The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-05
THE B0ER WAR IN BRIEF.
What the Struggle Cost I'm Men and
Money-Leading Incidents.

OcI. IL, 1889, war began IN south Al
RIGA in consequence of the British gov
ernment's refusal even to consider
the peremptory demands of the Trans
wall government" These demands,
issued Oct. 8, called on England to ar
bitrate her differences with the Trans
vail to withdraw all her troops from
South Africa and to reply within for
ty-eight hours.
The price that Great Britain has paid
for its conquest of the South African
itary appropriations for South Africa
to the end of the fiscal years, $1,114,-
$50, OOO
Price paid in men, officers and pri-
Yates. 9S, 900 in gross loss from injuries
in field and disease, with a net abso-
lutte reduction of British forces
amounting to 2S,500 men, of which
number the dead total up to 22,5O0. and
the missing and prisoners" and the
unfit invalids" 5000.
Great Britain's absolute loss in men
amounts to more than one-half of the
number of troops, $4,000, with which
British military experts in 1893 believed
the DUETS tOulu DC COlA1uCiCh III a.
three months war at a cost of $780,
000, 900.
The war has lasted nine times as
long as the British war Office antici-
pated, has cost twenty-five times as
much in money and has involved at
its maximum an army over t1ve times
the size of the force that was original
ly calculated a sequal to the task OF
bringing the Beers to terms. The max
imum British force of 100000 men is
about five times the maximum Boer
force. estimated at about 10000 men,
and is almost equal in numbers to
the entire Boer population of the
Transvaal and the Orange Free State.
The Boer forces, according to British
estimates, at their maximum, were dl-
vided as follows: TransVaalers, $4,000;
Free Staters, $4,000; foreigners, 7,O0O
Cape Colony and Natal rebels, 5000. BY
the end of February, 1901, 1000 of this
force Were dead, $4,000 We're prisoners
and 10000 were still in the field. BY
November, 1901, 10000 were estimated
still to be in the field and with a total
Boer loss of killed, captured and sur
rendered of zoos men between Nov. 10,
1901, and May 8, 1902, only 902 Beers
were officially "at large" when the
peace negotiations were concluded.
The actual cost of the war to the
Beers in money is unknown; nor are
their losses in the field known with any
degree of accuracy. If the total of &c.
600 Boer prisoners in British hands be
correct, the net loss of killed and miss
ing among the Beers, estimating the
Boer force at $4,000. will reach to $4,000.
The total number of men involved OH
both sides during the war amounts to
nearly 100000.
Duration of the war from the inva-
~ nnA
1899. TO acceptance of the British terms
on May 81, 1902, two years and seven
months.
what Great britain Gets.
In exchange for this expenditure of
men and ma terial Great Britain Sc
cures in the Transvaal state with an
area of 49, 39 square miles, about
equal to New Mexicos 122,5S0 square
miles, with a white population esti-
mated at 250,000 before the war. The
main resources of the Transvaal are
its gold deposits, which produced an
average of $50 900, 900 a year just be-
fore the war, and which are capable, 1t
is believed of a greater yield, since
the available gold still in the Wit
Watersrand reefs has been estimated
to amount to So, 100000.
In the Orange Free State a less rich
rrize is secured. The State has an
area of 4S.S62 square miles, but lit
tie smaller than Louisana's As, 720
square miles, and tbs white population,
before the war, was not much over
so, 900. The main industries are agri-
cultural, but its diamond mines yield
about $7,500.000 in gems annually.
Leading Incidents.
October November. 1S99-The Beers
under Joubert invade Natal and on
Oct. 90 at the battle of Dundee, make
their first capture of British troops,
which is followed by further captures
on October 80, and the investment of
Ladysmith on November l. Mafekng
and Kimberley are also invested by
the Beers and the British advance
from Cape Colony is checked at all
points. Butler arrives at Cape Town
and leaves at once for Natal.
December 1917. 1S99-The Black
Week of the War for the British;
Buffers campaign fails al along the
line, Gatacre loses at Stormberg, Met
huen at Magersfontein and Butler on
the Tugela. Lord Roberts is appointed
commander in chief on December Is,
with Lord Kitchener as chief of staff.
January 24February o. 1900-Buller
again suffers a loss on the Tugela and
Warren is defeated at Spion Kop, but
General Roberts forward move begins
on February II, with siege of Kimber-
ley raised on February Is, Cronje's sur
render on February q and Ladysmith
relieved on February 2S.
March 1S-June 5, 900.-Bloemfontein
is occupied March Is, Mafeking re-
lieVed on May II. Orange Free State
annexed on May IS, President Kruger
fees from Pretoria on May 80 and the
Transvaal capital is occupied by Lord
Roberts on June g.
July-October, 1900.-British troops
clear regions along the railway, but
Beers win signal successes under Gems.
DeWet and Delarey. the Transvaal is
reannexed on Sept. /: President Kru-
ger escapes to Lorenzo Marques on
Sept. IL, and Lord Roberts announces
in proclamation on Sept. Is that regu-
lar war is at an end. and on Sept.
10 reports nothing left of Boer forces
but marauding bands" Oct. 20-Kru-
ger sails for Europe.
December. 1900-May, 1901.-Lord Rob
erts sails for home. Dec. II, 1900. but
Boer activities increase in January
and February 1901. and first peace ne
gotiations are held on Feb. q. 1901
Gen. Botha rejects British terms and
war continues through spring with
new vigor on the part of the Beers and
with the reconcentrado and block
house system, put In operation by the
British.
August October. l90i.-On Aug 7
Lord Kitchener proclaims Punishment
OF all burghers who are found resist
ing British authorities after Sept. IS.
1901. The Beers decide 10 keep up the
fight and repeated invasions OF Cape
Colony cause martial law 10 be declar-
ed there on oct 2. two years after
NaTlfr HHafnNH Of