THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

Lake County Press, Issue 981, 26 September 1901, Page 2

THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

LONDON, September 19. A patrol of the Grenadier Guards was surrounded on a farm at Kiel Siding, on the De Aar-Naauwpoort line, and wore raptured. after a stubborn resistance. One officer and one man were killed and two wounded. A sergeant was drowned m swimming the river to get support. Heavy rains have suspended operations in the Southerp Cape Colony by Hooding the river-beds, which often constitute the only passes to the mountains. Despite all hardships, the columns keep in touch with the Boers. The Natal Mounted Rities and Field Artillery have been called out. The Boers’ recent attack on Belfast teas intended to capture supplies. A similar raid is expected in Natal. Forty Hussars and Imperial Bushmen, when pursuing twenty Boers, were suddenly surrounded by 300 of the enemy outside Klevksdorp. A sharp light at close quarters ensued, in which two British were wounded. Six Boers were killed and a dozen wounded. Seheeper’s commando entered Bavrydale. Colonel Crabbe is closely pursuing li’iu. There are 2,000 Boer prisoners at Durban. They are to be shipped away soon. Some of them will he sent to India. ■ BOBS’S •’ CARE OF LITTLE THINGS. A sketch of Lord Roberts, by Mr Winston Churchill, the war correspondent, apneurs in the "Windsor Magazine’ for July. Dart of it relates to the Commander-In-Chief s career as a young soldier in India, a career Roberts himself has fully described •n ‘Forty Years of My Life.’ The, South African items are fresh. Mr Churchill states that Roberts owes a good deal of 1 1 is success to the tireless attention he pays to little things. His plans appear to provide for every contingency. The secret instructions drawn up for his generals were always complete, and often in his own handwriting. His preparations lor the relief of Kimberley were admirably masked. “In spile of scouting, spies, and newspaper correspondents, French and bis cavalry division were abstracted from around Coleslierg - drawn off little by little during Hie nights moved round by march and rail to the Modder River, a distance of several hundred miles, and their places taken by an infantry brigade, without tether (lie Boers in Colesberg itself, or anywhere else, realising Vital had happened. The whereabouts of the Sixth Division was equally unknown or uncertain. When all was ready he sent word to Bullet", who was then trying to relieve Ladysmith:

"Tell ;tl) ranks that 1 have this day in vaded the Orange Free State with a large tinny, particularly strong in cavalry ami guns." ‘‘Hobs' is til ’em at last,” said the soldiers; "now we shan’t be long." Three days later the news of the relief of Kimberley arrived. “ French has cap-

turcd five laagers.” “French! How the devil did he get to Modder?” asked the officers. “We thought he was at Colesher'.” The Boors weri asking the same c|iiest : on. When Roberts marched into Pretoria, a stalf officer said: “You must be a happy man to-day, sir?” “No,” replied the Field-marshal, with a momentary expression of intense weariness, “ not happy —thankful.” And the officer remem^yy.d (he grave in Natal which had up a father's hope and pride. “NEVER GIVE IN.” \ Wrilirg from Johannesburg a Gordon Highlander volunteer says that lately, cn account of rioting on the part of Scandinavians and others, the family of De Wet (who live in Johannesburg) have had to s< ek police protection. The volunteer ore c e ing onued pa;t of the guard sent to protect the De Wets, and “in the morning,” he writes, “ Miss De Wet came out and gave me a cup of cocoa. I had a long chat with her. She is a girl of about eighteen or thereby. I said to her it was about time the war was done, and she replied that the family had ail urged their lather to surrender, but it was no use, she said. He told them he would 1 never give in.’ ”