The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-02-20
EXCHANGING SHELLS.
The Transvaalers Occupy Strong
Position Near Dordrecht.
On the Retreat the Beers Kept Up =
Good Rear Guard ActiOn-Enemy
Very Active Around Lady
smith--Latest War News.

RAISING his. rear, hopes run high that
decisive action will occur, if it has
not already been fought. The dis
patches from Jacobsdal confirm this
belief, saying Gen. Cronje has been
obliged to ''Outspan," in other words,
form a laager or camp, in order to
rest his oxen. This explains Gen. Kel-
| Iy-Kenny's latest dispatch referring
to Smelling the lager, which also
brought long expected word of Gen.
Kitchener's whereabouts. That the
general who so relentlessly pursued
the Khalifa to his doom is supervis-
ing the pursuit of Gen. CrOnje adds
greatly to the confidence of the ma
ton so eagerly awaiting further news.
Jacobsdai. Orange Free State, Feb.
17.-Further details of the BOer re-
treat show that the enemy has been
fighting a good rear guard action and
| occupying successive kOpjes in order
TO allow the moving of the convoy
which, however, has been going at a
very slow pace, the animals apparent
" being dead beat.
The latest reports show that the
Beers in the neighborhood of Kip
Ilraals drift are undoubtedly disheart-
ened.
Gen. French's magnificent march is
still the subject of admiration, esPe-
cially in view of the dust storms and
thunderstOrms that all experienced.
The work OF Smelling the Beers pro-
ceeds vigorously. Owing to the style
of the action the Beers are bound to
show in the open whenever they are
obliged to leave the kopjes.
Jacobsdal, Feb. 17.-Gen. KeIly-Ken-
ny is still pursuing the Beers. He has
now captured more than 100 wagons.
The Highland brigade reinforced him
after a forced march. Gen. French
has left Kimberley to join in the pur-
suit of the Boer army. The guards
have occupied the BOer position at
Magersfontein.
Birds River, Feb. 1.-THE position
near DOrdrecht now is that the Beers
occupy a strong hill north of the
town and that the British hold a
commanding post to the south. Both
are maintaining a brisk exchange of
shells over DOrdrecht.
Gen. Brabant's Horse, zoo strong,
commenced the march from PenhOOk
Thursday morning over a trackless
veldt and through a mountainous and
difficult country. Early Friday they
were fired upon and the firing con-
tinued all day and well into the night,
the British clearing the Beers out of
successive positions under a terrific
rife fire lasting eight hours.
Toward midnight Friday the Brit
ish forced the Beers at the point OF
the bayonet out of their last position,
an important one overlooking Dor
drecht. The artillery duel was con-
tinued to-day.
Chievely, Feb. 18.-Gen. Butler has
| established his headquarters on Hus-
sar hill. Heavy artillery firing was
maintained at intervals by both sides
from Wednesday until Friday. The
British slowly pushed the advance and
their infantry occupied entrenched
new positions in front of Hussar hill
with slight losses. 1t is believed that
| the lyddite worked havoc in the BOer
trenches. The Beers are supposed to
have moved their big guns back over
the Tugela Friday afternoon. The
rife fire has been heavy at times. The
whole country is thicIly wooded.
The British operations are directed
| to the capture of Hlangwana hill,
where the Beers are strongly fortified
and from which they are Smelling the
| british with great accuracy. The Brit
ish infantry are now disposed along a
! line extending for seven miles to the
| small kOpies at the base of Monte
| Christie hill. From 8 o'clock Friday
| morning the British necessarily
shelled Monte Christie, with the mex
separating it from Blaauw Krantz hill
or the right.
/ The British infantry is making slow
progress up the mex in the endeavOr
to occupy Monte Christie, which viii
enable them to enflade the Beers on
Hlangwana.
Ladysmith, Feb. II, by Heliograph
! via Weenan.-The Beers have been
very active here during the last few
days, and are evidently making a move
somewhere. The garrison, greatly de-
lighted to learn of the relief of Kim
berley, is in excellent spirits and fit
for anything.
Mai. Doveton's wife, who was given
a safe conduct through the BOer lines,
| arrived here to nurse her husband,
but ne died Wednesday, Feb. IA.
DR.. jameson has the fever.
London, Feb. 1s.-The queen pro-
NOTED Gen. French to be major gen
eral. French heretofore has only
ranked as a colonel in the army, with
the local rank of lieutenant general.
Lieut.. Col. Kekewich has been pro-
NOTED colonel for services in the de-
| Tense of Kimberley.