Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-15

late government OF the Free State.'
He evidently received the text OF Lord
Salisbury's reply to Presidents Kruger
and Steyn, apdsis prepared to establish
a temporary mil lsiFX governmsnt for
the queens new coiony.
Other details were lacking at mid
night, but it lis cleay that the British
flag has been run UP over the presi-
dency. and that it would never be
hauled down. There was great Joy at
midnight wherever the news was bull
letined, but it came too late to be gem
orally known.
Meager News From Elsewhere.
The news from every other quarter
of the theatre of war was meager at
midnight. ex
Gatacre's district is virtually cleared,
the rebels having been dispersed ut
Ladygrap, Barkley East and. Aliwal
North. The bridge at Aliwal north was
saved after sharp fight.
The railway will speedily be in OPP
Grafton to the Orange river at three
points where crossings can be made
into the Free State.
The rebellion among the whites in
the Prieska district is not making
headway. The British and colonial
forces are restoring order in the vii
lagos one after another.
There is a fresh sheaf OF dispatches
from Plumer's camp, which is now
pitched forty miles north of Mafeking,
where the garrison is in desperate need
of relief.
Rumors that Comic and the Boer
prisoners will be sent to st. Helena is
Officially confirmed. The island will be
reached after five days passage and
the prisoners will be more comfortable
there than they have been q. Cape
Town, because they can be allowed
more liberty.
War Must Go On.
The text of the correspondence be-
tween the two presidents and Lord
Salisbury has been read with the live
lest feelings of satisfaction by the
English in South Africa, where it IS in
terpreted as clear intimation that the
war must go on until the Dutch re-
publics are ready to surrender uncon-
ditionally.
The inference to be drawn from the
Pretoria dispatches is that the appeal
Of the two presidents was designed to
draw from the British government a re-
ply which would convince the Dutch
there that there was nothing before
them except desperate resistance to a
war of conquest.
The action of the state department
at Washington caused much surprise
here especially as it is understood by
the public in the absence of correspon-
dence between the two governments,
that the European governments are
credited with acting more cautiously
in waiting for the publication of Lord
Salisbury's reply before deciding
whether there was an occasion
for offering their services as peace
makers.
Text Of Roberts, Dispatch.
London, March 15.-The following
| is the text of Roberts dispatch to the
war Office, announcing the occupation
of Bloemfontein:
'Bloemfontein, Tuesday. March 13,
s p. m.--By the help of God and by
the bravery of her maiesty's soldiers,
the troops under my command have
taken possession of Bloemfontein.
The British flag now flies over the
presidency, evacuated last evening by
Steyn, late president of the Orange
Free State. Frazer, member of thu.
late executive government; Landrose,
secretary to the late government; the
mayor, and other officials, met me two
miles from the town and presented
me with the keys to the public Of
fees.
The enemy has withdrawn from the
ineighborhood, and all seems quiet.