The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-01-14
NEWS FROM THE B0ER SIDE.
,,,rRLyrIyG yIEWs OF THE WAR
UIID ar PRETORIA.

lLEI A4l ~ ''' N'.'
.,,pr,t, Information on the subjects about
which he wti,"'.
Wei. the war is on in all Its awiulness and
,cpstnoS,. and although some Of the people
I.,. pr5',,s to he able to see the end. Unjust
o,,,s.. that cannot. ! suppose you are
,,,g surf.,cl with British victories. I have
h.,rl ~ none vet with the exception OF those
7 Inv, read 81 in the Cape and Natal papers
that have driitcd here
II sgtp1sc that you. with the rest OF the
x,rll were amazed ut the nerve Of President
krnrer In sending his now famous ultimatum
IN ,he greatest power on the earth. will not
sreri,togD into the merits OF the causes that
haze rrrc state this unholy war on these poor
,eo,,p. nnt ! will rccite shortly what has been
done since IA, war has become a reality.
some very funny things. many OF them
,n,ylrc the simplicity OF these people, hap
tercI jn,t PRIOR 10 tho declaration OF war. For
instance. In H. Iolksraad some two or three
vcch, before tie war n member called up his
motion r,il','ug he State Secretary TO In
uuiro - ~" III sh Commissioner at Cape Town
'Slr Aired Ni'Ucr. as to whythe British Govern
nor, were WaSsipg troops on the border Of the
Ecplitc. arl iu the course OF the discussion
On The motion a Der said that tho Repub-
was rot ready 10 60 10 war. whereat another
member whom | know very well jumped up
ard shouted, no, we arc not really to go 10
war Why, It would take US n whole day to
mobilize The humor OF the thing did not
ttriko The Dutch for some little time.
Sow as to what the troops have done. When
war WAS declared Gen. Joubert had some
71OpD men on the Natal border. Gen. CronIe
IL = ..YtAr.F Ill =. -. ..,t.. S.....- -
the Free state had as many "a half this total
o. their western and southern borders. 1t Is
estimated that the two republics can put In the
f"'loye - 900 men. and as they march for
ward 'n'5 Cape Colony and Natal, as they have
loen dong, they will recruit 10. 900 or 1900
Or possibly MS many "a 25.O0O Colonials. These
latter will not loin them until they have adj
Nanrci rastfheir homes. as they would be con-
, iarol guilty o. treason IL they did, and this
t'ry wlnt'o avoid much asthey would like 10
join M n brothers. as they call them. As an
instance q this il has been shown that when
Con Nllrr entered the territory OF Natal on
TIE march 10 La lysm.th and following the
nytN's from Dundee he had but 100 men and
vHrn be- arrived below Ladysmith, where he
headed Ofi any retreat from that town, he had
Over 1000 men in his little band and had not
ta'g recruiting from the Transyaal. but from
the Nl'a' farms as ho passed them.
The irst sEirmish the Transvaal forces had
WIS a. Nateking. on the we stern border. but il
WI, a mere skirmish with a few wounded on
ether side. The next was ut Dundee. in Natal.
whore a real battle took place. and there was
fatality on the Boer side anu an enormous
ON the other side. In this battle there
u.r p,a - - Drtttah 1tIln1 o,l ,,,sr A..1-I
en- n a result $50 prisoners were taken in a
laflr krsal near the town. The next action Of
any consequence was that Of Elandslaagte,
v here Gen. Kock, the Boer General in COM
mand there. with twenty-three others. was
! Tod and something like 220 were taken
Prisoners by the British. The loss on the Eng
side was more than 800 Killed and
After Elandslaagte q small
or two occurred during the
iwo or three days that elapsed before
The great battle OF Moddcrspruit. which was
merely a part Of the Ladysmith siege and en-
hgCmpnts. and was marked by the small loss
"a The Boer side AMI the heavy loss on the
thor; In this engagement the Beers loaf less
han $50 men In both killed aud wounded and
hey took. over BOO nrisoners. 100 by the
iansNOalers and $50 by the Free Staters.
J mere we're kile and wounded on the British
10, rs estimated. over 1000 The marvel
" he war has been the small Boer fatalities
t4d the large British. and u ia more strange
hen YOU are aware that the Beers have been
steadily advancing ever since this war COM
and the British have been defending
acr 'osS IA much under 800. while that Of the
ritj-h Il over 5000.
Lhdysmith Is now surrounded and there Ia
much sickness in the place; the water being
,'ry had. On The Free State border Kimberley
l1s been surrounded ond we hear that Cecil
Rhodes IL there. but don't believe II. and he
Is repGted to have said, AMI It has consequently |
ecome famous, that he felt as safe In Klmber- |
icy as te were in piccadilly. but, il he ia
there, dare say thu, h. does not feel quite as |
taie Just now as { he we're in London. -.
he Beers say there ~ $4,000, 600 worth OF |
1monds in the DeBeers Company's safes in
kimberley and they want those diamonds. III
ih'y should take the diamond fields they will
become the property of the Free State aud the
"Nenn" would be The State would |
work them as a state monopoly and derive the |
revenue tor its own treasury and that ia the |
70 a great extent that the Transvaal will
started TO run the mines here and is coming |
gold now in the mint.
thought | would surely be able 10 tell you
'hele are reports that the British are negutiat-
ING ipr a caIitulation. we can get no Official
continuation OF this: so ! think there IL moth
ing IN T. OF the British getting, assistance
mere is little chance IA the Beers have il in.
,,rstea completely AMI have sent down to the
Iugela River. the only place that REINFORCE
|rn's an roma from. a force strong enough |
70 head # any army that comes from that III |
lrct9n, 1.-THE British wore sure that no help
Iold arrive think they would have surren-
.ler"d before this ime. but they have no means
knowing Il, which fact rebounds TO some
he other sid" Of the state Western the
ll3er- nave surrounded and hemmed In Ma
'rNlng nut Il is n s'rong position and they are
.l't starving them, into surrender there, On
ne w"st Of the Free State. the Beers have
oiniletely surrounded Kim berley and have 1t
ht 'h"lr mercy. so far ~ communication with
." outside world IL concerned. but 1t ia also a
''r9ng POSITION and owing TO the Notifications
made by the vast hears Of waste from the
D taEe ~ storm, south Of the Free State they
IaHe gone into the tOlony and have declared
ne portion which they occupy Free state soil.
In.rtH column is on the way mp from DeAar.
'ght letveon these troops and those Of the
r." state.
on would he surprised to see some OF these
'"fn",ouS boer women. am sure you would
AHN ,iy that ! have found every Bocr ]
la'" inct here good and splendid specimens OF
.'I ana, women. and will never hear them
IN lgnr', as they have been by un Inscriptions
hrfe :" Lack country Beers that need con-
.l'fauI" POLISHING NJ before they can be made
',l' n grace any ones drawing room but In
Ga' country TO- YOU not Ind. such people? Is
W f'ganl' Take Stafordshire for instance
'h,tr w." get our raw Englishman from. do
W ItIh, he IL as good a man as the Boer
.er" Not much. He has not the intel
Erl'" nor the tenderness. nor the good
~ FiN Bo"r has. You may think that |
l'W ms, little too strong. but II Is a
. -ihhr have seen them both and Lam
p, sI1GhEing from my real knowledge o' them
country and England speak of President
'" t.Iger a. an ignorant, unintPlligent