JOTTINGS ON THE WAR.

Evening Star, Issue 11251, 26 May 1900, Page 5

JOTTINGS ON THE WAR.

[By Colonel Morris.] Since writing yesterday Lord Roberts’s troops havo made a big stride to the north. Late last evening we heard that General French was at Prospect, a town about two or three miles to the east of the railway line just south o! Heilbron road station. This morning wo learn that he has reached Vredefort, on the west of the line and situated on the Vaal River, and leas than ten miles from Parys and some twenty-five miles only from Viljoen’s Drift, which we supposed to be the centre of the enemy’s position on the Vaal River. General French has with him a force of 3,000 men and ten guns. Lord Methuen has also advanced from Hoopstad to Greyling’s Drift on the Vaal River. The London news is that the Boers are in headlong fligat northward, and from the above it would appear to be true. The enemy, it seems, do not intend making a determined stand on the Vaal, otherwise General French would have met with some opposition before reaching Vredefort. The question now is : What does Lord Roberts intend doing regarding the Free Staters in arms in tho north-east of tho Free State I Ho would hardly leave a large body of the enemy in his rear whilst invading the Transvaal. It is true that they are in a demoralised state ; still, it would be necessary to leave a large force behind .him in order to prevent their breaking down south and threatening his communications, and to do this he would greatly reduce tho strength of his invading army. The cable states : “No official communication has reached the War Office as to Lord Roberts’s movements.” My belief is that, now he has cleared his front of the Transvaalers and driven them all baok into the Transvaal, he will operate ucainat the Free State, and crush them, or bring them to submission.

Tho British position to the east of the railway is as follows We hold Heilbron, Lindley, Ventersburg, Winburg, and tho country between Winburg and Clocolan. Tho enemy hold Frankfort, Vredo (the capital), Rei'z, Bethlehem, Harrismilh, Senekal, and Fioksburg, If the map be consulted, it will be fouud than the British lines surround all the Boer positions on the west and south, whilst the Drakensberg and tho Vaal River enclose them on the east and north. A cable slates that 2,000 Boers from near Fioksburg are advancing on Clocolan, a post hsld by a portion of General Rundle’a division. As General Ruodle occupies the country’ from Winburg to Clocolan, some sixty miles in extent, it follows that the several posts cancot be very strong, and this has probably induced tho Boers to make an attempt to break through the cordon. General Brabant’s division and General Cbermaide at Thabanchu, acting as supports to General Bundle, should be able to prevent anything of the kind. General lan Hamilton holds Heilbron and Lindley. If, then, Lord Roberts, leaving the line of railway, changes the direction of his advance to the east, strengthening the cordon by calling In the supporting divisions, he will bo able to close up, and take each of the towns now occupied by tho enemy one by ono until he drives them to bay, when he will either crush therq or dictate terms of submission. Oaoe the Free Stators are disposed of he will resume his advance on the Transvaal. It is not at all impossible that General Buffer may take a hand in this plan, as at Newcastle he is at no great distance from Vrede, the new capital of President Steyn. but he would have in that csss to force Bothaa I’aea, or perhaps attack Harrismith via the Van Keenan Pass, which must be poorly guarded just now.

The cable reports the presence of a large Boor commando at Buffalo. I. know no town of that name, and this may refer to the Buffalo River, which forms the eastern boundary between Natal and Transvaal, north of Ladysmith. In that case the commando "may have been sent to prevent General Buffer from making an entry into Transvaal in that direction, or to intercept 'General Bechnne’a return to Newcastle. Any way 1 do not think it can do us any

harm. There is a town named Buffalo not far from Rualooburg, and lying on the route from Mafeking to Pretoria. It is just possible that this may bo the place meant in the cable. Tbeynemy evidently fear aud anticipate the advance of a column from Mafeking, and It is not at all improbable that th* >• tny contemplate some resistance on the route. * 1

_Whi.i . ..r, x’ranavaal Boers may be planning is difficult to understand, as for instance the despatch of thirty trains daily from Pretoria to Pielersburg ! One would think that the whole population with their families and goods were being transferred to the bare inhospitable ranges of Zoutpans-berg—-for that is where Pietersborg is eituuiod : cloro to the tsetse fly region. Can it he possible that the burghers dream of trying to follow the example of their fathers and trek away to the north ! Such an idea is now impossible. There is, however, no north for thorn to trek to except Rhodesia, which is already British territory, end if they venture there they will encounter Sir F. Carrington and his tmshmsn. The London * Times ’ correspondent at Damgoa Bay says that President Kruger favors surrender ; that a continuance of the war will imperil property and inflict gieat hardship oa tho burghers 1 Considerate man ! It is a pity he did not think of thin beforp. He, however, throws on the commandants the onus of a final decision. Wol), wc received reliable news from Delagoa Bay on tho last occasion long before tho official confirmation reached us, arid this may be true. It is so like the wily Kruger to throw the onus of surrender on the commandants that it gives us strong grounds for believing it.

Later. After writing the above about Kruger a cable was received showing that Sieyn is of a different mind. He is urging the Free Staters to fight, declaring that Lord Roberts has rescinded his clemency proclamation, and that all who now surrender will be sent to St. Helena. Ex-President Steyn’s imagination is as lively as ever. Lord Roberts’s health is splendid, and his exertions are considered wonderful for a man of his age. General Rundlo is commandeering freely in tho Lauybrand district horses, carts, and stock, and is also keeping a sharp eye upon all the Boers who have surrendered. It is to be seen whether S.eyn will be able to keep his men up to fighting mark. Quo commando of 2,000 havo, we know, started for Clocolau, and if they can keep their courage up to fighting point we shall soon hear of them being in contact with General Bundle, but somehow I don’t think they will fight, and long before they reach our men they will have melted away. For the next week or so I think the operations will be confined to clearing out the north-east corner of the Free State and President Steyn. From the western frontier we hear from General Hunter that trains will be running from tho south to Mafeking within a week, and that they are alteady running to Bulawayo. This is what is wanted. We have plenty of troops now under General Carrington in Bulawayo, but a want of engines and rolling-stock has prevented their being brought south. It will not be long now before a strong column will bo ready at Mafeking for the invasion of Transvaal. Vryburg is said to bo suffering severely from enteric fever, and many deaths have 0(0 irred. The London public, in the midst of their rejoicings, are not unmindful of the sufferings of tho wounded, and an immense b&z.ar is now being held at Kensington, the stall-holders being members of the royal families and aristocracy. The Kaiser, to show his sympathy with England, sent a splendid contribution tf porcelain. Twenty thousand pounds were taken on the first day of the baa*ar 1 M-fl THE AMBUSH AT BETHANY. Bethany on Tuesday, April 3, when they Infantry had been on a pacification mission to the east of the Free State. They had \ ccn eil J? n K er i in collecting arms from the Free Staters who had given in their submission. They were on their return to Bethany on Tuesday. April 3rd, when thev were intercepted at mid-day about eight miles east of Reddersburg by a number of Boers. Tiie mounted scouts reported the enemy in force and with guns. Thereupon the infantry entrenched upon some rising ground and the mounted men skirmished upon both flanks. The way, however, proved to be effectually barred, and there was nothing for it but to fight it out. The enemy apparently realised from the first that they had got us safely, and did not venture to short range until the last. They opened upon our force with their guns, and, unfortunately, we had not a single gun with which‘to reply—a fight with rifles on one side and artillery on the other. The ammunition was used‘sparingly on our side, the enemy being mostly out of range, and in the hope that by prolonging the fight succor would arrive. In the afternoon, as the unequal contest developed, tho Boers drew closer. They had three guns with (hem, and the wounded survivors estimate their numbers at <-.,500 The fire grew hotter, and before darkness fell our gallant, fellows were being enfiladed on three sides. The enemy poured in a terriffic fire. Numbers of our men fell, but their gaps were immediately filled up by their comrades. The Irishmen fought magnificently, and kept in the best of spirits, even when they were being pounded with shell, to which (hey could make no effectual reply. The lire did not cease at nightfall. Occasional volleys were fired, but by two in the morning the ammunition had been expended, the men having fought to their Inst cartridge. Even then there was no surrender. The gallant little force waited on, believing th? sound of the Boer big guns would bring them the relief they so sorely needed. Dawn came, but no appearance of help. The enemy redoubled their tire. Raked by a galling artillery and rifle fire, our troops, as time .wore on, fought with the energy of despair. At length., when the Boers ascertained that there was no British relief column in sight, they determined to rush our position on the kopje. Matters were now becoming critical, as in addition to their ammunition being entirely exhausted, our men had been without, food and water for twenty-four hours, and exposed t osovere tropical storms. The onslaught, however, was gallantly met, hut in the end the force of numbers prevailed, and in order to prevent entire annihilation the force surrendered. The pitiful part of the business is that General Gatacre, haying been advised of the fighting, hurried from Bethany on Wednesday morning, hut arrived on the scene too late to save the detachment.