The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-27
B0ERS NEAR BL0EMFONTEIN.
ASSEMBLING AN ARMY TO NIsPUTE
LORD ROBERTS INVASION.

40 Estimate Made of Their Numbers.
But May BE 10000 Men-Cronje stin
Holds His Position and Their Is no
Reliable Information as to His
GOnditiOn-He Has Given Beers
Time to Get Together to Receive
Lord Roberts.
London, Feb. q, APO a. m-The Beers
are assembling an army near Bloemfon-
Elm with which to dispute the invasion
OF Lord Roberts. This intelligence comes
from Pretoria by way of Lorenzo Mar
quez. The commanders are described as
Fastening from all quarters of the two
republics"
No estimate is made of their numbers,
but the withdrawal of the Beers from
most of The places where they have been
in contact with the British, except the
district near Ladysmith, may raise the
resisting force to 10000 men. This figure
assumes that the Beers have between
1900 and 10000 men in the field.
The gathering of this army across the
path of Lord Roberts gives significance
10 Gen. Cronje's steadfast defense He
has engaged the corps of Lord Roberts for
ven days now. and whether he is relieved
or NOT, he has given time for the dispersed
Boer factions to get together and to pre-
pare positions to receive the British ad-
vance when Cropje is overcome and Lord
Roberts moves forward
II is difficult to conceive that the Beers
are strong enough to take the offensive
and to rescue Gen. Cronje from his pre-
carious situation.
The war office has nothing after mid
might to indicate his collapse and he may
hold out for few days. The CORE
spondents seem to have no exact informa-
tion respecting his resources. Some say
he has plenty of food, but is short of am
muniton. Others assert that he abandoued
his food supplies, but kept abundant sup
plies of cartridges.
Gen. Butler on Saturday faced the last
and strongest positions of the Beers who
bar his way to Ladysmith. The strenu-
Gus lighting indicates a battle between
armies, rather than rear guard actions
protecting a retreat.
On Thursday and Friday he lost forty
three officers killed and wounded. repre-
senting probably total loss of from 400
90 800.
Gen. Whites guns worked on Saturday
upon the Boer positions and a heliogram
from LadysmHh reported that the Beers
were retreatng and that larger rations
were being issued in view of the fact that
relief seemed at hand.
Nothing has been heard from Mafekine
since Feb r. The movement on the
veldt away from the railway is becom-
ing increasingly difficult for large bodies
of troops, as the grass is burned up. Gen.
French has to wagon forage for his horses
A ana even the infantry finds long marches
Il harder than before, as forage for the
n transport animals must be carried This
n requires the formation of garrisoned de,
pots
The ordinary campaigning season is
over but sickiy season for both men and
animals has set in.
technical military writers take these
4 things into consideration in forecasting
&events
The Daily Chronicle says it learns from
Il private letters that British rifles and am
munition have been landed on the south
trn coast of Cape Colony, presumably for
N the Dutch colonists
81 Lord Roberts has recently received sew
enty-two additional pieces of artillery.
whether all have been sent to Paardeberg
Is not known
Probably the Eighth division will leave
England next Monday.
Ia