Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-02
Beers MEAN FIGHT.
Another Big Battle Is Expected
near Thaba N'Chu.
BOtha Can Bother Roberts but Cannot
Hope to Defeat Him.
The 1000 British Still in Transsaal 10 Be
at Once Expelled.

London, May "a a. Mitigating,
heavier than any since Ladysmith,
seems to be imminent near Thaba
Menu. The dispatches Of Lord Rob
erts, dated Monday and Tuesday,
show that the Boer rear guard, stub
bornly resisting his advance, forced the
British, Saturday and Sunday, to act
chiefly on the defensive. Gen. French,
who is directing the operations. has at
least 1000 men. Some estimates give
him 10000. The Beers are estimated
to be at least 5000 and, possibly, 10000
strong.
According to a dispatch from Pre-
toria, dated April IS, they were ex
pecting to give battle, and have num-
erOus artillery. So long as the Beers
engage the attention of half Of Lord
Roberts force, at Ihaba N'Chu his adj
vance toward Pretoria will be delayed.
No one here, however, considers that
Gen. Botha will be able to stand long
er than a few days. The feeling is
that he must be beaten off by the
masses of Lord Roberts.
The Beers attacked the British out
posts at Boshof, April 2S, but without
result. The British guns at Warren
tCl shelled the BOers out of their half
constructed trenches. Sunday.
A native runner got through from
Mafeking, to Otsi, 81 miles north, April
y, with dispatches for nearly all the
London dailies. That to the Morning
Post says: I'VE can stick it out for
two months more. Nobody minds
Col. Plumer, who appears to have
been reinforced lately by more Rhodes
ians, seems to be advancing again. A
British accommodating party fell into
the hands of the Beers near Windsor
ton. The German steamer Koonig,
April %, landed a quantity of war ma
terials for the Beers at Beira and en-
barked a quantity of Transvaal wool.
Lord Landsdowne. replying in the
House of Lords, yesterday, to a ques-
ton regarding warm clothing for the
troops, read this dispatch from Lord
Roberts: There is no necessity to ap-
peal for warm clothing. Some corps
have received more than they require,
and all will be amply provided for as
soon as the numerous cases of clothing
and comforts of various descriptions
can be brought here from the base"
According to a dispatch from Lou
reno Marquee there are 1000 British
residents yet remaining in the Trans
vaal. but they are to be Immediately
expelled.
London. May Winston Churchill,
telegraphing to the Morning Post from
Thata N'Chu. April Is. and describing
the operations there says: Yesterday
afternoon, upon the withdrawal of the
PritiCh AZ nj
Of the enemy the Beers pressed to close
quarters and kitchener's Horse We're
unable to evacuate their position I'M
til midnight. The suspense caused
great anxiety.
. TOday'S operations We're intended to
drive out or intercept the Beers. They
occupied a wide horseshoe of noun
tains. with the convex face toward us.
Gen. Hamilton succeeded in crushing
the Beers on the right and opening a
road for Gen. Dickson's cavalry bril-
gade. which dashed through and hunt
ed the enemy from ridge to ridge.
ridge, Smelling them with horse artil-
lery. AT last we arrived at the rear
Of the horseshoe and the Beers, in
parties Of geo. could be seen within the
enclosed space, running about like rats
in trap. Dickson hoped to make a
bag, and he signalled to Hamilton re-
garding the situation. Hamilton came
at once, bringing up every soldier he
could find.
Suddenly. about 4.3O. the Boer army.
nearly 1000 strong, moved out of the
horseshoe and began marching north
east. ! had never before seen such an
array Of Beers. Their order was so
regular that at first ii was believed
they were Gen. Gordon's cavalry bri-
gade. But they quickly opened with
artillery on Dickson. AT the same time
the Beers who had escaped, earlier in
the day. from our imagined trap, re
turned in force on Dickson's left and
rear. with two guns. In these circum-
stances Dickson resolved to retire and
he only just withdrew in time
The Bloemfontein correspondent of
the Times telegraphing, Monday. says:
The fighting at Thaba N'Chu is of a
desultory nature. The whole front is
now to be swept by mounted troops,
preparatory to a definite forward
(COntinued on napp o.