The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-06
RETREAT OF THE BOERS.
Evacuation of Kroonstad, steyn's
Temporary Capital.

Evacuation of Kroonstad, steyn's
| Temporary Capital.
NEW YORK. July "a correspondent
of the Evening Post writing from johann
| nesburg under date of May II, says:
NO man in South Africa spent the 11th
| day of May under more laborious and dis
heartening conditions than those which
confronted President Steyn, of the Orange
| Free state. Lord Roberts vast army had
| been pushing its way rapidly and steadily
| northward for ten days. The evening oil
! Thursday. the 10th, found the English ad-
! vance guard within few miles of kroon-
stad, the temporary capital Of the state.
The main body of the army was but some
fifteen to eighteen miles away.
1.-The packing of the military stores had
been proceeding for several days. and the
greater portion had been sent northward
by rail. On Thursday. the order was is
sued for the packing of all official books
and papers, for transportation by carts and
wagons to the town of Lindley, some forty
miles to the eastward. The folly of the
selection OF that point was realized on the
following day. when orders were sent for
the establishment of a new ofncial location
at Heiibron.
"All through the week, timid, or dis
couraged, or tired out burghers had been
struggling back from that somewhat in
definite region known as the front. Like
the men of all other countries, there are
Beers who are brave and plucky. and there
are those who are neither. There is vast
amount of tall talk about fighting to the
end, of death in preference to surrender
or a hated English domination, but can
not help noticing that there has been, in
the recent days of the campaign in the
Free State, very considerable percentage
of Beers who seemed to dislike the idea
of dying for their country in too close
proximity to the British army.
Zone might infer that they believed that
to die twenty five to fifty miles away would
be more comfortable and quite as useful.
Yet one cannot much blame these stray
giers to the rear. When a man tells me
that he really enjoys the experience of
firing line set him down as either fool
or liar. And wh..n a faint heart is
coupled with either feeble body or an
empty stomach one is disposed to be char
liable toward the victim of the combina-
ton. 4-t
THE tide of stragglers increased On
Thursday, and there was promise OF food
of them on Friday morning. AT an early
hour on that day President Steyn was in
the saddle riding out to meet them and
turn them back. Had there been any SORT
of military organization, this might have
been possible even then, although 1t would
really have been useless. With such els
organized mass, the task was as hopeless
as that OF the old lady who tried to sweep
back the Atlantic Ocean.
means in his power. He begged and urged
and threatened He appealed to their
manhood and their patriotism. He plac ed
some under arrest. few returned TO the
lines, though not many Of them stayed
there. This retreat was not that OF pm
ic-stricken mob, but rather utter rout
of disheartened AID discouraged mass in
the face Of an overwhelming fo.ce.
AS the day advanced the numbers OF
the retreatera increased. Wagonloads OF
camp baggage and the househoid furniture
OF refugees Jclneu the great procession.
MOST oil the ohclais started carry IN tne
mo, mug ioi .ne new es.ao,ishLne.'
ieeiihs that tne biitish "ouiu pe III .he
lowh peiofe hlsnl .ne'easea as .ne hu .i.n
M.nt Wy nooa ,ns as "sa u. ia,.
-. ,,,,. - Is
~ tour ,ratns wbicb yera IN ho Mold nm
~, ~ ,as, ,n,,on, TO- sno,io1 re.sons All
nIacee for .he saIe If liouor were closed Inv |
official order Mounted messengers cama |
. nd wont az tho ton sneet Of their horses |
There were endless hustIe and activity |
endless talk and discussion of what was tn |
come within the next few hours and days. |
Most of the hustle and activity was quite |
as useless as the talk and discussion. A
work was done in short line of trenches
outside the town. The President spent the
entire forenoon in the field, directing, ex-
postulating. and issuing orders. But the
tide rolled back. and could not be stayed.
Il had accepted. very gladly, the inVi-
tation of my good friend, Mr.. X. E.
Brounger, the general manager of the
Orange Free State Railway. to leave with
him in his private car by special train.
which woald be the last TO CO. The time of
leparttlre was uncertain depending upon |
he British advance. I was fully satisfied
hat there would be no occupation on that
Law unless some uureported thanking COL
INN had made it's way northward to east
,r wast IN com. noint above rho town II
roc bardlv noeeibIa tb.t eucb couJs no tho
.asa ye, ,ba in.fticiencv NJ Roar military
,aa.tos. - snuroon ~ ooorr.,a ;nror,,a
- J;S - ohonno ~, :, ,,inh. GO
,.,,
iappeh'
by hiaday l nad become quite tireu
u the useless hustie ana CONFUSION oil taik
ma action IN the town centre, winch
les about q mile from the railway station
settled my account with the hote! and
darby to tote my lug
rage up to Mr.. Brounger's car. 1t proved
IN excellent move. l was out of the mess,
md from the observation platform at the
ear of the car l could sweep the horizon
md overlook the whole town with nv held