The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-02
B0ERS ARE READY FOR FIGHT
ARE GREATLY OUTNUMBERED BY
THE FORCE THAT THE BRIT
TISH PRESENT
SHARP FIGHT AT B0sHoF
Beers Attacked a british Outpost
Near Headquarters of Gen. Me-
thuen-Eating LOcusts in
Mafeking.

LONDON, May 2.-Fighting, heavier
than any since Ladysmith, seems to be
Z imminent near Thaba NChu Dispatches
J from Lord Roberts, dated Monday and
/ Tuesday, show that the Boer rear guard,
! stubbornly resisting his advance forced
the British on Saturday and Sunday to
! act chiefly on the defensive. Gen Smith,
4 who is directing the operations, has at
least 1900 men. Some estimates give him
/ 100000 The Beers are estimated to be at
+ least 5000 and possibly 10000 strong.
i According to a dispatch from Pretoria,
. dated April IS, the Beers were expecting
& to give battle and had numerous artiI-
lery. So long as the Beers engage half
of Lord Roberts advance at Thaba NChu
4 his advance to Pretoria will be delayed
No one here believes that Gen. Botha will
De able to stand longer than two or three
4 days. The general opinion is he will be
beaten off by the masses of Lord Roberts
+ force
The Beers attacked the British outposts
at Boshof the headquarters of Lord
4 Methuen, on April 2S but without result
( The British guns at Warrenton shelled
4 the Beers out of their half constructed
trenches Sunday.
A native runner got through from Mafe-
king to Ootsi, 176 miles north, April 22
with dispatches for nearly all the London
dailies. That to the Morning Post says:
I'VE can stick it out for two months or
j more. Nobody minds.'
Col. Plumer who appears to have been
reinforced lately by more Rhodesians,
seems to be advancing again.
TREMENDOUS COST OF WAR.
In the house of commons today the
parliamentary secretary OF the war Of
flee, Mr.. WYndham, announced that under
the exceptional circumstances of the case
he proposed to lay on the table Of the
house the Geographic correspondence be
tween the secretary Of state for war. the
Marquis Of Lansdowne, and the CON-
mander of the British troops in South
Africa, Lord Roberts, with reference to
the publication Of the Spioh Kop dis
patches
Replying to a question, the financial
secretary to the treasury, Mr. Hanbury,
said the cost of the war up to March 81
was 92S, ,25O, 900.
TWO BRAVE BRPTONS.
A letter from Sergeant Parker who is
believed to be one of those Just decorated
with the Victoria cross, describing the
Sannas Post disaster, is published today.
He says:
IN gallOping from the spruit my gun
was overturned and every horse was
shot L got up with No. gun and we
remained three hours under the most ter
r1hle fire. In five minutes | had lost two
s complete detachments and only Gunner
Lodge (also decorated with the croas)
and myself were left to work the two
guns, he at one, and I at the other We
remained at the guns, loading laying and
firing by ourselves, and brought both
guns out of action by ourselves. We have
been recommended for the Victoria
cross"
TO MAKE A CLEAN SWEEP.
A special dispatch received here from
Cape Town under today's date says that
Secretary of State Re;tz, of the South
African republic declared 10 n recent
visitor at Pretoria that not only would
every Englishman be cleared out of the
Hate but also every American, German
OF any man Of other nationality who was
not prepared 10 shoulder a Mauser and
fight for the country.
MAFEI<ING WILL HOLD OUT.
a dispatch from Mafeking, dated April
90 says:
''Ihe Beers have been busy for several
days blowing up the railway southwards
There was little firing during the past
week. The town will respond cbeerfliiv
another month. Fever is life, but other
wise the health of the garrison is coed
and all are we'll
LORD ROBERTS REPORT
The following dispatch has been sent b,.
Lord Roberts to the war office:
Bioemtontein, April 3O.-The Beers
made very persistent attacks round Thaba
NChu. Saturday and Sunday. But the
position which the Eighth tRundle's) d.
vision holds IS very strong and he had the
assistance Of GorGon's and Dickson's
brigaGes, the cavalry under French and
Smlth-Dorrien's infantry brigade. and a
body OF mounted infantry under Ian
Hamilton Pole-Carew's division returned
from Dewets1orp yesterday"
Lord Roberts also reports additional
casualties sustained during the fightinr
Of April q around Thaba NChu. consist.
Ing of Lieut. Geary and two enlisted mon
killed and one officer and three enlisted
men wounded.
GEN. HAMILTON'S ADVANCE
The war Office has received the follow,
ing dispatch from Gen. Roberts:
"BloemfOntein, May Ian Hamilton
marched yesterday in northerly direc
ton from Thaba N'Chu, with a body of
mounted Infantry and Snith-DorrieI's
brigade of Clements division At Haut,
ney ne found himself opposed NV q s+rono
ID. r.
son Rein1orcements reached this force
during the day, and l directed French ~
strengthen him during the night from
Thaba NGhu. This he was able 70 do.
as the number of Beers in the neiehhor'
hood Of Thaba NChu had ccnsiderabI
decreased. In addition to these troons
Hamilton should be reinforced during tbo
day by Broadwood's cavalry and Bruce.
Hanilton's infantry briage. Hamilton
mentioned that his casualties Yesterday
were about thirty
''MaXwelfs brigade of the Seventh di-
vision yesterday occupied Vlaksontors
end SChauskraal, row of 1opies with
out meeting with opposition But tho
mounted infantry were engaged for some
hours"
EATING LOCUSTS IN MAFEKING.
A dispatch to the Times from Mafeking
dated April 20 says:
"A side light is thrown upon the hungry
condition of the garrison by the fact that
the united efforts of the whites and ma
tives have recently been devoted to catch