The Red Cloud chief., 1902-06-06

lllb Z Nl' lNsNNV ~ 10 Jumps
within the circle.
At the same time Gen. Cronje was
besieging Mai. Baden-Powcll, who was
shut up In Mafeking with a few Brit
ish officers and a few hundred villag-
ers whom he trained to defend them
selves.
Another large force OF Beers was ne
sieging Kimberley. attracted thithcr
by the fact that Cecil Rhodes with
customary gallantry had shut himself
w along with his people to bear the
brunt Of the attack IN the diamond
mining company's property.
A British column sem out or 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 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 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 rem
forcements and determined to relieve
L.adysmith. To do this he advanced
through Natal and took up n position
on the Tugela river. The Beers
moved down to defend the crossing
and the British moved forward almost
without reconnaissance. The Conse-
auence was that this foolish frontal
attack was repulsed with great los:.
and worse than all the British DAT
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 or
the British attack made a 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 IA large body OF troops.
He took over Methuen's command AMI
with the troops at his disposal began
a series OF thanking movements by
means Of which he sent Gen. French.
the cavalry leader. into Kimberley,
compelling Cronje to retire with what
speed he might. Cronjc. however. was
O slow, and along with 1900 men
and six guns surrendered at Paardc-
berg on February q. 1900. Lord Rob-
erts. with his chief OF STAFF. Lord
Kitchener, pursued the retreating
Beers through the FREQ State 10
Bloomfontein. which surrendered on
March Is. the Beers retiring to Pre-
toria, which capital surrendered June
5. 1900. Gen. Brinsloo. with 3.348 men.
surrendered to the British September
|, 1900; ex-President Kruger fled 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 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 vigCr and
after the Dutch government had
sought fruitlessly to offer to negoti-
ate between the parties the Beers I'M
der acting President Schalk-Burger,
perhaps moved by the British foreign
minister's courteous reference to
themselves and the fact tina, they re-
allied that ovcrtures for peace must
come from the Beers in the field, as
we'll as pressed hard by the British
troops. sought permission to commu
nicate with the other leaders with a
view to arranging terms OF surrender
and peace.