The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-02-27
BOER FORCES
CONCENTR ATING
FOR BATTLE
Vtu Probably Be Able to Face the
British With an Army
of $1,000 Men.
CRAFTY CRONJE HOLDS OUT
IN Hope of Relief, ana Nay Yet Give
Lord Roberts a
Royal Battle,

LONDON, Feb. q, 1870 a. m.-The
Boers are assembling an army near
Eloemtouteln, with which to dispute
the invasion Of Lord Roberts. This in-
telllEence comes from Pretoria by way
Of Lourenzo MARQUES, The comman-
does are described as Christening from
ali quarters Of the two republics"
Beers Concentrating.
No estimate Is made Of their num-
bers. but the withdrawal Of the Boers
from most Of the places where they
have been In contact with the British
except the district near Ladysmlth
may raise the resisting force to $4,000
men. This figure assumes that the
Beers have between $1,000 and 10000
men in the field
The gathering OF this army across the
path Of Lord Roberts gives slgnih-
canoe to General Cronje's steadfast de-
tense. he has engaged the corps OF
LORD Roberts for ten days now, and
whether he is relieved or not, he has
given time for the dispersed Boer frae-
tions to get together and to prepare
positions to receive the British ad-
vance when cronje is overcome and
Lord Roberts moves forward.
It is difneult to conceive that the
Boers are strong enough to take the
offensive and rescue General Cronje
from his precarieus situation.
The war once had nothing after
midnight to indicate his collapse, and
he.may hold out for few days. The
correspondents seem to have no exact
information respecting his resources.
Some say he has plenty Of food, but Is
short Of ammunition. Others assert
that he abandoned his food supplies,
but Kept abundant supplies Of cart
ridges.
Butler Faced Strong Force.
General Butler on Saturday faced the
last and strongest positions of the
RDsra who bar his way to Lsdysmith.
The strenuous fghting Indicates bat
tie bstween armies, rather than rear
guard actions protecting a retreat.
On Thursday and Friday he lost for
ty.three officers killed and wounded.
representing probably total loss Of
from four hundred to fve hundred.
General Whites guns worked on
Saturday upon the BOer positions and
a hellogram from Ladysmith reported
that the Beers were retreating and that
larger ratluns were being Issued in view
Of .he fact that relief seemed at hand.
No News From Mafelking.
Nothing has been heard from Mafe-
king pince February z. The move
ment on the veldt away from the rail-
way IS becoming increasingly dificult
for large bodies Of troops as the grass
is burned up. General French has to
wagon forage for his horses, and even
the Infantry finds the long marches
harder than before, as forage for the
transport Gnlmals must be carried.
This requires the formation Of gurri-
sone1 depots. The ordinary campaign
ing season is over and the sIckly sen
son for both men and animals has set
In.
Technical military writer's take these
things into consideration in forecast-
ing events
The Daily Chronicle says It learns
from private letter that British rlaes
and ammunition have been landed on
the southern coast Of Cape Colony, pre-
sumably for the Dutch colonIsts.
Lord Roberts has recently received
seyenty-two additional pieces Of artil-
lery. Whether all have been sent to
Paardcburg is not known.
Probably the eighth division will
leave England next Monday.