The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-30

round the branch line to Naauw
poort joined the British troops
operating at Colesberg and push
ed on to the river. He found the
bridge badly damaged in three spans. II
was a risk he had taken into account He
set al work pushing on men and material
from Cape Town to make a bridge strong
enough TO stand heavy continuous tramc
and a swollen river before his twenty days
ran out. Culverts we're, Of course. blown
Up between here and Orange River, but
could all be repaired in a few days.
The great difficulty expected was lack
Of rolling stock The Beers. it was reck-
oned would certainly push all their en-
gines and wagons nOrthward on our ap
preach No pOQtOOn or ferry was likely TO
be able to bring over locomotives from the
Cape Colony side TO this side. This expec-
tatlon OF no stock on the north side made
the construction OF a strong railway bridge
over Orange River an immediate. impera-
tive necessity in Lord Kitchener's scheme
The events that have already practically
saved the situation. although the bridge is
not yet working belong TO the story Of
Lord Roberts advance from the west on
Bloemfontein
His headquarters troops, consisting OF
the Ninth Infantry Division. the Guards
Brigade under General Pole Carew. the
Naval Brigade with four 4.7-inch guns and
four twelve-p Founders, moved out from
Poplar Grove on the morning Of March 10.
large force OF mounted infantry had
moved on the previous afternoon. General
French was already six miles forward at
Waaihock and General Kelly-Kenny was
two miles behind him at Roodepoort. On
the morning Of March 10 French advanced
on AbTamskraal where De Wet had estab-
lished his head lager Five miles out
they suddenly encountered heavy artillery
fire from a long. low Boer position some
distance south and four miles west of
Abramskraal. II was a surprise to which
the First Artillery Brigade had no answer
until two batteries of Horse Artillery gal
Hoped up and engaged the Boer guns. The
fight went on at long range till midday,
when the advanced columns of Kelly
Kennys division Joined right Of the cav
airy position.
4 Forced March.
The Beers made the vital mistake OF re-
garding the Sixth division as the central
headquarters column and spread very wide
till they turned their own extreme left
well round Kelly-Kenny's right Lord
Roberts own column appeared early in
the afternoon on the outside of this for
nation, and before the Beers could with
draw they had lost more men, probably, I
than they have had killed in any one en- /
gagement in the western campaign. The
next morning the entire British force moved /
on from DreifOntein. the scene OF the bat 4
tie. To Doornborn a fourteen-mile march. /
and saw nothing Of the Beers. Another
tired sleep and early start and a march of
fourteen miles to Venters Wei. farm
to the Transvaal Judge Gie-
goroUski, who sentenced the Johannesburg
leaders to death after the Jameson raid
lasco. Sull there we're no Beers in reach
Il was here. on March T. that we Lai the
irst iukling Of kruger's proposal a-d
refusal That night it was
hourly more evident that there was 10 he
no fight before BlCemfontein. and so it
proved. The cavalry entered the town by
10 in the forenoon unoppCsed. An hour
alter the Mayor, the LaRtd-ost and tie
Tolksraad members drove out and tende. ed
he surrender Of the capital to Lori Rob
srts. We learned from Inhabitants that
President Steyn had left fer Kroonstad.
more than a hundred miles north. on the
reyious afternoon, after a reproachful
meeting with the city council, who said
hey would not stand having their bui d.
ngs shelled.
Success of the Plan.
Thus. on the fifth day from the beginning
( Lord Kitchener's risk his side was in
Iloemfontein with fifteen days fun rations
respective Of what could be raised in the
OWN and neighborhood or brought up the
ne above the nearest point Of Interrupt
on.
There is not yet a full train service TO
be south, but on the sixth day after our
ltry the manager Of the Cape Govern
lent railways and a few other passengers
rrived from Cape Town on official bust
ess connected with taking over the line. :
hey were able 20 come up from the north !
Orange River because the Beers had left
even locomotives near the station here.
I'd nine more which had been lying in the
pairing sheds are again on the track
or this windfall it is believed a locomo-
We manager with British sympathies
as 10 be thanked. :
Thus results have justified the first de- |
ce OF moving troops without the railway s
I'd the second OF feeding troops from a I
-eat convoy moving within their lines in
cad, Of relays from the base of commune
ltion. The Beers have seen a great in
aiding army can exist in the field under
9TH those conditions and they NAV be
listed 10 take that into account in future
,unter tactics Lord Roberts and Lord
itchener are now framing other schemes
2 making the mastery Of the Transvaal y
,ssible without costly frontal attacks
hey have enormous numbers and have :
own how TO make concerted movements =
fectiye. 1t is probable that the Beers :
sources will succumb 10 some variation :
Lord Kitchener's new style Of tackling !
s work simply as a big business PROPOSE =
On. :
Z