Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-06-14
War in South Africa
From First 10 Last.

bombarded the 10000 British troops
within the circle.
At the same time Gen. Cronje was
besieging Maj. Baden-Powel1, who was
shut up in Mafeking with few Brit
ish officers and a 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 company's property
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. its
guns sharing the same fate. After
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 fighting three fierce bat
ties, gaining a 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 a position
on the Tugela river. The Beers
moved down to defend the crossing
and the British moved forward almost
without reconnaissance. The conse-
quence was that this foolish frontal
attack was repulsed with great LOSE,
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 a way
through Peters hill and Lord Dun
donald rode into Ladysmith February
%, 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
a series of f1anking 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 1900 men
and six guns surrendered at Paarde-
berg on February 27, 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 Is, 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 fed to
Europe and Lord Roberts returned
home to England.
Lord Kitchener. by building a series
of blockhouses. connected with barbed
wire fences, succeeded then in driving
the Beers out of a large stretch of
territory, but Dewet, Delarey, Botha
| and others continued the hopeless war
| fare and even as late as on March 8,
| 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 thar 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 commu
nicate with the other leaders with q
view to arranging terms of surrender
and peace.