The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-02-15
BRITONS HS-RRlIFt1GRS.
Lord Roberts Has an Army Inside
the Boer Frontier. y,.,,,,,.
NEARLY FIFTY THOUSAND MEN

FOLLOW the Com mandeP OF the Brit
fish Forces Into Free State Terri
tory-Perhaps the Beers Are Luring
Them Into Another Trap.
London, Feb. 15.-The British army,
for the first time since the war began,
Is inside the Boer frontier. Lord
Roberts, with at least 10000 infantry,
1000 cavalry and $50 guns, has turned
the Magersfontein lines, before which
the British forces have been encamped
for ten weeks, and, with half of his
corps. he is already operating on Free
State territory.
A battle has not yet been fought, but
large tactical advantages have been
gained. The relief of Kimberley is
within measurable reach, and the way
to Bloemfontein is appreciably easier.
The dispatches of Lord Roberts
sketch three days work. The forward
movement began on Sunday, when
Colonel Hannay set out with brigade
of mounted infantry for Ramah, on the
Riet, eight miles from Jacobsdal, one
Of the Boer supply bases.
On Monday General French, with the
cavalry division, seized the crossing OF
the Riet river, at Dekils Drift, south
of Jacobsdal and IS miles east of
Honey west Kloof. He skirmished
with the Beers and cleared the way for
10000 infantry, who followed across.
On Tuesday, with his three cavalry
brigades and the horse artillery, Cen
eral French rode to the Modder river,
a distance of 25 miles. and took three
fords, with high ground beyond the
river. and five Boer camps. He had
few casualties in brushes with the
Boer horse. General French has now
fixed himself on General Cronje's
main line Of communication with
Bloemfontein, and has 10000 infantry,
with guns pushing up.
Lord Roberts dispatches, wired
from inside the Free State, and on the
Riet river, left him Wednesday morn
ing. His advance had not been OPP
posed by the Beers In force. Their
patrols melted away as the British
moved forward. The Boer army Is
likely to be felt in day or two, and
a battle is consequently imminent.
As to what forces General Cronje has
now at his disposal and as to where
he purposes making a. stand against
the invaders, no one here connected
with the war Office knows anything.
The Daily Telegraph has received
the following, dated Tuesday, from its
special correspondent at Frere:
ION Sunday the Beers advanced
down the Ladysmith road toward
Potgiers. Three hundred men on
horseback, with others, proceeded to a
point where they began to construct
new rows of trenches at right angles
to the road. This was about two miles
north of the drift.
"A party of Beers also crossed the
Tugela, now very low, about six miles
below Potgiers Drift, where they snip
ed the South African Light Horse, who
repulsed them.
Several other skirmishes have taken
place, and the Beers are evidently
anxious about their positions. They |
have been throwing UP defensive |
works from richards Drift and the
Spion Kop range eastward to the
Hlangwana and Monte Cristo hills,
both on this side of the Tugela. They
have also two, II not three, wooden
bridges spanning the Tugela in the |
bend, and a wire rope apparatus for the
of food and ammunition
across the river"
The total British casualty returns up
10 last night are: Officers killed, 152;
$50; missing, 49, men kill
ed, lat; wounded, $3.50; missing, ST.
1871; other fatalities reported, 563.
Grand total, 1o,515.
1t is now realized that the incidents
1t Rensburg have been seen out of all
Merely skeleton lines
we're maintained there, while troops
we're being secretly and rapidly con-
,entrated on the Modder river. The
AGILITY with which 10000 men have
llready been sent beyond the rail
erminus shows that Lord Kitchener
las been fully successful in organic
ng transports. He is now supposed to
70 down the line, sending forward more
roops and getting together more
About five miles of OK and
mule wagon trains are estimated to
ach division, SO that Lord Kitchener,
1ho is reputed to have more skill than
ClICuS lHdHdstF Ill udHullub ueiu
has immense labors in
and.
The Times in an editorial comment
ng upon Lord Roberts "dexterous and
rilliant movement" says:
THE Beers have shown themselves
20 wary and too skillful for US to as
ume that the success of these opera
ons must discomfort their scheme OF
efense or compel them to raise the
ege of Kimberley without further
.ruggle, but so far as 1t is possible to
ldge in the absence Of detailed infor-
lation and good maps, the operations
lould be followed by strategic con-
,quences Of the highest value. The
resence of British force inside the
rec State borders must largely alter 80;
lie whole aspect of the war to the
oers."