Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-03-07
.BOERS LEAVE CAPE COLONY.
CLEMENTS HOLDS COLES
BERG, AND
BRABANT IS AT DORDRECHT.
BRITISH HOLD THE RAILWAY
WHICH WILL FACILITATE
THE MOVEMENT
OF Additional Troops Into the Free
State-Natal Practically Clear of
Boers-Gen. Whites Garrison is
Leaving Ladysmith Burghers
Hold a Position Within Four Miles
of the Army of GEN. Roberts.

LONDON, March 6.-The Beers in
Northern Cape Colony are in full re-
treat to the Orange Free State. The
possession of Stormberg puts Gen.
Gatacre in railroad communication
with Gen. Clements at Colesberg, for
though the Beers partially wrecked
the railroad, it is understood that it
can be quickly repaired, and thus the
entrance of. additional British troops
into the Free State will be greatly
facilitated.
From Osfontein, where Field Mar
shall Lord Roberts is opposed by
good sized body of Beers, there is
still no news except reports of minor
skirmishes
The position gained by Gen. Bra
bant at Dordrecht is reported to be
exceedingly strong. According to the
Times correspondent, the Boer num-.
bers alone enabled them to retreat
from Dordrecht, practically unhinder-
ed. He also reports a violation of the
white flag by the Beers, and that they
deliberately FREQ at close range, on
stretcher party.
Gen. Whites garrison has begun to
leave Ladysmith and is arriving at the
Moot river camp, where the troops
will remain several days, after which
they will go farther south. They are
emaciated and exhausted and say the
road to Colenso presents scenes that
exceed in horror those depicted in
Dante's Inferno" Dead men and
animals are lying in the trenches for
merly occupied by the Beers, and fill
the air with a sickening stencil. In
cases where hurried burial had been
attempted the rains have washed the
earth away, and out of the earth
stick CHASTITY limbs and arms of dead
burgers.
A dispatch from Osfontein says that,
according to the Boer prisoners, an
other important British success will
cause President Steyn to fee to Pre-
toria, leaving provisional govern
ment at Bloemfontein, which is likely
to make peace overtures, those Free
Staters not wishing for peace trekking
in to the Transvaal, and there helping
to make stand which most of the
British military critics now point out
will constitute the most difficult and
deciding feature of the war.
The recent rains have afforded
Lord Roberts good grass and copious
supplies have reached him. News of
h oI1 ie I'll @o1
The war office has received the fol-
lowing dispatch from Lord Roberts:
aOSFONTEIN, March 6.-Gen. Cat
acre occupied Stormberg yesterday.
The lines of railway north and west
will now be repaired. Gen. Clements
is at Joubert's siding station, beyond
ColeSberg The Duke of Marlborough
with the Oxford company of the I'M
perial Yeomanry has left Cape Town
for Naaupoort.
Gen. Butler reports Natal now
practically clear of the enemy and
that he cannot hear of any formed
body of them anywhere. The Beers
left some ambulances full of their sick
from which the mules had been taken
for transport services"
DORDRECHT, March 5.-Gen. Bra
ban has scored a complete victory.
The Beers are in full retreat with
their guns and wagons, and are be-
ing pursued.
Following yesterdays success Gen.
Brabant again engaged the Beers to-
day with advantage, holding the posi-
ton captured yesterday. There was
some smart fighting this morning, the
civ NJ
capturing the Boer fort, thus vastly
improving their position The Beers
fought tenaciously, contesting every
inch of the ground, but ultimately
they retreated suddenly, carrying off
their guns and wagons. A mounted
force pursued them. The British cas-
ualties during the two days were 30
wounded and II or 13 killed. The
Boer losses are unknown. Throughout
the arduous fighting the colonials be-
haved splendidly.
STERKSTROM, March 5-Gen. Cat
acre entered Stormberg unopposed to-
day. The Beers destroyed the railway
approach, but the station is intact
OSFONTEIN, March 3-The Boer
position has now been fairly located
as about four miles to the British front
and extending about eight miles The
Boer right consists of a high, long
mountain on the north side of the
river, which Gen. French shelled this
morning.
Apparently the space between the
mountain and the river has been en-
trenched. South of the river the Boer
lines cover mere ground. A few days
ago their left rested on the high kop-
jes standing in the middle of the plain.
They have now been extended two
miles farther south, while six small
kopjes stand in the plain between the
center and the left, and between the
centre and the river. and form a ridge
behind which the Beers move unseen
The weakness of the whole position,
however. is that it can easily be turned
in either direction. The country is
fat and water abounds. the recent
rains having nearly filed all the dams