Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-02-09

ported in the neighborhood OF johann
nesburg but the heavy masses OF
troops CHARTERED there and his own lg-
| norance OF the district sent him rapid
| ly south again. On Sept, 10 he ventured
too near Fighting Mac" at Vet river.
and had to leave thrty-one wagons and
| 5000 rounds OF rifle ammunition as a
trophy with the hero Of Omdurman.
Four days later Lord Roberts an
nounced to the war Office that there no
| longer was an organized force In the
| field against him II seemed as though
Dewet had succumbed to the eXhaus-
ton Of his followers. For some weeks
| nothing was heard Of him. and war
correspondents cahled home fanclful
reports Of his death
on Oct. the guerilla chief suddenly
appeared at Vredefort with a force Of
! 900 men and his favorite battery OF
five guns. The Australian leader Of
irregulars, De Lisle. was however,
ready for him, and Dewet was driven
once more north OF the Vaal into the
sister republic. -Four days later he was
swapping at the heels Of a British force,
picking up its strayed horses, cattle and
plckets, all the way from Lindley to
Kroonstad. on Oct IA he captured a
detachment Of Cheshires.
For the rest OF the month Dewet
made daily descents on the railway
line and the telegraph posts. rendering
communication between north and
south almost Impossible. Gen. Knox
started of in determined pursuit, and
on Oct. q cornered his quarry Dewet,
as usual broke through, but not with
trtt, al 20 hn M fhrpa
wagons and two of his precious guns.
No sooner was he free than he dashed
down on the railway line at Geneva,
captured the Cape mail and took nine
~ men prisoners.
For the next few weeks he ranged up
and down the railway line, leaving his
mark nightly on broken culverts and
up-rooted rails, on Nov, % Dewet
dashed through the British lines be-
tween Alexandria and Warrngham's
store. attacked a strong British post,
was beaten off, and headed for his ia
vorlte hunting ground around Dewets-
dorp. On the 2Srd he attacked the
town, and after a stiff fight captured
It. along with two guns Of the Sixty
eighth field battery and 45O men OF the
Inflated GlOucesters and Irish rifles.
lIlS Insult was lnOit lilHu i7llu INpb-
erts could stand and Cen Knox was
sent In pursuit Of the freebooter, Up
and down the northern bank Of the
Orange river the two forces chased
and at last Knox got In front and
headed Dewet from Cape Colony This
time his capture seemed certain He
was in space between the flooded
Caledon and the unfordable Orange
Knox had his force drawn across the
base Of the triangle, and another strong
party Of cavalry awaited him at the
apex. But Dewet laughed at cordons
and on Dec. 8 crossed the swollen Gale
don at Kareepont Drift and returned
northward TO Reddersburg, on the 10th
he snapped w 800 Of Brabants Horse
and on the 18th found himself once
more cornered.
THE FINEST THING OF THE WAR.
Gen. Knox was within an hour Of
Dewet at point among the hills some
fifteen miles cast Of Thabanchu, The
British were In overwhelming num-
bers, the only possible escape was past
two fortified posts, and the guns COW
cred the suerrllas. 1t was the finest
chance the British had had In the war,
and theoretically, Dewet was hands
up"
But Dewet had six months expert
ence at his back and troop of sea-
soned veterans under his command.
Knox was just about to give the coup