The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-02-21
EARLY AFRICAN WAR NEWS
GENERAL BULLER'S TROOPS AGAIN
CROSSING IHETUGELA.
Occupy COlenso-Enemy ssems to be In
Full Retreat-Gen. Roberts Moves
Eastward-ImpOrtant News Received
on bat Held Back.


cial despatch has been received from
General Butler:
Blows Farm, Feb. 20, 4:10 p. M
The Fusilier brigade yesterday tool
Hlangwana hill, the right of the en-
emys position, and commanding Co
lenso, the rest of the force advancing
toward the Tugela. This morning the
enemy had Withdrawn all the troops
north of the Tugela, and had practically
evacuated Colenso.
To-day General Hart occupied Co
lenso after a very slight resistance by a
weak rear guard, and we hold the line
of the Tugea on the south side, from
Colenso to Eagles Nest. The enemy
seem to be in full retreat, and appar-
emily are only holding the position they
occupy across the Colenso-Ladysmith
railway, where it is close to the angle
of the Tugela, with a weak rear guard.
Harris advanced guard is crossing at
| Colenso. Our casualties yesterday and
to-day have. l hope, been but few.
| QUEEN HAS GOOD NEWS.
The queen, sprior to leaving Osborne
house this morning, on her return to
Windsor, inspected the Fourth battalion
Of the Lincolnshire militia, and an
nounced with gratified smile that
good news had been received this morn
ing from the seat of war. One account
says the queen specified that the good
news was from Ladysmith.
The war office has issued despatch
from Lord Roberts, the main import
ance of which Is the fact that 1t is dat
ed Paardeberg, s:05 p. M, Monday.
Paardeberg is thirty miles east Of ia
cobsdal. The despatch announces that
the railroad to Kimberley is open and
that General Methuen will proceed there
with reinforcements forthwith and that
large supplies will be forwarded to the
town.
FOR HOME DEFENSE.
The queen, through her private secre-
tary, Sir Arthur John Bigge has sent
the following letter to the commander
in-chief, Lord Wolseley:
Osborne, Feb. 17.-My dear Lord
Wolseley: AS so large a proportion of
the army is now in South Africa, the
queen fully realizes that necessary
measures must be adopted for home de-
Tense. Her majesty is advised that 1t
would be possible to raise for year an
efficient force from her old soldiers who
have already served as officers, nom
commissioned officers or privates, and,
confident in their devotion to the coun
try and loyalty to her throne, the
queen appeals to them to serve her
once more in place of those who, for
time, side by side with the peoples of
her colonies, are nobly resisting the in
vasion of her South African possess
sions.
Her majesty has signified her pleas
ure that these ibattalions shall be desig-
mated the Royal Reserve battalions of
her army.
arthur Bigge."
RUMORS OF VICTORY.
Unofficially, 1t is rumored that GEN
eral Kitchener has brought General
Cronje to standstill, has engaged him,
and the war office is only awaiting the
result of the battle. This though
plausible, may be prema ture. In any
case, the%Nlief that General Cronje has
ben cut off from Boemfontein continues
to prevail in London, especially in view
of detailed dispatches saying that the
Free Staters, when they saw the ex-
tent of the British forces, were in favor
of surrendering.
The first train to Kimberley left Cape
Town, laden with coal, last night. In
reopening the railway military require
ments will be the first consideration,
second foodstuffs and lastly passengers.
Accommodations for the latter will
probably be provided Wednesday or
Thursday.
COUNTRY FREE OF BOERS.
The country is all free around Kim
berey. The Beers have. evacuated
Dronfeld, Saltpan, Spyfontein and
Scholtz Mex. One of their twelve
Founders, with ammunition, was cap
tured, as was also their lager at Dron-
field, which was abandoned Friday
night.
Although the rapid march of General
French's division was marked by a
of conflicts, his actual entry
into Kimberley was unopposed When
the British were still eight miles off the
signal corps intercepted a Telegraph
from the beleaguered garrison
to Modder River saying: THE Beers
are Smelling the town" The advancing
column replied: This is General
French coming to the relief of Kimber-
ley" The garrison was incredulous and
thought the message was Boer ruse,
and flashed the query: "What regi- |
nent are you?"
The reply satisfied the defenders of |
Kimberley that the anxiously awaited
succor was at hand, and few hours
later General French, at the head of |
a column, made a triumphant entry |
INTO the place, the people surrounding |
The troops cheering wildly, grasping |
he soldiers hands, waving flags, hats I
and handkerchiefs and exhibiting their |
10y.
RATIONS WE'RE SHORT
The inhabitants had been on short |
ations for some time, eating horsefesh
Ind living in burrows under heaps of |
nine refuse. Food was served out |
laily at II o'clock in the market square
lnder the shell-fire of the enemy, whose
guns opened on the square whenever
he people assembled No horse food |
vas left when General French arrived.
Throughout the siege Cecil Rhodes
provided the natives with work and
God and thus kept them quiet.
The miles of convoy bearing provis-
ons for the relief column and the !