LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10635, 20 April 1900, Page 6

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.

THE PURSUIT OF CROXJE. The following extracts from letters written by Sergeant Frank Knicht, of Tikao Bay. brother of Mr H. KnigHt. of Knisfht end Checkley. will be read with interest. Ser-

geuit Knight is wTtb Roberta's Horse: — "Wβ met with a lot of Boers on February 9th, and though we did not get a shot at them, the Lancers caught them out in the open, and the killed, wounded, and prisoners of the Boers amounted to about 400, with only one Lancer wounded. Wβ were ordered off to a kopje to relieve a party stationed there. We have Cronje completely hemmed in on all sides in the Modder River, with about 10,000 men, and we have been doing battle with him for three days now. From the point we were stationed we had a splendid riew of the whole. The Boers are fightJTtg well, but they must surrender or be done in a day cr two now. Lord Kitchener is running thie battle, so we have a good General. The place where we are is called Poplar Grove, between Bloemfontein and Kimberley. On February 24th we were ordered to hold a drift in the river higher up. called Koove's Drift, as the Boers are sending reinforcements to Cronje, which we had to atop. Shortly after this I was promoted , to Sergeant. Most of the force is to move on to Bloemfontein. We joined French's column on February 14th. together with a lot of infantry, which made us 35,000 Strang. We had a jolly narrow shave yesterday. When Cronje heard we Sad relieved Kimber W he retired from the Modder River, it is Opposed, to Bloemfonteki. with 10 OOff met., and naeed within one «nd a-half mdes of out »ay, we must nave i*"*V . it mM an d come to ** •» rather * dot* «**▼••