The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-30

round the branch line TO NaauW-
poort, Joined the British troops
| operating at Colesberg and push
ed on to the river. He found the
bridge badly damaged in three spans. 1t
was a risk he had taken into account. He
set at work pushing on men and material
| from Cape Town TO make a bridge strong
| enough to stand heavy continuous tramc
and a swollen river before his twenty days
ran out. Culverts were, of course. blown
up between here and Orange River, but
could all be repaired in few days.
| The great difficulty expected was lack
| of rolling stock. The Beers, it was reck-
oned. would certainly push all their en-
gines and wagons northward on our ap-
| preach. No poltoon or ferry was likely TO
be able to bring over locomotives from the
Cape Colony side to this side. This expec-
tation OF no stock on the north side made
the construction OF strong railway bridge
over Orange River an immediate. impera-
tive necessity in Lord Kitchener's scheme.
The events that have already practically
saved the situation. although the bridge is
not yet working belong TO the story of
Lord Roberts advance from the west on
Bloemfontein
His headquarters troops, consisting of
the Ninth Infantry Division, the Guards
Brigade under General Pole -Carew. the
four twelve Founders, moved out from
Poplar Grove on the morning OF March 10.
A large force OF mounted infantry had
moved on the previous afternoon. General
French was already six miles forward at
Waaihock and General Kelly-Kenny was
two miles behind him at Roodepoort. On
the morning of March 10 French advanced
on Abramskraal where De Wet had estab-
lished his head lager. Five miles out
they suddenly encountered heavy artillery
fire from a long low Boer position some
distance south and four miles west of
Abramskraal. II was a surprise to which
the First Artillery Brigade had no answer
until two batteries of Horse Artillery GEL
Hoped up and engaged the Boer guns. TIE
fight went on at long range till midday,
when the advanced columns of Kelly
Kenny's division Joined right of the cav
airy position.
A Forced March,
The Beers made the vital mistake of re-
garding the Sixth division as the central
headquarters column and spread very wide
till they turned their own extreme left
well round Kelly-Kenny's right. Lord
Roberts own column appeared early in
the afternoon on the outside of this for
nation, and before the Beers could with
draw they had lost more men, probably, 7
than they have had killed in any one en-
gagement in the western campaign. The
nextmorning the entire British force novel I
on from Dreifontein. the scene OF the bat /
tie, to Doornborn. fourteen-mile mare. |
and saw nothing OF the Beers. Another !
tired sleep and early start and march of
fourteen miles TO Venter's Wei, farm
belonging to the Transvaal judge. Gre
gorowski, who sentenced the Johannesburg
leaders to death after the Jameson raid
fasco. Still there were no Beers in reach.
1t was here, on March l., that we hai the
first mixing of Kruger's proposal aid
Salisburys refusal. That night it was
hourly more evident that there was TO he
no fight before Bloemfontein, and so it
proved. The cavalry entered the town by
10 in the forenoon unopposed. An hour
later the Mayor, the LaRtd-ost. and tie
Volksraad members drove out and tendel ed
the surrender of the capital to Lord Rob-
erts. We learned from Inhabitants that
President Steyn had left fer Kroonstad,
more than hundred miles north. on the
previous afternoon, after reproachful
meeting with the city council who said
they would not stand having their bui d.
ngs shelled.
Success of the Plan.
Thus, on the fifth day from the beginning
Of Lord Kitchener's risk his side was Il
with fifteen days full rat:ons
of what could be raised in The
own and neighborhood or brought up the
inc above the nearest point of Interrupt
ion.
There is not yet a full train service TO
he south, but on the sixth day after our
,ntry the manager of the Cape Govern
nent railways and a few other passengers |
irriyed from Cape Town on official bust
less connected with taking over the line |
they were able 10 come up from the north
4 Orange River because the Beers had left
leven locomotives near the station here.
md nine more which had been lying in the
epairing sheds are again on the track.
FOR this windfall it is believed a locomo-
i've manager with British sympathies
las to be thanked.
Thus results have justified the first de-
ice OF moving troops without the railway /,
nd the second of feeding troops from a
reat convoy moving within their lines. in
tead, of relays from the base of communi-
alton. The Beers have seen a great in
aiding army can exist in the field under
10Th those conditions and they may be !
rusted 10 take that into account in future {
ounter tactics Lord Roberts and Lord
are now framing other schemes
or making the mastery of the Transyaal
ossble without costly frontal attacks.
hey have enormous numbers and have
hown how to make concerted movements =
fective. 1t is probable that the Beers
esources will succumb to some variation .
( Lord Kitchener's new style of tackling
is work simply as big business PROPOSE ,
ion. ,