The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-15
HIGH HOPES.
British Faith Is Now Pinned to
Lord Roberts
Who Has at Last Entered Free
State Territory.
A BRILLIANT MOVE.
Executed by General French
Turns the Tide.
"BObs" VIII Now Make 1t Live
Iy For Gen. CrOnje.
BRILLIANT MOVE.

london. Feb. II. Il :45 p. m.-The war
office mas issued the following message
from Lord Roberts. received this even
ing:
"DelieTs Drift, Feb. Il, $40 a. m.-
General French left this point at II 30
yesterday morning with three brigades
OF cavalry. horse artillery and mounted
infantry, including several colonial con-
tingents, in order to seize a crossing of
the Modder, distant about twenty five
miles He reports by dispatch dated
5:35 p. m. that he had forced a passage
al Clip Drift and has occupied the hills
north of the river, capturing three of
the enemy's laagers with their supplies,
while General Gordon of the Fifteenth
hussars with his brigade who had made
a feint at Rondevale Drift, four miles
west, has seized it and another drift
with two more laagers.
General French's performance is
brilliant considering the excessive heat
and binding dust storm which ragged
during the latter part of the day.
Owing to the rapidity of his move
ments General French met with but
slight opposition. His losses We're
small Lieutenant johnson of the In
niskilling dragons is the only officer re-
ported severely wounded
THE Sixth division was last night
the north bank of the Reit al Water
vail Drift.
to be sent last evening in the return
ing wagons to the railway line, pros
trated by heat and exhaustion
GREAT EXPECTATIONS.
Intense satisfaction continues domi-
nant in consequence of Field Marshal
Lord Roberts plan of operations in
South Africa, as revealed by the dis
patches published this morning There
is TO further news of the British ad-
vance into the Orange Free State or
O. gf he ffyr h1lf a
feeling Of quiet confidence prevails that
the strong hands of "Bobs" and the
hero of IShartoum are shaping matters
toward a much needed decisive vic
tory. AS the St James Gazette says:
Lord Roberts, with his own line
we'll guarded. and having little reason
tn fear only a defense which would be
deadly, viz, a counter stroke attacking
his long line as it swings round will be
able 10 force the Beers to fight under
very unfavorable conditions or abandon
their heavy guns and stores
A sFecial dispatcn@ e the Times from
C'hieveley, Natal, dated Tuesday. Feb
ruary 12 says:
General Lyttleton has succeeded to
the conand of the Second division dur
ing the illness of General Clery who is
suffering from blood poisoning. Col.
Northcott of the rifle brigade tempo
rarily cOmman nds the Fourth division.
Fears regarding a Boer attack on
Zululand are somewhat allayed by
special dispatch from Durham, which
says that a column of colonial scouts
after a forced march has arrived at
Eshowe in splendid fighting form.
INSIDE THE FRONTIER.
The British army for the first time
since the war began is inside the Boer
frontier. Lord Roberts, with at least
0.000 infantry, 1000 cavalry and $50
guns has turned the Magersfontein
lines, before which the British forces
have been encamped for ten weeks, and
with half of his corps he is already op-
Grating on Free State territory.
A battle has not yet been fought, but
large tactical advantages have been
gained. The relief of Kimberley is
within measurabl reach and the way
to BloenfOntein is appreciably easier.
The dispatches ofLord Roberts sketch
three days work The forward move
ment began on Sunday, when Colonel
Hanny set out with a brigade of mount
ed infantry for Ramah on the Riet,
eight miles from JacObsdal, one of the
Boer supply bases
On Monday General French, with the
caIValry division seized the crossing
of the Riet river, at Dekils drift. south
of Jacobsdal and eighteen miles of
Honey Nest Kloof. He sklrmished with
the Beers and cleared the way for 10000
infantry, who followed across
On Tuesday wich his three cavalry
brigades and the horse artillery Gen
eral French rode to the Modder river,
a distance of % miles, and took three
fords, with high ground beyond the
river and five Boer camps He had a
few casualties in brushes with the Boer
horse.
General French has now fixed him
self on General Cronje's main line of
communications with BlOemfontein, and
10000 infantry with q guns are being
pushed up to support him there.
Lord Roberts dispatches, wired from
inside the Free State and on the Riet
river, left him Wednesday morning His
advance had not been opposed by the
Beers in force. Their patrols melted
away as the British moved forward
The Boer army is likely to be felt in a
day or two and battle is consequently
imminent.
CRONJE'S FORCE UNKNOWN.
AS to what force General Cronje has
now at his disposal and as to where he
proposes making d stand against the
invaders no one here connected with
the war office knows anything. The
data for conceptions are wholly want
ing.
The forces Immediately at the dis
posal of Lord Roberts are placed al 50.-
coo in a general way. These figures are
revealed by the commands mentioned
to the divisions known to be with Lord
Methuen. Quite possibly Lord Roberts
has 10000 or 10000 more.
1t is now realized that the incidents
at Rensburg have been seen out of all
proportion. Merely skeleton lines were
ing secretly and rapidly concentrated
on the Modder river. The facility with
which 80 600 men have already been
sent beyond the rail terminus shows
that Lord Kitchener has been fully sue
cessful in organizing transports He is
now supposed to be down the line send
ing forward more troops and getting
together more transport About five
miles of OK and mule wagon trains are
estimated for each division, so that
MI TRn0FTad