The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-26

AS DON as the kopje was evacuated this
correspondent visited It,. The position
was found to be wonderfully strong nat
urally, and to form the real key to the
position in the case of defense against
Boer reinforcements advancing from the
east. Our first contact with the Lady.
smith Beers was singularly unfortunate
for them. A great deal of forage, pro-
visions and equipment was captured. and
the kopje was frequently dotted with
blood, showing that many wounded had
been removed
The Boer method of removing theis
dead is to tie a couple of reins to the
pody, which Is thus dragged off by two
norsemen at full gallop. There were sew
eral pour parlers today on the subject
OF short armistice. 1t seems that Gen.
CronJe Is willing to surrender, but that
the young Transvaalers refuse. The
other beleasuered Beers are anxious to
give up. A British doctor, who visited
the Boer lines to see to the wounded.
found the trenches along the river full of
wounded and saw many dead.
+ A deserter who came into canp LAST
night says that yesterdays bombardment
was appalling in It's effects, especially in
the case of the howitzer batteries enhiad
ing the river
The position today Is practically the
same. The Beers are strengthening their
entertainments around the lager, az
though their case Is hopeless
The capture of the kopje today ha.
given the British a splendid position. and
will prevent a Boer relieving force reach
ing Cronje. Everybody admires the
splendid stand of the burghers, but from
humanitarian point of view 1t Is con-
sidered that further resistance on tbs
part of Gen. Cronje will be criminal.
Every shrapnel shell finds victim ana,
unless miracle occurs, his force must
be wiped out Or captured The former
result is terrible to contemplate, but. al
though 1t would require few days. 1t
would be easy to accomplish.
Today Lord Roberts sent Gen Cronje
an offer of a safe conduct for the women
and children, together with a free pass
to any point for them, and also an offer
of doctors and medicine. Cronje's reply
was a curt refusal, and desultory shell.
Ing was resumed.
THURSDAY.
PAARDEBERG, Orange Free State.
Feb. 22.-Artillery Smelling continued dur
Ing the early part of last night. AS soon
as the last gun was fired the ShropshIres,
who had been occupying the river bed
since Sunday, rushed forward, seized an
additional 200 yards of near ground and
intrenched fresh position before day
break. At dawn Gen. Cronje found him
self locked that amount of space. The
Shropshires had done excellent work I'M
der CALLING fire since Sunday, and they
were relieved by the Gordons today
The exchange of positions had its anus
ing features, in spite of the danger. The
Gordons crawYed on their stomachs to the
trenches, and the Shropshires crept out
of these by actually climbing over the
Gordons.
The scene of the last FIVE days fight
ing is one Of the prettiest sights in South
Africa. The river at the point where Gen.
Cronje is ensconced and fighting for life
resembles some parts Of the Hudson river,
the ground all around sloping toward the
stream. All the highlands are covered by
British artillery. Cronje is faced in the
front and rear from both banks by the
British, while Gen. French's horse. far
away on the TANKS, prevent a sudden
thrush of Beers.
During the artillery firing last evening
the mules of the Etghty-second battery,
which had remained hitched to the car
riages, suddenly stampeded and galloped
off en- masse, but today the wagons, with
one exception, were recovered.
Gen. French has sent in seventy-five
prisoners. A British patrol, eight miles
to the west, discovered thirty Beers wan
dering away and corralled them. Already
this force has captured $50 of the enemy,
while many dead Beers have been seen.
The Boer prisoners are all depressed at
the present course of the war. and they
comment bitterly upon Gen. Cronje's per-
sistence which they call murder"
Today German ambulance attached to
the Beer forces was allowed to traverse
the British lines in front of Jacobsdal.
Quantities of cattle, sheep and oxen have
been captured while wandering from the
Boer laager.
FRIDAY.
PAARDEBERG, Orange Free State.
Feb. 23-The British are gradually closing
in upon Gen. Cronje from all sides, max
ing his position more impossible than
ever.
During the course of last night the
British artillery poured in several rounds.
There was a terrible rain and thunder
storm early in the evening.
The Canadians were heavily engaged In
Sundays fighting, behaving most gal
lantIy.
SATURDAY.
PAARDEBERG, Orange Free State.
Feb. 24-The British took eighty prison
ers as the result of yesterdays engage
ment. A balloon assembled and discov-
cred several new works, which the Brit
ish guns shelled today.