, 1900-02-23

Reinforcements Terrific ARTILLERY
Fire Poured On Burglars, While
English Remain Out of Rifle R3nge
Paardeberg Drift, Orange Free State,
Feb. 2O.-As night fell after the terrific
fighting which lasted all day Sunday,
there was a sudden cessation OF IRE.
as both sides were thoroughly tired
n glad to rest. The work OF collect
ing the dead and wounded proceeded
7nd III" men slept where they fought
the whole day.
The action WIS one of the most fear
fully contested in the history Of tho
war, FIR the Beers were grimly tight
ing for their lives, while the British
detcrminedly harassed them. The
mounted infantry did good work and
tho Highland brigade fought steadily
and Sternly. The whole force behaved
well.
Sunday evening the Gordon around
tn" Beers was completely closed ca
every side in perfect silence. A few
Beers came into camp during the night
and confessed they were sick Of fight
ing and that General Cronje ri be-
ing urged to surrender.
All the animals and the men suk-
fcred terribly from thirst, as It was
i'm nnCGihlE To fronppn~f ~yAkAe
heavy thunder storm in the afternoon.
however, considerably relieved their
sufrerings.
Lord Kitchener was present With
the force.
General Macdonald was wounded In
the foot, but not severely.
General Cronj s force occupies the
river bed. Our men marched splen-
didly to overtake the retreating enemy.
d serters say that a great number Of
the Beers lost their horses. Trek oxen
ar" daily seen wandering over the
plain and many come into lines.
London. Frb. 22.-Generai. Croeje a-
cornered. Will he fight to the death
or surrender; can heavy r~einforcements
now rushing to his aid break through
the British Gordon around the Beers?
1t is 10, 900 against $4,000 British In
the rocky bed of the Modder river,
east Of Kimberley. This is the scene
+ the most d sperate struggle Of the
war.
Already there has been heavy fight.
ing, with hundreds of killed and
wounded. but the iron willed, cold
blOdcd Kitchener, who is command
ing at the front, permits only frag-
ments Of news to come back to Eng
land. He is initiating General Grant
in many Of his methods.
When the confederates in Fort DON
aldscn asked General Grant for an ar
mistice he replied: Il propose moving
OH your works at daybreak."
When CrOnie asked, Kitchener for
a sin TT truce to bury the dead, this
new ~autocratic c~onqu0ror's answer
was. "!Not a minute: your whole force
must surrender or fight to a fnish.".
Every minuta counts now for Brit
ISL and BOer, for r~einforcements are
rushing from Pretoria in the north.
from T.adysmith in the east, from
ColesLnrg in the south.
Lord Roberts msn beat off the first
Beer detachments arriving, apparently
coming fr2m Ladysmith by rail to
Pretoria and then to B~loemfontein.
but every day thousands more OF Beers
are rushing to help entrapped Gener-
al Cronje.
Paardebcrg Drift, where Cronje Is
making his gallant stand, Is twenty
five miles from Modder River station
and the %precipitous river banks offer
a splendid shelter against which the
attacking infantry is exposed to a
deadly rifle fire.
The casualties to the Higland bril-
gldcs and other British infantry and
other regiments, owing to the attempt
to take the position by assault, must
number hundreds.
The BOer position offers an easy
mark for the artillery. The British
batteries of fifty guns, directed against
the huge trenches, must have wrought
terrible havoc among the Boer defend
ers.
This probably explained General
Cronje's request for an armistice. See
ing his men fall like summer hies
around him, and his reply to Kitchen
er, Il will fight to a finish" gives
the first indication Of the true Boer
mettle, which had never really been
tested. Admiration for General Cron-
je's brilliant retreat, which is general
ly expressed in the English papers,
has suddenly chilled Brittons to the
tragic possibilities.
Should this conflict end in the ex-
termination of the victors Of Mayors
fontein, little quarter would be given
by sither side in future. The war is
Just beginning in full earnest.
London, Feb. 23.-The Times has
the following from P~aardeberg, dated
FEBRUARY Fl.
L ayNy . rnn nNnrc from