The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-14
KITCHENER'S DRIVE
PICTURE OF MODERN WARFARE
IN SOUTH AFRICA.
BoERS BROKE OUT OF, TRAP.
BY DAUNTLEsS BRAVERY MAJOR
ITY MANAGED TO ESCAPE.

when De Wet Saw What Was Up
md Divided Them Into Three
Parts-Many Daring and Desperate
Charges Were Made Upon British
Line and often Repulsed-Armored
Trains Kept Up "a Rain of Leaden
Hail and Powerful Searchlights
Turned Night Into Day.
London, Feb. .13.-The detailed ac-
counts which have just reached here
OF Lord Kitchener's combined move
ment to drive out the Beers from the
enclosure of block house lines show
that the conflict was very picturesque
and the most exciting incident of the
whole campaign. Although apparently
surrounded by an impenetrable ring
of fire and steel, the Beers dauntless
and dashing charges ultimately re-
suited in the majority's escape from
the meshes of Lord Kitchener's close
drawn net. The British commanders
scheme was the most extensive ever
carried out during the present war. 1t
consisted of continuous line over so
miles in length. Lord Kitchener, who
personally directed the operations, was
In touch, day and night, with every
detail OF the movements. The Beers,
though hard-pressed shrank from
crossing the railroad, which was pa
trolled throughout the night by ar
nored trains, equipped with powerful
search1ghts. The train lights were sup
plemented by stationary searchlights,
ana the spectacular effect as witnessed
from the trains was most striking.
The battle at Heilbron ragged from 9
o'clock Friday night until 2 o'clock
Saturday morning. Through the five
hours fearful ring of fire from rifles,
cannon and pom poms, swept along the
British lines in holding DeWet's Beers,
who made repeated attempts to break
out OF the circle of troops From va
rious positions, behind rocks and dom
gas, the Beers kept up vigorous fusil-
Jade, hoping to find weak spot in the
line. simultaneously others charged.
but again and again were the Beers
repulsed, leaving dead, wounded and
prisoners in the hands of the British.
At the outset of the preparations the
Beers realized that the onerations
we're not merelx ansaardinary drive :,
but a. movement. threatening them
with total annihilation. Gen. DeWet
assembled his whole force and dis
cussed the situation with the com
manders, with the result that the Beers
were split up into three forces
On Thursday night 500 Beers. headed
by Van Golfers. rushed a force of the
Imperial Light Horse yelling, storm
Burghers!" About 100 Beers got
through, but the remainder eneoun-
tering a tremendous fire. We're turned
back.
Friday nights conflict ebbed and
sWelled over an area of forty to fifty
miles, in which the long hunted. har-
rassed and desperate men endeavored
to find outlets. The Beers at one spot
got within thirty yards of the British
firing line, but the barbed wire balked
the Burghers and forced them to re-
treat.
The Firing Never Ceased.
The firing never ceased. Aided by the
electric searchlights, the British har-
rowed the surrounding territory with
shrapnel, shells and Maxim bullets. In
the northern section the Beers made a
desperate effort to break through. Col
lecting a number of cattle, the Beers
drove them down on the British lines.
Bending low in their saddles the Beers
rode among the cattle, making it i'm
possible to distinguish them in the
darkness. The British pickets opened
a terrible fire and the Beers every
where were met with a relentless hail
of bullets. A long line of flame ran up
and down the firing line nearly thirty
miles in length as the armored trains
llashed their searchights over miles
OF country.
This lasted for some twenty minutes
when gradually the rattle died down
until only the crack of single shots
was heard. Then all was again ouiet
The Beers attempt to break the Brit
ish circle had failed A few of them
succeeded in crossing the line, and
among them was De Wet.