Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-04-14
FORCING ISSUES.
Beers Concentrating In Free
State Against Gen. Brabant.
Their Audacity Gives Roberts =
Chance to Deal Crushing Blow
Gatacre's Removal the Theme OF
Much SpeculatiOn-The British
Casualties.

London. April 12.-Following up their
successes Of the past two weeks, the
Beers appear to be forcing the fighting
all along the line. In the southeast of
the Free State they have concentrated
against General Brabant and his CO.
lonials. whom they attacked on Monday,
renewing the fighting Tuesday morning
While this fight was in progress another
force was detached toward Springfon-
tein, the junction Of the. railways from
Colesberg and Burshersdorp. by which
Lord Roberts 're-enforcements and sup
plies have been coming up from Port
Elizabeth and East London.
The news from Lord Roberts is vague,
but indicates that the Boer activity in
the south has compelled him to action.
The natural supposition is that he will
try to cut off the Boer commands now
| south of Bloemfontein, and strike a Wig
orous blow that may go far to shorten
the campaign.
| The sudden diversion Of General
Rundle's division from Kimberley TO
Springfontein is a sign Of the gravity Of
the situation, both for the British and
Beers. The initiative of the fighting re-
ported from Natal seems to have been
taken by the Beers, probably with the
intention of preventing General Butler
giving his attention to the intended
movement into the Free State.
| Mafeking contributes Its quota to the
fighting news, but it is Of old date and
the results do not appear to bring any
prospect Of immediate relief, Colonel
Piumer having been forced to retire.
The latest news from there was four days
! in transit from Mafeking.
The next few days should bring news
Of Importance, for the audacity Of the
Boer tactics has given Lord Roberts an
opportunity Of dealing them a crushing
blow If he has a sufficiently strong
mounted force with which to strike.
With tie troops at his command he
should be able to close the avenues Of
their return north and render a second
evasion Of his Gordon across the Free
State impossible.
Sir William Gatacre's sudden removal
is the theme Of much speculation. The
SaAt III NhlSu IL is announced
causes much comment. The general i'm
preston is that it is connected with the
Reddersburg affair, although there are
many who consider that there must he
something much more serious, as Gen.
eral Gatacre is not the only general in
South Africa who has been retained in
command after formidable blunders.
The operations in Natal have not yet
been fully explained. There appears to
have been an attempt to outflank the
British at Elandslaagte and to sever
them from their base at Ladysmith,
The war Office has issued q return of
the total British casualties up to April
Z. 1t is as follows: Killed in action,
21l officers and 1860 men: died of wounds
4S officers and 465 men; missing and
prisoners, l6s officers and 1922 men: died
of disease, Al officers and 1885 men; ac-
cidental deaths, officers and "a men;
repa atriated invalids. 2SS officers and 1894
men. Total, 1856, exclusive Of the
sick and wounded now in the hospitals.
To the war Office returns of casualties
must be added the losses of the last week
and the wounded, aggregating about 10,-
900 men, making grand total of upwards
of $4,000 officers and men out Of action.
The correspondent of The Daily Mail
at Lourenzo Marquee, telegraphing Wed.
nesday, says: The departure of the
Chicago ambulance corps for Pretoria
was delayed on suspicion of filibustering.
The members left by special train this
afternoon. accompanied by motley fol-
lowing of French and Germans, 100 in
NsnA ckS, @v,!,
many stormy interviews with the Portu-
guese authorities. The members have
no passports, and no credentials beyond
letter from Miss Clara Barton, to the
effect that she knows some Of them
personally, and believes them to be gem
uine; but many have openly expressed
their Intention Of fighting. The Beers
are paying from G3U to G4O per month
for such recruits.
Thirty-flve thousand Beers, with 80
guns, are concentrated on the range of
hills between Krocnstad and Winburg.
The whole line is fortified and is almost
A dispatch from Aliwal North, dated
April II, says: Lord Kitchener arrived
here today, and left soon afterwards.
"a VIC ASoCi 6uh W Go NuOChCu ONcI ycStSI>
day at Wepener. The garrison is hold
ing it's own. There has been heavy cam
nonading there again today. Lord
inspected the positions across
Frier bridge with General Brabant and
staff, and sent a sympathetic message to
the Wepener garrison, hoping for an
early change in the circumstances.
The Durham correspondent of The
Standard, telegraphing today, says: A |
brigade Is being sent from here to join |
the main. army under Lord Roberts. 1t |
is under command Of General Hunter
1t is reported from Pretoria that COL |
cnel Baden-Powell, the British COM
mander at Mafeking. is dead.
London, April 1.-THE colonial ofice |
has received reassuring news from Gov
ernor Hodgson of the Gold Coast, an
that the situation at Kumassie |
has much improved. He adds that, ap-
parently, there is now no danger Of the |
trouble spreading. and he is hopeful Of |
a speedy restoration of peace.
London, April 12.-The British first
class cruiser Powerful, whose brigade
did such splendid service in the defense
Of Ladysmith, arrived at Portsmouth |
yesterday and was received with i'm
mense enthusiasm. The whole town ap-
peared to be in the neighborhood Of the
water side, which was lavishly decorat-
ed. The warships in the harbor were
ablaze with bunting. The babel of
sounds caused by the bands. the cheer
Ing and the shrieking Of the sirens was
deafening.
Blown UP by Natural Gas.
Columbia City. Ind. April 1.-THE
arge Touring mill Of r. Tdttle & Co.
vas wrecked by an explosion yesterday,