Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-03-20
The Garrison Holds Out Well-Peace
Sentiment Growing Among the
Boers-Orange Free State Now
in Queens Dominion.

Ihe Guards brigade returned yesterday
from Norvals Pont. Several burghers have
laid down their arms to Gen. Pole-Carew at
Edenburg and elsewhere. The officer COM
manding at Belmont reports that some de-
serters have come in with maxim, a
11ne-pounder and another gun. Another
nine-pounder has been brought into Coles
berg. The cavalry brigade has gone to
Thaba Nchu in order to reassure the in
habitants of that district and to distrib-
ute copies of the proclamation to the peo-
pie of the Free State. These proclama-
tons are being eagerly sought after. Lord
Methuen reached Warrenton on March 1G.
lie was in time to prevent the Deviation
bridge from being completely destroyed
and to secure the pont on the Vaal The
English mail was dispatched from here
by rail yesterday and tomorrow the regu-
lar mail service with Cape Town will be
reopened."
Garrison Holding Its own.
Lourenzo MARQUES, March ia
dispatch from Mafeking, dated, Sat-
urday, March 10, says:
1.-THE garrison is holding it's own. We
have heard numerous rumors that the
siege will be raised, but so far that is not
the case. We are pegging along patiently
on quarter rations. supplemented by the
occasional capture of cattle. Our home
made gun erratically bombards the Boer
trenches. Horrible stories are current that
the Beers are inf1icting nameless fortunes
upon captured native runners. These may
not be true, but they are tending to inflame
native passions to such an extent that it
may soon be impossible to hold the ma
tives in check. Owing to the Beers having
deliberately bombarded the native stadt,
which is full of women and children, Col.
Baden-Powell has armed the natives, but
he has only allowed them to act on the
defensive, although they have clamored to
be allowed to so out and attack at the
point of the assegai. They will be pre-
vented as long as possible from inficting
reprisals on the Beers
Beers Driven Off.
Cape Town, March 19.-The MAIZE
king relief column. Coils Drummond
and Peadman commanding. had a
sharp engagement at Fourteen
Streams. The British succeeded in
driving the Beers off. They had only
few casualties.
Boer Losses.
Pretoria, Friday, March l6.-The
chief of the intelligence dc nartment,
Molengraaf, announces that the feder-
al losses, prior to the relief of Kimber-
ley and Ladysmith We're: Killed, 677;
wounded, 2,129. Accidents, sickness
and other disabling causes. he asserts.
bring the total to-4,335t.
Row the queens Dominion.
London, March 19.-The Orange Free
State is the queens dominion. Gen.
Gatacre has occupied Springfontein.
and Gen. PoleCarew, with the guards,
has Joined Gen. Clements at Norval's
pont. The Free State commanders
have disappeared in the south, and
their guns have probably been buried
or concealed No resistance has been
offered to the British columns in the
southern district, and the burghers are
everywhere returning to their homes.
There are many press dispatches from
Brabant's, Gatacre's and Clements col
umns, but there is only one story-the
the rebellion in the Dutch district of
Cape Colony is at an end. The British
troops have been welcomed as allies.
and not received sullenly as enemies.
The farmers are supplying the army
with meat, vegetables, milk and eggs,
and making good bargains.
Steyn's Plans Unknown.
There is no definite information re-
specting President steyn's operation
at Kroonstad. but it is doubtful if he
succeeds in rallying his followers there
He will certainly fail to do this unless
the Beers cross the Vaal in force and
fortify the Ventersburg ridge. They
are rumored to be intrenching on the
northern bank of the Vaal river. The
last stage of the campaign promises
to be short and decisive. The military
experts do not now believe that Presi-
dent Kruger will be able to mass TO-
700 men against Lord Roberts, and this
will not leave more than 5000 men in
front of Gen. Butler.
Many Rifles Surrendered.
London, March ia dispatch to
the Daily Mail from Bloemfontein,
dated Friday, March 16, says: I'VE
are getting rifles surrendered faster
than a factory could turn them out.
1t is quite certain that if a British Of
fetal can reach the northern laagers
with Lord Roberts proclamation, the
whole Boer population will declare
for peace"