The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-02-22
AT Last The Beers are Said 10 be
Retreat.
rliE FORTUNES OF WAR TURNEf|
General French, With a Force G! Ar
fiiiery, Calvary and lI2unted ln-a
fantry. Enters Kimberley and DiusS
at the Club.

london, BY Cable.-The War OTice}
anncuItues that General French reach
ed Kimberley Thursday evening. Fol
lowing is Lord Roberts message ID
the War Office:
'IaoobsJal, Feb. &c, a. m.-Frenchs
with e. force OF artillery, cavalry and
mounted inf.nt-y, reached Kimberley
this evening, Thwsday"
General Cronje, with start OF :. day
or two, Is seriously in full retreat frCa
Lord RcoerSs, moving nortnward. Gen]
French, with the cavalry, simply stay
ed over night in Kimberley, and then
pushed on to get in touch with the re-
tiring enemy. A long Boer wlgonS
train is moving toward Bloenson:ein.
followed presumably by a large force
OF British infantry In their has.y de-
par5ure the Beers lost quantities. of
supplies and ammunition Military
opinion here is that Lord Roberts will
not push far after the Beers imme-
diately, because OF transport problems.
and the need CO rest for the troops. He
has to feed 10000 persons in HIS army,
and the whole Kimberley population.
He must rebuild the railroad from
yoddar River down to Kimberley ard
revictual the Latter. General French
lost q few men only in action, but the 1
forced marches ami heat have prc1aoly
made many III. Numbers OF renounss
mus: be provided Lord Roberts tas
wrought a genuine preliminary success,
and the impression IS that he has done
enough for the present. He will need
TO prepare for another strike.
All over England there have been
evidences OF public Joy. In every
theatre and public meeting, around
railroad stations and in the streets.
there have been expressions OF glad
ness and jlsbllation over the news. The
newspapers are editorially rejoicing.
Those who read the news closely see
only one disturbing factor in the Cape
situation, and that is, the pressure OF
the BoerS toward Lord Roberts line Ut
supply through DeAanr, which was
never more important than now The
Beers under Comnanjants Delarey
and GrOb penetrate to the railroad.
They nave pushed General Clements
back to Arundel and have outflankel
him. All are within 60 miles, CT twoik
day hard march. Of the central raj!
road. DoGhtless Lord Roberts has lett
considerable forces along the line and
can send back more if necessary.
The following dispatch from General
Roberts fills The gans in the earlier
dispatches.
"Mcdder River, Feb. 1G.-The Sixth
Division lef; waterfall drift, early yes
terday morning, and marched here, go
ing on the same evening to Rondevai
drift to hold the crossing OF the Modde'
river, and leave General French free -
act Shortly after arriving here the
mounted infantry visited JACOBS odat
anGfound it full Of women and children
with soma wounded men, doing well.
On the way back. the mounted. infan~
try were attacked and nine men were
wounded Colonel Henry and Major
Hatoiel and ten men were missing
Both officers were subsequently found
at .Iacobsdal. slightly wounded. The
cavalry division is moving in a north
erly direction and has apparently al
ready reduced the pressure on KIM
berley. rs Sekewich signals the eneny
has abandoned AleXandersfontein AMI
thG: he mas occupied It. French has
advanced AS far as Abonsdam with I
slight loss ard is pushing on the Do2;s,
his rear being held by mounted ilian-
try. Clements, having been pressed By
the Beers, has retired to Arundel to-
cover Naauwpcort."
The War Office points out that the
word 'rhere" in the above dispatch
means some point on the Modier river"
other tian the M3idcr river station.