The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-27

LOnds.. February %. 1 a. m.-Gen-
-ral Croaie is seemingly making his
last stand. He is dying hard. hemmed
ia by British infantry. and with shells
from sixty guns falling into his camp.
On tse third day Of the fight the
E0er chief asked for an armistice to
bury his dead. Fight to a mis- or
surrezSer Internationally" was Lord
Kitcheaer's reply. General Cronje i'm
.ediatIy sent back word that his re-
guest fer a truce had been m~isunder-
stood n that his determination then.
as before, was to fight to the death.
N battle went On. This was the sit
uatiea Of General Cronje Tuesday ey-
eaing. as sketched in the scanty teIe-
grams that have emerged from the
seni-sleace Of South Africa.
Officially, Lord Roberts wires that
he has scattered the advance m
dos Of the endorsements that were
striving to reach CrOnje. 1t is regard
ID as angular that Lord Roberts
wiring Wednesday should not mention
the appeal for an armistice on the pre-
Fious day, and also that the war Of
ace sRsuis withhold good news if it has
snS.
Without trying to con even the
scanty materials at hand. it seems
PLAIN that General Cronje is in a bad.
even a desperate situation. and that
the British are pressing their advant-
age.
While the attack on General Cronie
proceeds there is a race for concentra-
tIoA between the Beers and the Brit
iA.
Tue engagement with General CrOn-
J-s i've to eight thousand ~entrenched
men IS likely to become an incident in
a battle between the masses. The sep
arated factions of the BOer power are
rapidly drawing together To attack
Lord Roberts. Will General Cronie be
able to hold out until the BOer masses
appear. or II he does. will they then be
able TO succOr him.? The British are
racing the Beers on ground where the
arrss, tactics and training of the Brit
lsh are expected to give them the ad-
vantage
General Butler. according To a dis
patch from Chievelrey, dated Wednes-
day, finds the Beers in positions north
Of the THgela largely reinforced. This
seems strange.
n war office. for the first time. has
given cut an official compilation of the
British losses. The total is IL. POS TO
February 18th. This does not include.
Aerefsre, Lord Roberts recent losses.
nor the Wiltshire prisoners. The press
association learns that the British
losses at RoodOOsrand were 100.
Three thousand fresh troops will en-
bark foT South Africa today.
Lon6ss. February 23.-The Cane
Town correspondent of The Daily Tel
esrapn says: General Cronje's request
Tor an =rmistice was a mere dodge TO
gam ane to make trenches. Lord
Kitchener refused. but gave him half
an aoar to consider whether he would
surrender Internationally or fight to
= r1ish he Hoers having said that
their Intention had been misunderstood
and that they would fight To the end.
the h5Jti~ was ~.cSuned.'
London February ga special dis
patch fiUin P~Iardeberg. dated Wednes-
a February 21st. says: Command
ant Botha has been attempting to re-
lieve General Cronje. There has been
severe lighting General Botha's force
is scattered with heavy losses"
h war office has received from
Lord Roberts the following message,
which was delayed in transmission,
dated Paardeberg. Wednesday, Febru-
airy 21st: Yesterday afternoon 1 was
satisfied, by a careful reconnaissance
IN fierce Of the enemy's position, tina
I could not assault it without very
heavy less. which L was most anxious
to avoid Accordingly. l decided to
lombard him with artillery and turn
ny attention to the enemy's reinforce
nentS. The result was most satisfac-
tory. The Beers were driven off in all
directions. losing a good many killed
and sunded and about fifty prisoners.