THE CHASE OF DE WET.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6935, 26 October 1900, Page 2

THE CHASE OF DE WET.

~& how and wlir he &&£sfeE>. We^ public (says tlife " Daily ifcfii") ft* first complet? account of <fo» <»f iihV iAßßfei exciting inridentS of tlie w»t^-lse oha»e ffittd ' escape of the Boer general dJtorWilWar «F; Wet. It is written b^ <6ntf 6f our wtfr <sSfiwSpondents, Mr F. H. ftowl^V% #&¥ ■journalist, we believe; wl# ■toJJc ids* m' itHe; pu&uit. froty i^to^rlll $$b y : has just arrived dii Ehglfttwi^ 96tf tjjflfif!. nearly all the despatches jfiKiott iWi&nfaiwSt ; ifronY tire front xtariag th* prog*e«* of. *fcfc,; jchase have failed to Jeaefc us". . i ' ! On the night $!. $rin 'daiy; Jujyjiß;-.«hfc jfaeft fdammanaant, Glirjsfiß^ff ;,<&. Wet, 1 psaied by Ms brotibet, PiSff &§-J>s *«** **•' President Steyn, witH> tfbtoe 1500' 'ifc&fir, *J dozen gurcs\ and a' convey of ovfir a tundsed bullock waggons and 1 Ga^ oaj^ ftfrttuigf if ! .column e^v^Al^eslonfV^t^j?^*'^!^'^ ' lulls to the south' of BeiiHKffl&d, Gtf *S* S Qrango Rj,ver CcAonf, op wo border .of: Basutoland 1 , go* safely *hwwigTS. this SftMflitt, Sfc- Arohib4ld Hunter had dPo»n ••.*r&tfn« ; Bin, and-Bt«rfe9nortUw^rd*. A m^hth. lat^r, ncsf Rtist^iafb**, in fa* Tranßvaaa, 26d jhal^9.no>{>K ■«! idi **fw|-^ point, \rftK a force 40tfbled i« <»i*Pi, fi*f, jmifed Ooihniaodant !wo lrf Rejr. JViifc one of the kefen'eiit) of ffi* Bnf& , jrenemls on his sjeels throu^lrottt ttee/ iniw*t • he' k^ ihis lead-, «SS6af«fuHy" oSftWtt*to«id • several lfiTft© bodies of trtfop* «« tßfc lol*- : out for Miny ■crowed tord Rob««^» lip^iT &t • communlcatitinlStwioe, OTt^ftjf <ifi©n> ifi.li&Tfo i cases, and; <»pW©d two irate-load* 6i bol■diers and tfipplt&fr a fypicAi^Tdßir. TK-i* extraordinary ifififfih t3>* WftV ' tells in miniature thfe story of all our dxfa»- 1 toys in- this war. „ „. ■ , :. Perhaps no other single mim&A Jwf** so clearly the handicap ijiidef wliidh tU« ; Ai-my in South Africa has from tte first been, working. MaM«g evwrjr fliUw-anco |w ; o^ resourcefiiineßS, wlncfr'i* grettt* *nd for | his knowledge of the country, which is p«r- , feet, the fact remain* tliat.De W«b i*oul* not have achieved tKi* brilMnt iooiiw. • It would be e*aggeratKm to.say, a« atony; f have tftf. flito ever> BrtttA Ajg^J i war can l>6 'traced to a»^"g 9^? Ju ! beyond question that inanj *g*^J^g traced t£ tlUt source, and. tha* . *?2{ Jjf torfcs, won in a^ite of b^ generaJSM^ would have been £«M»M jif were not the tinconq[uerable and mcompiur able fighter that M is. CKJ-dPERA^IOHf MCB3N^- ;; Ohristiaan de..Wet Should not hay* jr<A • away through Slabberf. , U& -Png^Jj! is to be divide. H6W, and *hy, mil c6nl6 but in due <MWftt. » »W«g' General Hunter, *JIJ*JSa? difficulty of gttti*£ supply* . ?«5* heift, had not h^-titte to" drwr. »*«**» about De Wet quite so tightly atffte ™ffl l> But his forces and hift *"*ffi™££^ cierit, if all his subof dmaterf ha*^ pm™* *T . operated with him, to tndiffl Do W* ****\ ously berore he could break it*. De Wet, in escaping tfcrougb. H""*^? nearly.complet4d cordon, *«i^£j!^2s! then 46 his nank. It tj*^ *^*a"^J ! Paget waß engaged tlsat Sxraday. TJfisjr: kW the latter busy iftlto.De ftj'i^S column, with his convoy, slipped off q«W and utinibleijted, and, cciuiivg ittte> «>nt«* ; with Little a few days later ! *Jiji jam« ( flank guard created another diversion Wfiea, also met with complete success. , ; BBOADWOOD'S STERN dSASE. When Hufttef heard that his quarry wg« ■ safely away, he seht Broadwood and Ridley. I with tflitf household OavalrV ftii* MottiJ.t«r | Infantry, about 1200 men and ft, doaen fIUM j in all, Off on De Wet's trail. He oeuld tf<w hav^ made a better choice. D» Wet. witW all his consummate skill, doubled and teledij every tridk in vain to thro*" off fiis I>yP i | suers. Each of the Boers had a led hor««j besides his mount, and as eaoh of therpldWw' bullocks grew tired De Wet'« knowledge of; the country and the friendliness of th« in- j ha&rtante provided the best t<v replace* it. . Broadwood's force had barely enough mounts* ; to go round, and'^e strain told specially on j these. And wHile De Wet with perfect 1 ! knowledge took his cOnvoy aldiig the besfl; roads, Broadwodd'rt convoy was often ortj those which, though parallel, were heavy, i But in spite of all, De Wet Could n«Vei»l shake Broadwood off. At PalWietfdntein, j on July Id, Broadwood got ifl tflusH-wWW! his rea'rgAiard and bustled it along »ij£ mil»# i in two .hours; and at Vaal River,, near I Vredtfort, he ran De.Wet dowtt *£am. . i De Wet reached Palmietfontelri bY W; course Hi the. form of the letter "S," wiiicfe; led him at«ound Lindley from tIW iouth-WSlrt? i to the iiorth-*ast. The fight at -the former place begatt Afc) ' about two in tho aft^rAoon aiiid «ftwd at*: suiisef. neafly the tyhole <>f BroAdtvdtfd's i force being engaged. Th& €&6mf, «*ein|rj ' that we were drawiujr up to thelf cdnvoy, j posted their rearguard in aii eSfc&llent lioffl- j tioii along and below a low teCng© ci ko^ie*,', whefe stone kfaAk, & few fftrmliOuWlS, And a donga, provided satisfactory (JOWf. ' ; THE BOER RMAitKTS &fi J^AD. > BrOadwood called up his guitt, aakd ili «' few moments th< Boefls we're scuttling ftottli all their {ud>v!an<oed positions. Colonels Legge| and De Lisle were theii sent afoutd either j flank, a*d iwithout ttnich lo*s euooadifed fey. dusk in oleiariilg nearly all «ho gTiJUBci of tlfej eocnvy. Tliek lfest iposiWone vfcro «V»miA6ddlj duritlg the Hight, and the trtfc iWfttolf*d.j Broad wood and 1 Ridley tftstedoft the fflMinwi they had woti ; I>utl)ei Wet HMJV«d.<3J^jatb«! dark, as he fel^s;iiie«S, »fti«l bysmSit^' ing had* regained Ms landl' : " <■■ \ Broadwood, 'forced to hVilt a'fc.th6"(HtiWW.y! far supplies, did not- agate c*teK U*> wtth! ttej Wet, unitil he fdund him, On Jttty'iW, 1 ' treaiiched on the Vaal just oufeidfe" Vt^dft* 1 fort. • . ■ (De Wet had succeeded in) dWQSaHttfl; hi*; force, which was now 3(JO0 Btrttttg, ittdrs than double that olliis ipurWifers. ■"■ ,■'»->» ' Crossinig the railway near 'Roodjyvftl,- 'fi^ out the line and caj>tui«ed' a supply trato, '. its hospital icomforts jamd 1 eeobtt, which had 'been convenisnitly sent to greet hish,.; at.'d then hurriecl on to Vredidfort, Sroft^'j wood had tired him out, however , and alt ttie hills to the nortli-west of that town-,* oft th«! south bank of the Vaad, he entrolwJrtd himri self and sat down to draw Toreath. : IS TOtTOH OWCSE S»K>IIE. ; Broadiwood avas up with hint agaitt <Jft t4i«l follawing d'ay. , ■ His persistence and dash were ttoitf tinY rewarded by the capture of Bix waggons 1 / hatodeonrely madta, ; «fter onexcitWMp chaie,' by a portion of BAdley's Moumteii fcmitry,| under Colonel Legge, who snapped them up uitder the enemy's nose. Olon«l Leggo» pushwg m <» jbit too 'far, became h.cav%; *o* !

gftgeir wjtih the eaeimy'd sfcroiog-poated right *™» *5« Broad/wood, noting their strength', and finding it un-wise to (bring on. a general ■action with' a fttfoe so maioh larger than, his oTtti, _ ordered ai general retirement td'ai ridge •jWfl bwtiSi. This was grudgingly but tofewmly accomplished, Legge losing heavHv Jnifoe otoeh. J Tte; wi«>le force then fell back foiir miles, .•ataS WtdflJ^ipedf in (faoH of 1 the enemy, prepared to uOfllfceirt any effort ho might make to cross taw Veto!. • The itnbdmu <rf th« nexb^w days «mladn to f»rt jhc-w rt-wae tlfat De Wet wa«- not carrtnred th«Jn arid th&e: Bro(udlwo<Ki, khmring thai* the enemy wtes too Btrong to U ,att«ol?ed by his inferior j 6 ' 1 r6 P orted *• situation, to headquarters antf asked for reinforcements. Judging that fc eMy f '^ **&*& nfi « l <* *4 i«w ■Sw«A A ol^ Be^d«^^m Ifche1 fche: n orth SsSST T n l L acroß9 lthe voal tfrom that d^taon, and eufflWerit troops sent ttf him ■wl B^ tKe " Xn *^gßnc7 officer at headWterH ha^ received iaiformaifcionj tha* Da .Wet totandad to cross the Vaal without delay.. Aflmtoung that the tTaaf drifts ffir vl %" wd 7 w wiffi ordering General Sf':*f °° 1^ 3MWae; mth t^o of the 4.7 nairtßl gunis, to' re'inlfbrcß Broadtfbod 1 . ***£*$** °{ fdc^ I>e Web retained Wus position <wi the Vaal from Jxily 23 to 7, thereby amply justifying Broaidtood's aammption. De Wet was very active during most of this time making ■evwal attempts to seize positions commandjngßwxidwobd'B and Ridley's oamps, which fc feree would soon- have. done. But by unceasing watchfulness the Boers jere kept, at bay. Reinforcementa from tho *outh came slowly up, and with tire advent of Lord Kitchener on August 3, Methuen, Ttes ordered- to move down, to the Vaal from .roTOnefstrbom. Bub for some reason a deHanr occurred, and this, in tho end, gave He Wet his chanofl. s HIS MAL ESCAPE. (ftr Sunday, August 5, Broadwood extended his line, andi two days later De Wet's «scape to the south- was effeotually cut off Be found a hole td the north, however! and on AuffuSfc 7 sucoe^fully crossed the J B^ **&.''.'*Vffß*& round Meth-uett's front, •He was nevet in dange"? after that. Tliie time he had «pent in- resting and replacing his'atiimals Bad repaired his forces, whereas Broadwood's twrisjiort Had) suffered serious* ay owing to the unliealtJhiness of his camp and to the netoeseit-y of sending constant con■voya back to the railway. Lord Methuen hang on. to De Wet's leftJ B *P£ aM S w10»-« pewristehce whioh, if he iiad found an eaiflaer opportunity of displaytog at, might have borne fruit, an-d Lord JKJtchener,- relentlessly forcing on his mules mnd bullocks at a killing pace, crossed the Vaal at Lindique'a Drift on August 10, and ■trmght to overcome this ktesb lead' Do We* tad gained. But it was a hopeless task. De Wet. trekked at night, when, buttocks got at their best, and thus gained time durthe day to let them feed and restart wiU. result wan inevitable. Do Wet joined i>e la Rey, and recent despatches from the ■front tell us that he is back again in the Free State roaming over hia happy hunting grounds ab his own sweet will. Lord Roberts will doubtless succeed in catching •nun in the end, bub he can hardly do so until he has made sure that his plans will be more exactly executed.