Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1900-02-23
cronje Appears to Be Surrounded
According TO British Report
and Must Surrender or Be
AnnlhIIated.
CRONIE TO FIGHT UNTIL DEAD
Kelley Kenny Incurs severe
Losses-FIfty Guns Pointed
at Cronje's Command
FREE STATE MOVES CAPITAL

Hoofel Lager, La6ysmith, Feb. 21
There was heavy fighting Monday
aned Tuesday and it was continued
early this morning. Our Off
GERS hope to dislodge the British from
their position. Last night a body Of
British troops tried to cross the river
but were beaten back with heavy loss.
Our loss is slight
New York, Feb. 23-A dispatch to
the Herald fromBrussels, says:
Private letters from Pretoria an
nounce that Mrs. Kruger, wife of the
president, is very i'll.
Arundel, Feb. 22-Colonel Hender-
sons squadron of Inniskillings, with
two guns reconnoitered westward to
Mooifontein Farm, on the direct road
to Colesburg and Hanover They got
close to the Beers in the hills and
were fired on. They quickly got their
guns in position and shelled the hills
Eventually, the Beers were driven
out, retiring northward. when they
came under the fire of two other guns
supported by company of Austria
lians, near the British western
post on Dragon Hill. Colonel Hen
derson proceeded to Mooifontein
Farm, which he now occupies. Brit
ish patrols, from Hanover, also came
out that far The Beers are not in
great force. They have been per
sistently followed all day and have
withdrawn a considerable distance
northward.
Lourenzo Marquee, Delagoa Bay
Feb. 22-The Transvaal government
is reported seriously alarmed at the
defeat of the Beers at Kimberley and
the retreat of General Cronje. News
papers are most reticent, but the
claim that Cronje's movement is ben
eficial, as it increases the mobility Of |
the Boer army, enabling it to conduct
operations ON a carefully prepared
plan. There are persistent reports
that the seat of the Free State govern |
ment is being moved to Wynburg
1t is said that 5000 Burghers have
been sent from Ladysmith to Bloem-
fontein.
London, Feb. 23-Every hour is
expected to bring news Of Cronej's
surrender. With fifty guns bearing
upon his devoted band within the
terribly short range of 1000 yards,
surrender or utter annihilation can
be the only result, unless all the re
ports of the strength of the Boer rein
forcements are wrong. Even an un-
expectedly strong attack on Lord
Roberts lines of communication
could scarcely, according to experts
materially alter the result. The Sc
we're losses incurred by General Kel
.ley-Kenny on Sunday, produced some
adverse criticism, but it is pointed
out that had he fought less furiously
he would have given the Beers an
opportunity to entrench themselves
and perhaps effect further fight to a
more advantageous position.
Buffers progress toward Ladysmith
is SO slow that it scarcely appeals to
public interest. General White ap-
pears to be endeavoring to assist Bull
Ter by vigorous bombardment
Advices received from Cape Town,
yesterday, said it was reported that
the British were gradually driving the
Beers out of Cape Colony.
Colenso, Natal, Feb. 21-The British
have crossed the Tugela over a pom
toon north of Hlangwana, and now
occupy Fort Wylie While the naval
brigade was bombarding Groblar's
Kloof, the Beers big Creusot reply
ing, yesterday, after the occupation Of
Colenso, by small party, the Thor
neycrofts horse crossed. the river but
were driven back by fire from the
trenches. Boer guns are still she'll
ing the relieving force from the hills
south of Ladysmith, but the impres,
sion is spreading that they are mere
ly covering the retreat of the entire
Boer force. Buffers casualties Tues
day and Wednesday were: Killed
Captain Crealock, Lieuts. Keith-Fal-
coner and Parry of the Somersetshire
Light infantry and nine men. Wound
ed-six officers. and ninety-scven
men Missing, five men.
Paardeberg, Orange Free State,
Tuesday, Feb. 2O-Yesterday General
Cronje asked for twenty-four hours
armistice in order to bury his dead.
Kitchener refused. A little later
came another messenger with word
that If the British were inhuman
enough to refuse an armistice for the
purpose of burying the dead Cronie
saw no other resource but 10 surren-
der. Upon receipt of this message
Kitchener proceeded to the Boer
laager to arrange a capitulation, but
was met by a messenger. who an
nounced that CroHje said he would
fight until he died The lombard
ment Of the Boer position, with hun
dred and ten gnus. was renewed. The
exploding nyddite shells raised great
clouds Of green smoke, completely
billing the bed Of the river Our
shells searched every bush and every