The Yale expositor., 1900-03-16
BoERs RESIST ROBERTS.
uarass His Army on Its March to
Dreifontcin.

Iarass His Army on Its March to
Dreifontcin.
London, March II, a.m.-The follow
ing dispatch from Gen. Lord Roberts
have been received at the war office:
"Dreifontein, March IL, 9:55 p. m.-
The enemy opposed us throughout yes
terday's march. From their intimate
knowledge of the country they gave
us considerable trouble. Owing, how
ever, to the admirable conduct of the
troops they were unable to prevent us
from reaching our destination. | can
not get the precise number of casual
ties before l march, but will communi-
cate them as soon as possible. The
Beers suffered heavily One hundred
and two of their dead were left on the
ground. We captured about twenty
prisoners.
THE following telegram has been
addressed by me to their honors, the
presidents of the Free State and the
South African republic: Another in
stance having occurred of gross abuse
of the white flag and of the signal of
l4OlulllS up llAt III bOhCll VI QUIZ
mission, it is my duty to inform your
honors that if such occurs tagain
shall most reluctantly be compelled to
order nay troops to disregard the white
flag entirely. The instance occurred
on kopje east of Dreifontein last
night. 1t was witnessed by several of
my own staff as well as by myself, and
resulted in the wounding of several of
my officers and men. A large quantity
Of explosive bullets OF three different
kinds were found in Gen. Cronje's
laager, and after engagements with
your honors' troops. Such breaches of
the recognized usages of war and the
Geneva convention are a disgrace to
any civilized power A copy of this
telegram has been sent to my govern
ment, with a request that it may be
communicated to all neutral powers. "
Aasvogel Kop, Orange Free State,
March 11.-Since dawn this morning
the British have been collecting Beers
who were killed or wounded at Drei-
fontein. The dead were buried in
groups, one numbering thirty-seven,
another twenty-three and a third for
ty-three.
They had mostly been killed by the
shrapnel fire that was directed against
a long hillside that was subsequently
taken by the Welsh battalion. The
ambulances found seventy dead else
where.
The British say their losses at Drei-
-Ontein were caused mostly by fragrant
treachery on the part of the Beers.
Gen. Roberts at once gave orders that
if such an act was repeated his troops
should show absolute disregard for
white flags during action. He also de-
nounced the act to the Boer leaders.
Upon reaching the deserted Boer po-
sitions an ambulance of explosive soft
Losed and slit-nosed ammunition was
found
Dreifontein, March 1.-THE army
left Poplar Grove yesterday morning.
At 10 o'clock the cavalry unexpectedly
found the kopjes at Dreifontein, eight
miles south of Abraham's drift, occu-
pied strongly by the enemy. They i'm
mediately attempted to outhank the
Beers, moving forward under a heavy
shell and Maxim-Vicker gun fire, but
leaving behind a thin containing line.
The Second brigade pushed south,
finding the enemy's position to be OF
great strength. The Sixth division
(Kelly-Kenny's) arrived at 100
o'clock. The Thirteenth brigade, led
by the Bluffs, and the Eighteenth bril-
gade headed by the Welsh battalion,
proceeded to clear the kcpjes under n
hot, bewildering fire.
The Beers succeeded in doubling on
the British, whom they enfiladed from
the eastern and southwestern kopjes
near the main ridge. The artillery
made magnificent practice. though the
British guns were outrangcd by two
Elswick twelve-pounders The Ninth
division (the guards) arrived at 4
o'clock, but was too late to take part
in the fighting. The enemy lost many
horses and left two dead and several
wounded behind them.
The incident was small as regards
the number of troops employed. but il
was very creditable to the British.
The mobility of the Beers i'm han.
ding their guns was more remarkable
than ever. The New South Wales
mounted infantry CALAMITY but unsuc
cessfully attempted to capture gun
British Losses In the War
London, March 13.--The latest OH
4 T.. q