The Topeka state journal., 1900-02-20
capturing 1000 head of cattle, 1OI
wagons of provisions and 100 men,


ROBERTS MOVING FORWARD.
London, Feb. 2O.-2:56 p. m.-The war
office has issued a dispatch from Lord
Roberts, the main Importance of which
is the fact that it is dated Paardeberg
7:05 p. m. Monday. Paardeberg is 80
miles east of JacObsdal. The dispatch
announces that the railroad to Kimber-
ley is open and that Gen. Methuen will
proceed there with reinfOrcementS
forthwith and that large supplies Will
be forwarded to the town.
Whatever good news may have been
received from the front is being care
fully guarded. In spite of the queens
announcement to the Fourth battalion
of the Lincolnshire militia this morning
prior to her departure from Osborne
house to Windsor, that good news had
been received from the seat of war, the
war Office SOlemnly averred that they
had received no news up to 1:30 o'clock
this afternoon. Unofhcially it is rumor-
ed that Gen. Kitchener has brought
Gen. Cronje to a standstill and has en-
gagged him and it is added the war office
now is only awaiting the result of the
battle. This, however, though plausi-
BILE may be premature.
In any case the confident hope that
Gen. Cronje has been cut off from
BloemfOntein continues to prevail in
London, especially in view of detailed
dispatches saying that the Free Staters
when they saw the extent ofthe British+
ers were in favor of surrendering.
The first train to Kimberley left Cape
Town last night and the neighborhood
of the famous siege seems thoroughly
cleared of Beers. Gen. Butler, apparent
ly, is contenting himself with shelling
the Beers from his newly gained posi-
tion at Monte Christie, which, according
to good opinion, is likely to form his
base for another attempt to relieve
Ladysmith.
The Westminster Gazettes military
critic says he believes the Beers have
started northWard in Natal and will
74~s1 e~5s
force Gen. CrOnje. But this must be
regarded as rather optimistic, at any
rate until Gen. Butler has developed
the Beers line of defense which, on ev
cry attempt to reach Ladysmith has
proved impregnable.
A dispatch from Pietermaritzburg
dated Monday, February 10, says all is
quiet in Zululand and the Beers main
bodies are reported to be retiring upon
Dundee and Helpmakaar, leaving small
forces and two pieces of artillery at
each magistracy.
According to a special dispatch from
Tarkastad, refugee who has arrived
there says the Beers are six thousand
strong at Stormberg, but that at
Burghersdorp, they have only a small
town guard.
QUEEN CALLS ON OLD SOLDIERS.
London, Feb 2O-The queen through
her private secretary, Sir Arthur John
Bigge, has sent the following letter to
the COMMUNICATIVE chief of the forces,
Field Marshal Lord Wolseley:
Osborne Feb. 17.-My Dear Lord
WOlseley: As so large a proportion of
the army is now in South Africa the
queen fully realizes that necessary
measures must be adopted for home
defense. Her majesty is advised that
it would be possible to devise for a year
an efficient force from her old soldiers
who have already served as officers,
nOn-c commissioned officers or privateS
and confident in their devotion to the
try nj I0z-11Ty tn har-
queen appeals to them to serve her once
more in place of those who, for a time,
side by side with the people of her
colonies, are nobly resisting the in
vasion of her South African possess
siOns- Her majesty has signified her
pleasure that these battaliOnS shall be
designated the royal reserve battalionS
of her army. (signedl.
''ATHUR BIGGE."
BULLER OCCUPIES COLENSO.
London, Feb. 2O.-Tne following dis
patch has been received at the war
| office from Gen. Butler;
Blows Farm, Tuesday, Feb. 90
4:10 p. m.-The FusiIier brigade yester-
day took Hlangwana hill, the right of
! the enemy'S position and commanding g
! COlensO, the rest of the force advancing g
! towards the Tugela. This morning the
| enemy has withdrawn all the troops
north OF the Tugela and had practical
/ " evacuated COlenSO. Today General
1 Hart occupied Colenso after a very
! slight resistance by a weak rear guard
and we hold the line of the Tugela on
] the south side from COlenSo to Eagle s
/ Nest. The enemy seems to be in full
retreat and apparently are only holding
/ the position they occupy across the Co
! lenso-Ladysmith railway, where it is
| close to the angle of the Tugela, with
a weak rear guard. Hart's advance
guard is crossing at COlensO. Our cas-
ualties yesterday and today have hope
/ been few"