The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-03-01
Willy B0ERS
ARE AT BAY
Gen. Cronje Calmly Awaits
His sAnnihilatiOn.'
A SECOND ARMY FORMING
H,rdes Of Burghsrs Flock To Bloemfon-
tein To Enlist For Defense Of
the Transyaal.

are assembling an army near Bloeni'
fontein, with which to dispute the
invasion of Lord Roberts. This in
telligence comes from Pretoria by way
of Lourenzo Marquee. The command
oes are described as Fastening from
all quarters of the two republics.
"No estimate is made of their num-
bers, but the withdrawal of Beers
from most of the places whero they
have been in contact With the British,
except the district near Ladysmitb,
may raise the resisting force to 30, 600
men. This figure assumes that the
Beers have between 10000 and 10000
men in the field.
"The gathering of this army across
the path of Lord Roberts gives signifi-
cance to General Cronje's steadfast de-
fense. He has engaged the corps of
Lord Roberts for ten days now, and
whether he is relieved or not, he has
given time for the dispersed Boer fac
tions to get together and to prepare
positions to receive the British adj
vance when Cronje is overcome and
Lord Roberts moves forward.
EFT is difficult to conceive that the
Beers are strong enough to take the
offensive and to rescue General Cronje
from his precarious situation.
General Butler on Saturday laced
the last and strongest positions of the
Beers who bar his way to Ladysmith.
The strenuous fighting indicates a
battle between armies, rather than
rear guard actions protecting re-
treat. On Thursday and Friday he
lost forty-tbree officers killed and
wounded, representing probably a
total loss of from 400 to 500.
General Whites guns worked on
Saturday upon the Boer positions and
a heliogram from Ladysmith reported
that the Beers we're retreating and
that larger rations were being issued
in view of the fact that relief seemed
at hand. Nothing has been heard from
Mafeking since February 10Th.
'sThe ordinary campaigning season
is over, and the sickly season for bott
men and animals has set in. Techni
cal military writer's take these thing:
into consideration in iorecostine
events"
If the latest dispatches from Paar
deherg throw any light on the situa
ton, they show that General Cronje''
forces have far more protection from
Field Marshal Lord Roberts heav!
fire than the first dispatches indicated
A cable dispatch from Paardeberg
dated Saturday, February Oath, says
"A balloon has discovered the enc
my we'll covered by system Of bur
rowing in the river bank, which re
sembles rabbit warren, and afford
q shell-proof position.
PRETORIA IS IMPRRGNABLE.
Mr.. Montague White, the Boer rep
resentative, now in New York, said t.
Press reporter:
''It seems to me Cronje has oftere'
himself and his men as b sacrifice t.
hold Lord Roberts great army il
check till second line of defenses ar
completed.
"If Cronje and his men are cap
tured it will not end the war. 1t vii
be a tremendous blow, but not a nor
tai one.
"The war will not end until Preto
ria falls, and when the British reacl
the Transvaal capital many thousan'
lives will have been lost. The Boer
believe that Pretoria is impregnable
aud there is good reason for THEN con
fdence. AS to intervention, the out
look is not pleasing. I see no hop
in Europe, unless Russia should tax
action, and that does not appear like
ly. believe Emperor William woul
like to stop the war, but he does nc
exactly know how to go about it.