The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-06

London. March ?, Ais a. m.-Lo
Roberts at Osfontein, six or eight
miles east Of Paardeberg. faces the re-
formed Boer army. from five TO six
thousand strong. This may be mere
~ a corps Of observation ready to re-
tire on prepared positions. Doubtless,
it is receiving accretions from the late
besiegers Cf Ladysmith and from other
points.
Whatever the force may be. Lord
Roberts has ample troops to cope with
il. The beers are temporarily favored
by a heavy rain falling on the veIdt
and making the grass improve. Lord
Roberts has surprised observers by the
excellence Of his transport during the
first advance and he is likely to do SO
again, although military men here
thiUE h. must wait for some days be-
fore going nue. farther
IH- Beers, presumably, will use this
delay for AL il is worth, pulling their
resources together. DR. Leyds gives
out the opinion that the British entry
Of EiJeUtJnteiu is daily expected, as
Commandments Dewet and DsIdrey had
been instructed TO Tetard the advance
Of L.-d Roberts only until the concen-
tratlpl under General Joubert had
beer acc1nplished.
No adequate explanation Is yet made
Of The $4,000 TeinfUrcements that are
preparing Eor Lord Roberts. Such eX-
plantations as are advanced tentatively
sUE---- either hat the Cape Dutch
nav become more FESTIVE or that the
in. --lrI government had a hint of for
pigu suggestions as to the future status
Of the allied republics.
O-foutein. March 1.-The British
camps have been moved from here. y
heavy rain is falling; the veIdt is i'm
proving, supplies are rapidly arriving
and the men are in good health, des-
pite the fact that they have been on
half ratiJns for a fortnight.
Nj Cecil Rhodes sent a quantity Of
champagne from Kimberley TO be
drunk to the health of Lord Roberts.
Lord Roberts has published an or
der thanking the troops for their cour-
age amid hardships.
TIL Beer forces on our front are be-
liev=j 10 he under the joint command
of H0th1. DeIarey and Dewet. They
are expecting achievements from
Natal
The guns that were captured at
Paari-beTg have been brought here.
The rifles have, in many cases, scrip
tUrai texts engraved upon them, for
example. Lord, strengthen this arm"
T. - said that just prior to General
Comics surrender there was almost
Il uuJIuy IT the camp.
BULLER'S RECEPTION IN LADY
SMITH.
Ladysmith. Thursday, March l.
General Butler, accompanied by his
staff. arrived here at 11:40 o'clock a. m.
today Ee entered the town unnOticed.
a. more cavalry was coming in during
TIL uo-uirg. The news of his arrival
soon spread. however. and General
Wait and his staff at once went to re-
49, 49, IT. +-v-, rr-ra-al- NAT oo,SI
scenes II tremendous enthusiasm and
Genera Butler had an immense recep-
tin.
L L. Uu6= rstood that the Beers are
In full flight towards the Free State,
III /. I-i-g column of Ladysmith
troops .r- pursuing them. The Beers
LIZ U--. wagons ana gun and guam
tic oS provisions and ammunition be
hind them.
FEARFUL HAVOC IN BOER
TRENCHES.
Colenso Camp. February S.-The
Beers lost heavily during yesterdays
fighting. The Lyddite wrought feaful
havoc in the trenches. Many of the
wounded were quite yellow from the
effects of the fumes. Over 100 prisoners
We're taken. Many of them were HOl-
landeTS and 4 few were genuine Beers.
Considerable ammunition for rifles fell
into the hands of the British. as well
As 4 damaged Maxim gun bOeIS 10
years old were among the
The prisoners had not heard OF the
surrender Of General CrOnje and dis
credited il. The majority seemed to be
glad to be captured. They admit heavy
losses recently. The women remained
with the Beers in the trenches until
three hours before the British charged.
Two wouRen were found. one dead, the
Other fatally wounded. Before she died.
the latter said her husband wOuld not
let her 90 as she was such a good shot.
The woman was only 10 years old.
An idea of the intensity of the shell
fire can be gathered from the fact that
OF the ninety-five guns in action the
Nineteenth battery alone fired 194
oUnds firing every ten seconds. The
British casualties were about 200 men.
Osfontein. March 1.-The Beers have
now been definitely located four miles
from the British front, their left rest
ing on a high kopje and their right on
the river. The burgher force is esti-
mated - number between 5000 and
6.v00.
Rensb=-g. March 1.-The greater part
OF til Dutch residents at Colesberg
have been arrested as rebels. The
Beers, Yesterday, We're in full retreat
northwards with a British force fol-
lowing them.
CASUALTIES AMONG BULLER'S
OFFICERS.
London. March 2.-General Buffers
casualties among the officers during
the fighting of February 9th were:
kiIled-Colonel O'Leary, of the Lanca-
shires: Major Lewis, Captain Sykes
and Lieutenant Simpson, of the Scots
FusiIiars: Lieutenant MOurilyan. of the
Warwickshires. and Lieutenant Daily,
OF the Irish Fusiiiers. Wounded-Gen-
eraI Barton, Colonel Carr, Of the Scots
FusiIiers and twenty-three others.
BULLER'S VICTORY COMPLETE.
L5rdor. March s. 2:30 a. m.-The war
office has received the following from
General Butler:
.Ladysmith. Friday, March FL
find the defeat of the Beers more com
pIete than I had dared to antlclpate
This whole district is completely clear
of them and. except at the top of Van
Roenen's pass, where several wagons
sra visible 7 can find no trace of them