The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-28
BO7HA gives Up TEE fight
The Beer Commander Surrcndcr~ TO
Kitchener at Eliddleburg.

london NewSUHpe-s Announce the
News as OG,efoi. But the British
War oaEee Claims to Have No Com
Grnantion-sliIitary Genius Cd the
EurGhe- Leader Who Succeeded
,Ioubert at the Head &c the Fed
eraI ArEny-I'revented His Follow
ers From Destroying Property.
LONDON. Feb st was announced
this afternoon that c neral Louis BoIha-
the Coln14nder-IG-Chief Of The Boer ar
my surrendered to General Lord hitche-
ner at 8fiddlebug. in the Transvaal, this
morning.
- is believed that this marks the end
OF organized Boer resistance
pIacard on the afternoon SUM- an
rouncing that Botha had given up the
fight and that the news was official ere
ated 4 sensation in London. The Even
ing News also states that it has infor-
milton that General Botha surrendered
this morning
The War Office officials say they have
no confirmation of the report
The Fall Mail Gazette" this afternoon
says:
Information has just reached Downing
Street that Commander-in-Chicf Botha
formally surrendered TO LORD kitchener
at AIiddlebUrg, TransvaaI, shortly before
O'Clock this morning. All details had
previously been arranged ard the modus
Vivendl settled some days before"
At the outbreak of the war in South
Africa, General Botha was lieutenant
general under Vice President and Com
mander-in-Chief JoUbert in Natal When
General Joubert died. Botha was chosen
TO succeed him as nder-in-chief.
He took part in several Of the early hat
ties in Natal, especially the fight at
Elandslaagte.
After the Beers were driven out Of Ma
tai he went to the TransvaaI and for
time made his headquarters at Pretoria
and directed the operations Of the burgh-
ers from that point.
it was General Botha who prevented the
Beers from blowing up the mines at Jo-
hanEesbUrg on the approach Of the Brit
ish and it was through his skill that the
Beers escaped from q dangerous trap at
Thabanchu. For q time he checked the
advance of the British, but when General
Roberts brought on his great army he
was compelled TO retreat and it Vas
through his skillfaI handling that the
Beers escaped the fate OF Croaje-s army
Botha was IN command Of the Beers at
the Zand River fight and afterward pre-
coal mines He assenred TO the surrender
Of Pretoria and was The last man to leave
that city on the approach of the British
He was in battle with General Roberts on
the Middleburg Road on June z, but
managed to escape.
At this time there were negotiations be-
tween General BOtha and General Rob-
erts IN regard TO the surrender Of the
Boer forces General Botha asked for a
six days armistice, but Roberts would
only give him five. Botha did not accept
this and retired, but week later he Sc
cured an armistice of four days.
It was said at that time that BoJha was
willing TO surrender, but that President
Kruger would not allow him to do So For
some tine afterwaTd he was in numer-
Gus stirmishes with the British north and
northeast of Pretoria.
When the Beers decided TO adopt guer-
rilla tactics Botha opposed this PROPOSE
ton. but was overruled- II was again re-
ported that he was negotiating for terms
Of surrender, but nothing definite was &C
complished-
For the last two or three months, until
about the Isl of February, little was
heard of the Boer commander It was at
this time that General Kitchener sent
out d large force under General French
with orders 10 drive the Beers under
Botha out OF the western TTansVaal and
TO denude the country Of all supplies
In the engagements with General
French, Botha'S forces have suffered Sc
veTeiy in killed, wounded. and captured.
French has also captured enormous guam
titles OF foodstuffs, several guns and
much ammunition
It has been persistently reported since
last Saturday that General Botha had
arranged for conference with Lord
Kitchener on February q, regarding
terms OF surrender
An English correspondent. who was
with the Beers, describes Louis Botha as
a young man Of thirty-six. who before
the breaking out of the war was prog
ressiye member Of the First TransvaaI
EOIksraad, an honest man, and gentle
man He was an eloquent speaker in
Dutch and IN English and was possessed
Of an Infinite personal charm.
it was Thought that great political ca
reer was before him, but no one suspect
ed the great military genius which he
afterwar'i displayed. 1t was admitted bv
the British generals afterward that after
the battle OF dundee, II the Boer sup
ports had come to re-euforce Botha, Cen
eral Symouds and his men would have
been surrounded
Botha lea the attack en- Ladysmith. was
IN the fight HILu the British at Colenso.
and afterward destroyed the bridge over
the TUSela- At Pieters Heights he fought
shoulder to shoulder with his men in the
trenches and for four days and nights
never closed his eyes
According to the records, General Bo-
thu was born at Greytown, Natal in 1864.
As a young man he had his share Of
fighting with the natives. LAZY on he
moved TO the Transyaal and settled down
TO farming. He took part in politics and
represented his district, Vryheid, in the
NUlksFaad at the outbreak OF the war.
GENERAL De VETS FORCES.