Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-03-30
To the Relief of Kimberley Was
a Brilliant Act.
Kronje's Retreat and Capture Another
Handsome Piece of Work.
Graphic Stores OF the Campaign from Pens
OF Eye Witnesses.


| been 50 interesting. Within the last
| fnw days some 80 columns OF thos"
have appeared III the London papers
ana for the first time Great Britain
| has learned the dramatic details that
marked the ride Of Gen. French liilo
| Kimberley the advance Of Lofd l'op-
crts into the Orange Free state. IN"
| corrallinE Of Gen. Cronjc. the advance
| to relieve Ladysmith and the tcrror3
| of the sicgcs of Kimberley ana Male
king.
From this interesting accumulation.
the most vivid is. perhaps. tn" detailed
account of Gen. Frcnch's ride to \hn-
| bcricy. In the rapid cours" 81 epoch
making events which preceded ana
| followed the relief of Kimberley TINS
| exploit escaped the attention 1t would
otherwise have received. The CORE
sppnd"nt of the London Times describ-
ed the ride of Gen. French into Kim
bcrley as follows:
From Moddcr river, from fcnshurE
and from De Aar the cavalry, mount
"a infantry ana horse artillery cam"
| in long lines concentrating az GraSpin
| ana Honcyncstkoof. ON Monday. tn"
march began: Randlm. miles t. TN
southeast. was soon passed ana
sharp skirmish secured IL kicrs drift
on the Rict. After 4 halt uf DAY thr
column moved on. AT Kip drift the
cavalry division halted at night. Inc
GREATNESS hast" Of dash through thc
cncmy's country carried out with
rapdity probably without parallel had
left its mark on the horses and IN"
transports We're hnpcleSsiy in the rear
ION the 18th, at 10 o'clock. the criti-
cal advance was made and the Smelling
and capture Of two laa@crs few miles
out of Kip drift Oh the northern side
of the river. cleared the way for TIA"
conjunction of the force cncamped on
the Moidcr. some ) miles east ot tn"
Border fence. This body Wa ComppS-
ed of Kitchcncr's and Roberts hors"
and two more regiments Of mounted
infantry. Before the evening, thu
great plain of MISUNDERSTANDING, the
contingent from M0ddcr river, Tho
Scots Greys. Household cavalry and
two Lancer regiments also joined tn"
force which now numbered some To-
coo men. seven batteries of horse artil-
lcry and three field batteries. Their
entry into the plain was the signal for
the great event II the day. Tic plain
il perhaps three miles in width ANA
five in length. converEing slightly to
the north and frnGcd with kopjcs.
THE kopjes on either side We're held
by the Beers who poured bullets ana
shells into the advancing mass. almost
hidden hy the curtain IF dust that
rose from under the hoofS Of the
horses. These We're quickly cleared IF
their occupants by the impctuous rush
Of the mounted infantry. Lieut.. Sweet
Escott Of the 10th Lanccrs. was the
first officer to fan. shot dead at 80
yards by a Bucr. who received Lance
through his throat almost before H.
could produce the inVariahlc cry for
mercy. Kopjc after kopjc was cleared
ana the Hocrs were driven from them
right and left as the column crashed
followed like some great plough share.
thurstinc aside the enemy on either
side. helpless to withstand this tire
mcndous charge aud almost powerless
to harm it. y barbcd rindcrpost fence
stretched across the plain checked the
advance a moment and the halt en-
abcd the Beers to withdraw their
guns. 1t was not time for Il flank
movement tn capture them.
Ni I''N lit''I Itii Ill 1T tIi'' Ii''l NV -
end Of the plain. tho column halted and
reformed in column after watering
their horses They had come 10 miles
ana broken the ring round tho hr-
| Si"gcd town. Tho pace at which the
advance had been made had both min
imizcd tho casualties ana prevented
| Crunjc from appearing With 10000 men
| to line the kopjcS IN the plain. The
| latter realized that HI was defeated
ana acted with his usual sagacity Hy
| the evening Of this same day not
man was left On the hills ana ridges
| that had 50 long been their camping
| ground.
Meanwhile the cavalry pushed on.
| From Dcvillier's farm the country re-
srmblcd some great English park stud
dcd with single trees ANA undulatine
under the long sunburnt grass, through
which the guns ploughcd long tracks
in the crumbIing red soil. Here the
pace began to tell and horse after
horse that had struggled on so far fell
| dead from some wound unnoticcd in
! the heat of the fight.
There was no time to pause and,
al last some three miles on. the first
sight of Kimberley burst upon the
column through the fringe Of trees
! The Beers on the north Of the town
We're firing their last shots from their
great gun in ignorance of their failure
on the south but they soon stopped and
Gen. French entered the town which
within a moment had put out its flags
and decorations. The panic that had
been caused by the continuous burst
ing Of the huge shells over every part
Of the besieged town vanished and
from the 1200-fOOt level Of the diamond
| mines thousands of women and chill
dren emerged into the light Of day"
| From a concise and graphic summary
from man on the spot. Of the move
| ments which led to the corralling Of
Cronje. Provost Battersbys letter from
Paardebcrg to the London Morning Post
is probably unequalled. Under date Of
Feb. a ne writes:
after the pathetic utilities and tenta-
tive half measures Of this war it is a
mental relief to he confronted by a STRAIT
egy boldly conceived and unlinchingly
| executed.
''Cronie living in insolent security
| across the hopes of Kimberley heard
that an army had broken at five points
into the state and was moving no one
knew whittier. Gen. French swept the
drifts with his cavalry and his guns and
other portions of this army doomed IN ia