Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-02-23
ENGLAND IND Tub BOERS.
More About the Pig-Stieking
Which she English are En-
gagged ina.

old soldiers, retired or resigned of
heerS and privates, to form Home
Guard for a year.
The war in South Africa has now
reached the hottest stage yet attained.
with fighting all along tue line. The
tide has turned ia favor of the
British. The Boer women have de-
cided to take up arms and fight in
the trenches.
The Boer artillery is far superio.
to the British. In 1894 the Trans
vaal began thorough armament of
the burghers with Krupp guns and
Austrian small arms, which have
proved to be the best in modern war
fare.
French seems to be the British
Stonewall Jackson. He has a way
of getting there" which has so far
not been shown by any other British
commander lie is the only one FIRST
sent to Africa who has not vet been
defeated. Queen Victoria has pro.
NOTED French to Major General
from the rank of Colonel.
Kimberley Is Saved.
LoNDoN, Feb, 16 All London
was electrified to-day by the posting
oil the following notice at the War
Office at 9:51 a. M. "From Roberts
to Secretary War, received to-day:
JACoBsDAL, Feb. 16-French, with
horse artillery, cavalry and mounted
infantry reached Kimberley this
evening Thursday"
General French, in command of
the cavalry division and with strong
force of horse artillery, left Modder
river Sunday morning for Rambam,
where the whole division concen-
trated. The next day he made a
rapid march to Riet river, where a
party of Beers conte ted his passage
OF Dekell and Waterfall Drifts. AT
ter some hours Smelling, General
French drove the Beers away and
crossed the river. Tuesday the col
umn continued its march to X lip and
Romdaval Drifts on the Modder
river, where again a short ell
gagement ensued, General French
Smelling the Beers vigorously and
forcing passage. The Beers pre-
cipitately retreated, leaving five
iaagers in the hands of the British.
besides a great quantity of cattle
and 1000 sheep. The rapidity of
General French's march, and the
overwhelming nature of his force, en-
abled him, in spite of the difficulties
OF water transportation, to thorough.
ly outwit and surprise the Beers.
General French starting from
Euslin, marched 90 miles by a
round about way to Kimberley in
four and half days, besides fighting
two small engagements.
The British army, for the first time
since the war began, is inside the
Boer frontier. Lord Roberts, with at
least 10000 infantry, 1000 cavalry
aud 100 guns, has turned the Mag
ersfontein lines, before which the
British forces have been eucamped
for ten weeks, and with half of his
corps, is already operating in Free
State territory. The Beers fought
splendidly, disputing every inch of
ground. General Cronie left a gun.
his tents, food and clothes at Mayors
fonteln.
JACoBsDAL, Feb. 17.-General
kelly-Kenny is still pursuing the
Beers. lie has now captured more
than one hundred wagons. General
French has left Kimberley to ioin IN
the pursuit.
Wanted Rhodes.
Cecil Rhodes was cooped up in
Kimberley aud the desperate efforts
of the Beers to capture the place
were promoted, in a large degree, by
their desire to take as prisoner the !
man whom they hold responsible for
the whole trouble in South Africa. |
They had expected to hold him in |
ransom for 100000.
"Bobs" Is Praised.
Lord Roberts, whose first move
has been such brilliant success, is
being praised in London. The re-
lief of Kimberley besieged is due, in
the public mind, TO his brilliant
strategy. Kitchener and French are
not forgotten, as it is believed the
former organized the forces, and
French, the cavalry leader, executed
Roberts plan with boldness and
dash.
The Beers Retreat
The Neac York Tsf5une's London
correspondent says to day:
kimberley has been relieved al
most too cheaply, since the Dutch
forces have retreated rapidly, taking
their guns with them, and will have
to be fought in other defensive posi-
tions. farther north. French's fiying
column may succeed in intercepting
the retreat of the scattered comman-
does, but the bulk of the Boer force
will probably escape northward. 1t
is to be borne in mind that the Beers
who are now falling back upon Bio
emfontein, if not beyond Bloemfon-
TEN, are the same soldiers who de-
feated Methuen and Gatacre. and
under the same commanders. But
Methuen had perhaps $4,000 men
and Gatacre two-thirds of that num-
Der. Lord Roberts force consists of
4 division of cavalry and horse ar
nllery, and two infantry divisions
to follow, not counting Lord Meth
mems force, probably mall very near
y $4,000 men.
General Butler can perform the
most important British service in
south Africa by holding large /
body of Beers along the line of the
rugela river until Lord Roberts PEN
,trates into the heart of the Boer
territory.