The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-01
SIXTY PRISONERS TAKEN
THE BQERS LOSE THEIR PRiN
CTPAL POSITION.
RENsBURG RE0CCUPIED BY THE BRITISH
Crone Leaves For Cape Town. He Refuses
Roberts Proffered Safe Conduct For The
Women and Children, Who Start
For Their Homes.

London. March 1.-(4:15 Il. m.)-Gen-
eral Buffers distinct success in storming
Pieter's Hill brings the rescue of Lady
smith near, but the War Office intimated
late last evening that an immediate an
n0uncement of relief need not be expect
of officials and messengers suggested
that important news had been received
As his message reveals, General Bul-
ler'S successful attack came after the
hard lighting Of Friday and it was inn
prOvised and its execution begun during
the armistice of Sunday. In proposing
the armistice the British commander stip-
ulatcd that both sides should be free to
move but that neither should do amy
shooting He was therefore within his
privileges in Immediately beginning TO
transfer his troops
General Buffers tidings come weighted
with his long list of casualties. His
losses in the four attempts to get General
White ont aggregate four thousand.
Ladysmith is in desperate straits.
Charles Williams, the military expert,
says he learns ON very high authority
presumably that of Lord Wolseley-that
General Whites force is almost mt its
last gasp.
This is not SO much, says Mr..
Williams. ION account of any lack of
provisions or of ammunitions neither of
which is vet exhausted, as because of
the poisonous nature of the Kip River
water ard the evil effects of the heat.
Even those who have escaped fever.
dysentery and diarrhoea are in II state
of low vitality. They can still man
trenches and would probably hold their
own against a last desperate assault but
they can initiate nothing. General Butler
now knows that as units. the regiments
viii be OF no use to him for months.
The water of Kip River is not avail
ble fcr drinking, and to boil it is impossi-
BILE because OF the scarcity of fuel. 1t
is thick with putrid animal matter.
Tea made of it has Il suspended fibre,
something like beef tea. Ii is caused by
the sewage from the Boer camps"
There is no authoritative Indication as
vet of what Lord Roberts will do next.
1t is quite clear to technical heads that
those who talk Of an immediate and rapid
advance far into the Free State do not
realize the transport conditions. The
+
II railway from Harrismith to lIroom-
Stadt to facilitate the movement of their
troops between Natal and the Free State
Mafeking was holding out ON February
18th. At that time the Beers We're show
ing unusual activity and firing infamma-
bic shells.
CAPTURE OF PETERS HILL.
~ Il - " ~
received IL dispatch from General Butler
announcing that Peters Hill, the enc
mys main position. was magniicently
/ captured yesterday and sixty prisoners
| taken.
! Buffers dispatch follows:
Headquarters, Hlandwani. Feb. 2S.-
> Il. m.-Finding that the passage of
Langewachts Srruit was commanded by
| strong intrenchments. / reconnOitered for
| another passage of the Tugeia. One was
found for me below the cataract by Col
ollel Sandbach, Royal engineers. on Feb
ruary 25th. We commenced making an
/ approach thereto and ON February 26th,
/ finding that | could make the passage
practicable, | crossed the guns and bag
4 gage, back to the south side of the
/ Iugela. took up the pontOon bridge on
Monday might and relaid it at the new
site which is just below the point mark
| ed cataract. During all this time the
! troops had been scattered, croucling un-
! der hastily constructed small stone shei-
( ters and exposed to Il Calling shell aali
J rifle fire and throughout they maintained
] the most excellent spirits. Tuesday Cen
eral Barton with two battaions CT the
/ Sixth brigade and the Dublin Fusiliers
! crept about a mile and Il half down the
! banks OF the river and ascending an al
/ most PERCEPTIONS cliff of about 300 feet.
! assaulted and carried the top of Pieter's 5
/ HILL This hill. to certain extent. turn
! ed the enemy's left. and the Fourth
/ brigade under Colonel Norcott, and the
| Eleventh brigade. Colonel Kitchener com
| manding, the whole under command of
| General Warren, assailed the enemy S
| position, which was magnifciently car
ried by the South Lancashire regiment
| about sunset. We took about sixty pris-
| Cners and scattered the enemy in all
| directions. There seems to be still a
| considerable body of them left on and
| under Bulwana Mountain Our losses
! hope are not large. They certainly arc
much less than they would have been
| were it not for the admirable manner
! in which the artillery was served. espe-
| cially the guns manned by the Royal
| Naval force and the Natal Naval Vol