The Somerset reporter., 1900-03-08
The south African War.

Ladysmith has been relieved by Gen.
Buffers command or rather the Beers
army has retreated from that part of Mat
al. Under date of March 2, Gen. Butler
| writes: 81 find the defeat of the Beers
more complete than l had dared to anti.
cipate. his whole district is complete
| ly clear Of them and, except at the top
of Van Roenens pass, where several
| wagons are visible can find no trace of
them. Their last train left. Modde,
Spruit station about one O'Clock yester-
day and they then blew up the bridge
They packed their wagons six days ago
moving them To the north of Ladysmith
so that we had no chance of intercep.
! ting them; but they have left vast guam
titles of ammunition of all sorts, herds,
grass, camp and individual necessaries
They have got away with all their guns
except two"
cable from Brussels says that a re
port received there from Boer sources
announces that the siege of Mafekiug
has been raised, the Beers abandoning
the attack for strategic reasons.
The Berliner Post asserts on the au.
thority of a private letter to the Trans
vaal received at Hamburg, that the Boer
republics, Jan. 10, had issued altoge Their
46, 500 Identification cards to Beers in
the field. The writer of the letter
claims that these figures represented the
total federal forces at that time.
Instructions have been sent out by the
militia department for the organization
of provisional regiment for the Cana
dian militia to take the place of the
British regiments at Halifax for garrison
duty.
The Morning Post has the following
dispatch from Osfontein, dated March 3:
Gen French made IA reconnaissance
today, and encountered the enemy in
force. They We're occupying a table.
shaped kopje. Shots were exchanged, a
Boer gun replying"
Beyond the signs of general retreat
of the Beers throughout Cape Colony
there is little news from the front
Lord Roberts in his dispatch to the war
Office thus far published, says little, but
he undoubtedly is active in some direc
ton
The Ons Land, the organ of the Afri-
kander Bund, says: 1.-The Beers will
now contine themselves to the defensive,
abandoning an offensive policy"
Sir Alfred Miner has issued a procla-
iHob'oh hONioi' hS tihi law III LiiO VIC
tricts of Pruska Kenhardt, Bretstown
and Barkley.
The Beers are concentrating at the
junction of Kaal Spruit and the Modder
river, on a farm called Abra1 am's Kraal.
Gen Jeubert is in command, and is re-
ported to have between u, 900 and Is, 00U
men in his forces. The position offers
great natural opportunities for defence,
series of small hills permitting of for
tification and commanding the passage
east. 1t is about thirty five miles south
west of Bloemfontein.
The Beers in the northern Cape
Colony are In full retreat to the Orange
Free State. The possession of Storm
berg puts Gen. Gatacre in railroad COM
munication with General Clements at
COlesberg for though the Beers partial
ly wrecked the railroad, it is understood
that it can be quickly repaired and thus
the entrance of additional British troops
in the Free State will be greatly facii.
tated.
Seen. Butler reports Natal as practi
cally clear of the enemy and that he
cannot hear of any large body of them
anywhere. The Beers left some ambu-
lances full of their sick and wounded
from which the mules had been taken
for transport purposes"
Lord Roberts force at Osfontien ad
vanced early Wednesday morning. Gen.
French turned the southern part of the
position of the Beers who fled, leaving
q gun, immense quantities of forage and
their tents. He started in pursuit. The
Boes on the north bank are also evacu-
ating the position.