Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-03-14
NEAR BL0ENFONTEIN.
General Roberts Should Enter the
Place Wednesday.
BLOODY BATTLE AT DREIFOyTEIN.

The Boers Suffer Very Heavily, 173 Bod
ies Bsang Gathered Up and Buried by
ths British-Boers Hoist the White Flag
and When the British Advance Towards
/ Them Fire Repeated yolleys-The Act
:. Witnessed by General Roberts.
London, March 1.-THE war office
has issued the following dispatch from
Aasvogel Kop under date Of March ~,
b:S5 a m.
were unopposed during the
march yesterday. The officers l left
ut the last camp to record list Of cas-
.palties haye not yet arrived The fol
lowing Casualties are known, however:
Observation-Disclosures f. N. Parsons
and A. B. Coddington of the Essex reg
4ppent. Wounded-Lieutepants G.
Berkeley (severely); Lloyd Arm and g.
III. Raleigh. General Gatacre reports
that he was within a mile Of the Be-
thule railway bridge yesterday. The
bridge was partially destroyed and the
enemy was holding the opposite bank"
Hard Fighting Last saturday.
A dispatch to the war Office from
Lord Roberts, dated Dr.efontein,
March IL, 7:15 a. M, says:
1.-The enemy opposed us throughout
yesterdays march, and from their In
innate knowledge of the country, gave
US considerable trouble. Owing, how
ever, TO the admirable conduct of the
troops, the enemy were unable to pre-
vent us reaching our destination. The
brunt Of the fighting fell ON General
Kelly Kenny's divisions, I wo battal-
ions Of which, the Welsh and Essex,
turned the Beers out of two strong po-
xltions at the point of the bayOnet.
|IfcannOt get the precise number OF
casualties before l march, but will
communicate it as soon aspossible. The
Beers suffered heavily, 102 of their
dead being left on the ground. We
captured about twenty prisoners.
Among the killed are Captain Eustace
OF the Bluffs, Captain Lomax of the
Welsh regiment, and Mr.. McKartie, a
retired civilian attached to Kintchen.
er's Horse"
should Reach Bloemfontein Wednesday.
At the present rate of progress Lord
Roberts should be In Bloemfontein
Wednesday. the 14th, though all cal
eulations may be upset by the develop
ment OF more strenuous resistance
than the Beers have so far attempted
The distance between Lord Roberts
and the Free State capital is now SO
small--only about twenty-five miles
that 1t is apparent the Beers either
contemplate making a determined
stand on the outskirts of the town or
for strategic reasons, best known to
themselves, are allowing Lord Roberts
to occupy 1t after merely harassing his
-. s<.al 81. ,wft
OF the British troops leaves no doubt
In the minds of the critics here
that Lord Roberts will I. accomplish
his immediate objective. the occupa.
ton of Bloemfontein. The comman.
der-in-chief's latest dispatch annOunc'
Ing that General Gatacre is at Bethu.
lie bridge and the specials saying Gen.
eral Gatacre commands the bridge ap-
proaches, put the Beers in that vicinity
between two British forces, Aasvogel
Kop, whence Lord Roberts sent his last
cable message, being 100 miles al
most due north of Bethulie.
May Cover the Retreat
However, there Is q large plain be-
tween them and the main body of the
Beers now confronting Lord Roberts,
with its ceaseless activity, may be
quite able to cover the retreat Of the
burghers confronting General Gatacre.
Once the British are In possession Of
the railroad from Bethulie to Bloem-
fontein, the junction at the Free State
capital of Generals Gatacre and Rob-
erts would be matter of a very few
days.
Commenting on the fact that Lord
Roberts found the Beers holding posi-
tons In part of the country sup
posed to have been left open. The
st. James Gazette says: No more
damning indictment was ever pre-
ferred against any cavalry"
Rumors of the relief of Mafeking
continue to circulate. but fail of any
confirmation. From Natal, which Gen
eral Butler so enormously declared
was free of Beers and from Cape Col
ony, where General Kitchener's stern
hand is upon the rebellion, there is no
news of any Importance.