Gilpin observer., 1902-06-05
War IN South a fricu
From First TO Last


within the circle.
At the same time Gen. Cronje was
besieging Mai. Baden-Powell, who was
shut up IN Mafeking with a few Brit
ish officers and few hundred villag-
ers whom he trained to defend them
selves
Another large force of Beers was be-
sieging Kimberley, attracted thither
by the fact that Cecil Rhodes with
customary gallantry had shut himself
up along with his people to bear the
brunt of the attack on the diamond
mining companys property.
A British column sent out of Lady
smith to Lombard's kop was attacked
by the Beers; its ammunition carried
by mules lost in the stampede, It's
guns sharing the same fate. After a
gallant defense the column surren-
dered
Meanwhile Lord Methuen was ad-
vancing to the relief of Kimberley.
He was opposed by the Beers at every
step and after lighting three fierce bat
ties, gaining few miles each time.
was repulsed at Magersfontein, where
he sat down to await the coming CT
Lord Roberts.
Gen. Butler had by this time ar
rived in the country with strong rein
forcements and determined to relieve
Ladysmith. To do this he advanced
through Natal and took up position
on the Tugela river The Beers
moved down to defend the crossing
and the British moved forward almost
| with oic ho
| quence was that this foolish frontal
attack was repulsed with great los=,
and worse than all the British bat
terry of eleven guns taken by the
Beers, the battery having advanced
too close to the burghers' concealed
trenches.
Another series of movements was
then undertaken to drive the Beers
out of the hills, but one attack after
another failed. At last the vigor Of
the British attack made way
through Peters hill and Lord Dun
donald rode into Ladysmith February
2S, 1900, after a siege of more than
four months.
Lord Roberts meanwhile had been
pushing through the heart of the
country with large body of troops.
He took over Methuen's command and
with the troops at his disposal began
series of flanking movements by
means of which he sent Gen. French,
the cavalry leader, into Kimberley.
compelling Cronje to retire with what
speed he might. Cronje, however. was
too slow, and along with 4,600 men
and six guns surrendered at Paarde-
berg on February 81, 1900. Lord Rob-
erts. with his chief of staff Lord
Kitchener, pursued the retreating
Beers through the Free State to
Bloomfontein, which surrendered on
March 13. the Beers retiring to Pre-
toria, which capital surrendered June
5. 1900. Gen. Brinsloo. with 3.34S men,
surrendered to the British September
1, 1900: ex-President Kruger fled to
Europe and Lord Roberts returned
home to England.
Lord Kitchener, by building series
of blockhouses, connected with barbed
wire fences, succeeded then in driving
the Beers out of large stretch of
territory. but Dewet, Delarey, Botha
and others continued the hopeless war
fare and even as late as on March s.
1902, captured Gen. Methuen. and
broke up his column of 1900 men in
a night surprise. The Beers were
dressed in British uniforms.
The pursuit of the Beers still con-
tinued with considerable vigor and
after the Dutch government had
sought fruitlessly to offer to negoti-
ate between the parties the Beers un-
der acting President Schalk-Burger,
perhaps moved by the British foreign
minister's courteous reference to
themselves and the fact thai they re-
allied that overtures for peace must
come from the Beers in the field, as
well as pressed hard by the British
troops, sought permission to commit
nicate with the other leaders with a
view to arranging terms of surrender
and peace.