasingly difficult for large bodies OF
troops. as the grass is burned up. Cen
eral French has to wagon forage for his
horses and even the Infantry finds long
marches harder than before, as forage
for the transport animals must be car
ried. This requires the formation OF gar
risoned depots. The ordinary campaign
ing season Is over. and the slckly season
for both men and animals has set in.
Technical military writer's take these
things into consideration in forecasting
events
Thu Daily Chronicle says it learns from
private letters that British rifles and am
munition has been landed on the southern
coast of Cape Colony, presumably for the
Dutch colonists.
Lord Roberts has recently received sew
enty~two additional pieces of artillery
Whether all ave been sent to Paardeberg
is not known. Probably the Eighth divi-
sion will leave England next Monday.