Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-03-01
B A WONDERFUL SCENE
3ifDay OF Cronje's Impris-
\ 3tnent and Resistance.
! 5WOULD NOT SURRENDER
NRoberts Determined to
the Enemy.
II Ux1kjsh Exploded Lyddite Shells, Rails
nK Ht3At Clouds of Green Smoke That
Filled the Bed of the Modder
|$fvS he Fire Was Concentrated Upon
j s1&<6 a bout nile Square.

8Aberg Drift, Orange Free State,
b Monday morning broke find
3 9Boers in the same place. they
Curing ths night constructed
Vhhents around the laager, which
eM threatened by Gen. Smith
n. The infantry rested after the
d lighting on Sunday. A battery
u artillery started to observe the
IEho was holding a kopje, but,
rjding around the southern side
kopje, they received q heavy
IM and were obliged to move
tout. They sustained no casualty,
Il proof OF the Beers bad marks
Iii Pushing on, the detachment
that the kopie extended a con-
Ute distance west, sloping gradu-
N the plain. They seized a, good
WE position, which was garri-
7 They continued the movement,
returned the Beers
:8ft was held strongly by a farm
which was vigorously shelled.
4fAchment returned to camp at
Ali leaving a garrison ON the
Meanwhile, a desultory bonn
A6t of the Boer position was kept
d a good deal of rife fire was
Mated where the Essex were at
De to rush up the river.
bf midday, the cry tLat Gen.
17had arrived was passed down
alfs, hut his division operated out
Iksof our force.
n Lord Roberts arrived, he ad-
4 i|sevelal regiments, and was Wig
Y Ioheared.
|nk the night, deserters arrived.
were terribly frightened and
] NY their awful experience. They
edEthat they had water in abund-
Iut were only able to draw scanty
6Hfrom their laager.
'TERIEs BELCHED FORTH DEATH.
~ was tho third day of Gen.
Ia imprisonment and grim re-
sa Early this morning, the
/ " Engaged tho enemy IN the bed
lTfiver, driving him back a short
MI The morning sun disclosed
lSrB toiling like ants on entrench-
8rpund their laager, A few shells
|fed to prevent them from con-
4 the work, but most of the
TX was quiet. Gen. French s.
W Was heard off to the cast, pre-
the Boeis' reinforce
Every opportunity was given
cars to surrender, hut when,
8fternoon, there was no sign Of
G6h intentions, Lord Roberts
,ined to crush once and for all
JrQn les resistance. On the south
1fs the river, at a range of about
yards, three fold batteries and
syAl l2. Founders were positioned.
! horth bank, and enfilading the
river. one howitzer, three field
ies land three naval Al guns were
\ Then followed the most won-
acene it was ever my lot to wit
Once before, in Thessaly, l had
10 guns in action, but never
a humber of pow erful guns con-
ting their fire upon spot about
( squaie. The exploding lyddite
y yAised great clouds Of green
! completely filling the bed of the
The shIapnel burst on the edge
,h bank, except for a short space,
Sfh6 proximity of the British in
made ii dangerous. Our shells
IDA every bush and every ravine
river bed. The enfilading guns
have done terrible execution.
rtAr was deafening, yet, with a
4 of desperate madness, now and
thH Beers would attempt to snipe
Ifal guns, which we've firing at a
~ IA 900 yards. The long line of
Abatterics belched forth death,
|on bach side lay two battalions OF
Nv whose Maxims sounded petty
The roaring big guns. What
he Beers suffered is not known
ui Writing in the middle of a
be- camp. Not a sound disturbs
Iayy slumber of tho tired soldiers.
The river bed. not fire is seen,
6rY heard. There is something
lBt,ID the stern resistance which
CfQnje is hopelessly offering. Ii
1s,aSlble not to admire his pluck,
n nohdemn the wiclsedness of use.
9hGriicing the lives of his brave