The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-27
A FOUR-DAYS BATTLE.
Roberts, Attempt to surround Cronje.
Unsuccessful as Yet.
kSpeciaI to Baltimore Sum-

to Baltimore Sum-
bndon, February PA battle has
been raging along the line of the Mod
der river, cal Paardeberg and Koo-
doesrand. for four days. The skill of
strategy of Cronje.
Ne official accounts of the engage
nent have been received in London ex-
cept an incomplete list of losses of Off
GERS, amounting to forty-nine. This
indicates fierce fighting.
A dispatch from Cape Town states
that the Roers are surrounded, but
official dispatches published in Preto-
ria state that Cronje was recently
holding his own and had repulsed all
the British attacks, infiict1ng heaVy
losses, While suffering only slightly
himself.
In the absence of definite news from
Roberts and Kitchener and the corre-
spondents with them the result Of the
fighting is ~enyeloped in doubt.
From scattering dispatches, both
from British and Boer sources, it ap~
pears that Roberts plan worked excel
Iently so far as his troops were con-
cerned, but that CrOnje, who had been
reinforced from Natal and northern
Cape Colony, was able to put up a
nuch stronger resistance than had
been expected.
When the Beers marched east from
Kimberley toward Bloemfontein, Cen
erals Kitchener and Kelly-Kenny
started to head them Off They. sue
ceeded in doing so by reaching Paar-
deberg first. General CrOnje then
turned toward KoOdoOrsand drift II
appears that General Macdonald fore
-%-lI1l L;- l--a h,rt thn nnnna 1n n nE
of the BOer General De Wet with a
force of burghers. probably on the
Highlander ~brigade's flank, gave the
Beers a chance.
Fighting seems to have begun al
K~oodoosrand, which is just north OF
the Modder river and due south OF
Boshof. and to have been transferred
to the south, near Kip Kral drift
Cronje seems TO nave held his own with
an inferior force. 1t is confidently
stated he has not more 5000 men
with him from Magersfontein, but has
been reinforced from SpytfOntein. also
from COleSberg. 1t is doubtful, howeV-
err, if any reinforcements he could geI
could make Roadway long against three
British divisions of infantry and ont
of cavalry-0,0OO men.
However, he has made the British
pay severely for trying to get him in {
trap. Fighting Mac" and Major
General Knox have been wounded
nine officers have been killed and thir
ty-nine wounded, besides n missing
This means hundreds among h men
Il is considered strange that Genera
Roberts in sending the names of thes'
officers had not a word to say on tn
course of the fighting between Mon
day and yesterday.
Roberts is sure to have drawn VI
from Cape Colony all the available
troops for attack, while from outlyin:
districts the Beers must come to assls
the army hat is reinforcing CrOnje
1t Is probable that a inala attempt wa
made by the British to capture tn
Boer laager today, as every hour bring
nearer the burghers sent by Joubert
The speed at which 1000 men who lief
Eadysmith for the Free State ca
travel may be the deciding factor i
the battle.
In the face of the heavy list of Off
GERS reported killed and wounded tn
seneral question asked, with a feelin
of apprehension, is IF so many officers
then how many soldiers?" and ther
is NO answer as yet.