THE TRANSVAAL WAR

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1511, 14 February 1901, Page 20

THE TRANSVAAL WAR

BLAKE'S DESCENT ON DELAGOA

BAY.

LONDON, February 6. Unofficial advices state that as Colonel Blake’s force was threatening Lorenzo Marques, Portugal appealed to England, With the result that the British squadron in South African waters is concentrating in Delagoa Bay. A British force is rapidly advancing ■along the Delagoa railway towards the Portuguese frontier. (Received February 7, 11.16 p.m.) LONDON, February 7. The Boers have cut the Delagoa Bay railway thirty-thxes miles from Lorenzo Marques. THE CALL FOR MORE MEN. LONDON, February 7. The War Office is sending promptly to South Africa thirty thousand mount ed forces, besides those already landed. Ten thousand Yeomanry will shortly fee available and eight thousand constabulary, including those already enlisted in the colonies, estimated at five thousand. The new colonial contingents will replace those who have been withdrawn,and the Home establishment will contribute the balance of the cavalry and mounted troops. The troopship Aurania takes the first hatch on Saturday. Recruits are rushing the volunteer companies to replace those who have been twelve months at the front. BRISBANE, February 7. The Government' lias offered to send an additional hundred men to South A.frics ADELAIDE, February 7. A Sixth Contingent for South Africa has been offered by the South Australian Government. j ATTITUDE OF THE BOND. TERMS OF PEACE SUGGESTED LONDON, February 7. The Afrikander Bond has offered to wge the Boers to surrender if they are allowed to return to their farms and the rebels in the hew British colonies of the Transvaal and Orange River are not punished. Prominent burghers suggest that. Generals Botha and De Wet should join the Council of the Governor of the Transvaal and Orange River to watch the burghers’ interests in their respective colonies. MILITARY OPERATIONS. , LONDON, February 7. A British force oL two hundred men fey zdg-zag marches for several days and nights, outwitted the Boers, and! expelled them> from Petrusberg, fifty miles west of Bloemfontein. They then removed the inhabitants and cattle to Kimberley. Lieutenant -Gen eral French is driving the Boers back towards Amsterdam, in the Eastern Transvaal, dose to the Swaziland frontier. LONDON, February 8. Eleven, thousand irregular troops have been embodied) in South Africa during the last three ninths.

Brigadier-General Brabant, who commands the Cape defence forces, is pushing northwards and westwards, and clearing the country of invaders. Maj or- General De Lisle has reached MandsvJLei!. He declares that his troops were never so well mounted for hard trekking. The column experienced terrible difficulties, crossing fords and climbing rugged! precipitous hills, dragging guns. Waggons with double teams took tbir-tv-eigfct hours to cover three miles over almost impregnable passes. The Boers did not defend the passes unless they were able to retreat on horseback.

Reuteria Capetown correspondent states tliat troops forming a broad front are sweeping the enemy towards Cape Colony. Outstretched wings of cavalry are ©legring every thing before them. Lord Kitchener is acting simultaneously in the southern districts, his forces working jointly unwards. LONDON, February 10. Tbe enemy violently attacked MajorGeneral Smith-Dorrien’s outpost at Bothwell, near Piet Retief, in the Eastern Transvaal, towards tbe Swaziland frontier.

The British suffered severely, but, repulsing the enemy, inflicted heavy loss. General French has occupied Ermelo, in the Eastern Transvaal, midway between tbe Natal and Delagoa Bav railway. Six thousand! [Beers retired towards Amsterdam, in the hills forty miles to the eastward, and within a few miles of the Swaziland frontier. TIDINGS OF DE WET. LONDON, February 9. _ General De Wet was reported on Thursday north of Smithfield, in the south of the Orange Free State, northwest of Aliwal North. He was moving eastward. Part of De WbFs force is advancing on Philippolis, seventy-five miles to the westward, and near the Orange River.

and. are inclined to accept Lord Kitchener's terms.

A Boer force moving south has been repulsed near Reddersburg, forty miles south of Bloemfontein.

ARREST FOR TREASON

LONDON, February S.

Mr Cartwright, the editor of the “South African News," has been arrested and admitted to bail on a charge of reproducing a seditious libel from a London newspaper, dated January 17tli.

The article stated that Lord Kitchener had secretly instructed the troops pursuing General De Wet's commando to take no prisoners. Lord Kitchener telegraphed an unqualified denial of the statement.

DESPATCHES FROM SOUTH AFRICA.

LONDON, February 9

The War Office has issued two volumes of despatches covering the period of Lord Roberts’s command in South Africa,

They graphically reveal the terrible drawbacks encountered. The army corps organisation was disintegrated at the first contact with the ene’my. In reality, there was no ’ organised transport corps on the arrival of the Com-mander-in- Chief.

After it had been organised, Lord Roberts consciously encountered the risk of a rising in Cape Colony and of having his lines of communication cut, rather than forego the enormous advantage of striking a blow at the enemy's capital. The reports pathetically lament the subsequent condition of the mounted' forces preventing any operation demanding rapidity of movement. Lord Robert pays a tribute to General Duller and his subordinate officers and brave soldiers, who were “marching and fighting almost incessantly from January 15th to February 28th," last year. The despatches show that General B idler doubted the possibility of being able to relieve Ladysmith. He telegraphed to Lord Roberts on the 6th of February asking whether he ought to risk the sacrifice of two or three thousand men in order to gain access to the plain within ten miles of General Sir George White’s position, adding that the success of the movement was doubtful.

Lord Roberts replied that Ladysmith must be relieved, even at the cost anticipated, and urged General Buller to persevere. On the 9th of February General Buller asked for reinforcements. Major-General Hunter's despatches stated that the war maps on issue were a positive danger and delusion." It was the guns, and not the gunners, that- were at fault.

Finally he emphatically declares that the permanent tranquillity of the annexed colonies is dependent on the complete disarmament of the inhabitants. He admits the task is difficult, jet it is on© to be accomplished by time and patience.

DEPARTURE OF MORE MEN.

MOUNTED TROOPS READY.

LONDON, February 8. Of seven thousand regular mounted 1 troops intended to be sent to the Cape, the 2nd Dragoon Guards, the 7th Hussars and the 21st Lancers are ready to go.

[Two detachments of the 7th Hussars (Queen’s Own) and the 21st Lancers' (Empress of India’s Own), now on board! the Britannic, are expected to remain at Adelaide on arrival of the vessel at that port, in order to proceed on active service to South Africa, as both these regiments are under orders for the front. The Hussars will be under Lieutenant Viscount Cole and the Lancers under Lieutenant Dick-Cunyngham, nephew of the famous soldier of that name who fell at Ladysmith.] MISCELLANEOUS. LONDON, February 6. Reuter’s Agency declares that Piet De Wet, president of the Bloemfontein Peace Commission, has passionately appealed to his brother Christian to surrender. General De Wet’s force on the sth damaged a train of transport waggons at Pompey’s Siding, fifty-five miles south of Bloemfontein.

LONDON, February 7. “The Times" says that the very important statement the War Office (with regard to the despatch of reinforcements) has made will go far to allay the anxiety recently felt. It expresses a hope that the reinforcements will arrive in time to prevelnt a serious recrudescence of the trouble.

'The estimate Lord Roberts formed of the colonial contingents, says “The Times,” was a high compliment to the colonies’ patriotic spirit, whose latest confirmation was the offer of a Sixth Contingent by South Australia. Lord Kitchener also needs infantry to relieve the infantry at the front, who have gone through a hard campaign. The inducements to mien to go to South Africa should, adds _ the journal already quoted from, be raised. If the pay of a hundred thousand men were even quadrupled it would amount to only one-tenth, of th© weekly cost of the war.

. General Sir Redvers Buller, criticdsM jvar 2 __said that generally speak-

ing the British subordinate commanders lacked initiative and independence of action, and the rank and file lacked independent intelligent action. Mr Duplessis, the Dutch pastor at Lindley, implores the Cape; Dutch to cease blowing the fire of destruction, and declares that under the influence of despair and fanaticism the Boers ard committing acts against Christianity and civilisation.

The “Daily Mail” states that the Portuguese section of the Delagoa railway is now in the hands of the British, and it is possible to utilise the line for by sea. Diming the war the New South Wales Agency-General lias been responsible for supplying the War Office with 2,522,000 pounds of New South \v ales tinned meats, exclusive of 965,000 pounds supplied by ■■ the Sydney Meat Pieserving Company. The Agency also sold to the War Office 407 tons of New South Wales jams since October. LONDON, February 8. In an engagement at Nitralskop, the South Australian Bushmen lost Corporal Currie, killed, and Lieutenant Depsey and Private Ford, dangerously wounded. Privat-e Drinkwater, of the New South Wales Bushmen, has died of enteric.

Major Dobbin, an Australian officer entrusted with the command of the Remount Depot at Piquetberg, seventyfive miles north of Capetown, has secured four thousand of the finest horses and three thousand mules.

The “Westminster Gazette” says that the only chance of a settlement in South Africa is to show that we are in earnest in the prosecution of the war. The cheapest course is to spend libera dy, and to spend quickly. LONDON, February 9. A leading Dutch pastor at Pretoria, named Bosman, having been afforded opportunities, has investigated the charges of British ill-treatment of women, and reports them baseless. The Boers on the 6th inst. held up and looted a train going from Greylingstad to Vlakslaagte, on the JohannesburgStanderton Railway. Six civilians were wounded. The Boers robbed the passengers of the train between Greylingstad and Vlakslaagte, relieving a nurse of £25. Small bodies of raiders continue in Cape Colony. They are appearing in the Colesberg and Richmond districts. “The Times" Capetown correspondent states that the operation of martial law has proved agreeably disappointing to those who feared a rising. When the Dutch know they must obey they do so beer fullyMr Rudyard Kipling lias given the Western Province (South Africa) a Maxim gun for use by mounted infantry. There ar© now sixty thousand Boer refuges under British protection. The following colonial officers have recovered,! from- wounds: —Colonel Wal~ laek, Tasmania; Lieutenant Heywood and Lieutenant Moore, Victoria; Lieutenant W. King, Queensland; and Lieutenant J- Montgomerie, New Zealand. French soldiers holding Transvaal bonds have protested to Dr Leyds against the Boers destroying mines. SYDNEY, February 7. It transpires that seven members of the New Zealand Contingent missed the troopship Cornwall. They reported themselves at the barracks to-day, and will remain there pending instructions from New Zealand.

SYDNEY, February 8

Mr Seddou has oabled to the Government, thanking it for entertaining the contingent on the Cornwall.

The Government has been advised that five troopships will arrive between February 25th and March sth, to take! the New South Wales Contingent to the ©ape.

MELBOURNE, February 7.

Two hundred and fifty men, for the Marquis of Tullibaxdine’s regiment of Scottish Horse, are going to South Africa. They will go without horses, the Government being advised that Lord! Tullibardine can supply them with 500 horses if required. DEATHS AND SICKNESS. Sir Alfred Milner has cabled to the Government, under date February 6th, as follows:—No. 800, Private J. K. Allen, Third Contingent, died of enteric fever at Pretoria on February 3rd. No. 272, Roberts, New Zealand mounted infantry ; No. 679, Corporal Parkinson; No. 799, Private J. G. Gibson; and No. 618, Farrier Dorn, Roughriders, dangerously ill at Pretoria. Corporal Clarkson, of Kitchener’s Horse, died of enteric at Johannesburg on February 2nd. Please inform his father, Post Office, Christchurch. MORE NEW ZL-iifAN DERS WANTED. RELIEVING DRAFTS TO GO FORWARD. The Secretary of State for the Colonies (Right Hon J. Chamberlain) has communicated, through his Excellency the Governor, with the Government of New Zealand, asking whether it is intended to send any further contingents to fill up losses in th© ranks of the New Zealanders, and if so, when? The Premier has also received further communications from New Zealand officers at the front, from which

it appears that there is a general feeling that the men who have been there for twelve months ought to be permitted to return, and that others should be sent to take their places. The Fourth and Fifth "Contingents volunteered to serve until the end Gf the war or for twelve months. The war is not yet over, and the twelve months will expire in March. The indications ar© that it is extremely probable a Seventh Contingent will be sent. From the general tenor of the advices received by the Government from the officers at the Cape, it is deemed advisable that the men who have served a year there should be relieved. The work has been very heavy and physically exhausting, and the New Zealanders have felt very much the fact that they have been scattered among different commands, and even tbe contingents themselves split into sections. The probabilities seem t-o be that before next week is out a call will sound throughout the colony for volunteers for a Seventh Contingent. There is no doubt that that call will be enthusiastically answered by young New Zealand.

The Secretary of State for the Colonies has cabled to the Premier, stating that the Surgeon-General in South Africa has asked that four additional medical officers should be sent with the contingents from Australia and New Zealand. Mr Seddon has communicated with the Premiers of the other colonies, suggesting that they should appoint three medical officers, and New Zealand should appoint the fourth. He is awaiting tHeir replies before taking further action.

The Government having taken into consideration the question of despatching more men for South Africa, has decided to send from time to time drafts of officers and men to the front to relieve those now in South Africa who have been more than a year away from the colony. The engagement of the men composing the Fourth and Fifth Contingent® was for one year or the duration of the war, and the arrangement now about to be made by the Government is in keeping with that understanding, and is recommended by officers now on active service.

The first draft will consist of three hundred men, and will sail in about a month; other bodies of men will be despatched as soon as they can be equipped.

With regard to the request made by the Surgeon-Genei'al at the Cape that four extra medical men should be sent from these colonies, the Premier has been in communication with th© State Premiers of Australia on the subject. Mr Seddon suggested' that three surgeons should be sent frirn Australia and one from this colony. This view of the matter has! been concurred with by Sir William Lyne (New South Wales) and the Hon R. Philp (Queensland), the result being that the New Zealand Government has decided to equip and despatch anoher medical man forthwith. A LETTER FROM THE FRONT. The following letter has been received in Featherston from the youngster who ran away (or rather, stowed away) from that town to South. Africa, and is now serving with the Irish Squadron of Roberts’s Horse: Commando Nek, December 31. I have got a chance to write, and as it is the last day of the old year, I do bo. When I last wrote we were at Pbtchefstroom. We spent Christmas there, and left on Boxing Day for Pretoria. I spent the worst Christmas Day I ever had. I had just got over a slight attack of fever, and my head ached horribly , and all I could take was about a quart of milk and a cup of whisky Mr Montgomerie gave me. My messmate© made a bit of dinner (roast ribs of mutton, milk and bread and some plum pudding fit to kill anyone who ate it). W© reached Pretoria two days after, and earn© here to join General Clements at once. About seven miles from' here 7000 Boers under De La Rey are entrenched, and we are waiting for reinforcements to attack them. General Clements had a frightful cutting up here a few days ago. The Boers attacked the camp at 1 p.m.; four companies of the “ Fighting Fifth" were captured, and our casualties were about 200 killed and 300 missing and wounded'. Our men fought well with clubbed rifles bayonets and any handy weapdn. The Boer losses are estimated as greater than ours. The Boers captured about 150 waggons, but no guns. We have twenty big guns here already and about 6000 men. RETURNING NEW ZEALANDERS. The Premier reveicedi a cable on the 6th stating that the. Ranee left Capetown on the Ist inst., with the following New Zealanders on hoard:—■ Surgeon-Cap tain A. O. de Renzi, Fifth Contingent; 389 Private A. E. Loach Second Contingent, Waimate; 398 Private E. O. A. Hille, Second Contingent, Borrow; 366 Private J. EL Naylor, Second Contingent, Petone; 723 Private J. Caldwell, No. 6 Company, Third Contingent, Wanganui; 1255 Private Bt. ' Bqddington, No. 7 Company, Fourth Contingent, Masterton; 1385 Private D. S. Bruce, No. 8 Company,Fourth Oon-

tingeiit, Tokomai’u; 1527 Private O. H. Tully, No. 7 Company, Fourth Contingent, Grey town ; 1620 Sergeant A. E. Braddock, No. 15 Company, Fifth Contingent, Alexandra, Otago; 2227 Private J. G. Cooke, No. 12 Company, F ff& Co Pungent Wellington ; 2332 Corporal L. C 7 Limmer, No. 11 Company', Fifth Contingent, Waikato; 2442 Corporal A. Francis, No. 13 Companv, Fifth Contingent, Wellington; 2270 Private B. Hall. No. 12 Company: Fifth Contingent, Christchurch; 2677 Private J. E. Ford, reserve, Wataoa, Westland; 2526 Private F. Vickers, No. 13 Comnan.y, Fifth Contingent. Waikato; 1601 Private W. C. Adam, No. 15 Companv, Fifth Contingent. Chvaka, Otago: 2719 Private G. Dobbon reserve, New Plymouth : 2594 Private W. C. Gosling, No. 14 Company, Fifth Contingent, Timaru. The following New Zealanders are returning by the steamer Chicago, which left Capetown on the 6!h inst: —lOsl Far-rier-Sergeant W. H. Spain, No 9 Companv, Fourth "Contingent, Otago; 685 Private D. Spencer, No. 5 Company, Third Contingent. Kaikoura; 2307 Private J. Warren, No. 12 Company, Fifth Contingent, .Dunedin; 2676 Private G. Dignan, reserve, Auckland; 1659 Pi’ivate J. McKay. Mo. 15 Company, Fifth Contingent, Clinton; 1046 Private C. Wvse, No. 9 Companv. Fourth Contingent. Otago Central; 125-' Private C. W. Brown, No. 7 Company, Fourth Contingent, Temuka; 1271 Private A. Woodward, No. 7 Company, Fourth Contingent, Dunedin; 11 Private ,T. Matson, No. 1 Company, First Contingent; Cambridge; 2716 Private .1. Farrell, reserve. Kihikihi; 1696 Private C. W. Watt, No. 15 Company, Fifth Contingent, Dunedin; 2261 Private F.W. .Tones, No. 13 Cw 1 - pany, Fifth Contingent, Wanganui; 1353 Private A, .T. Wallace, No. 7 Company, Fourth Contingent, Shannon. A telegram has been received by thr Premier from Hobart stating that the Karamea arrived at that port oh Saturday morning with the following New Zealanders on board, in charge of Lieut.Colonel S. Newall, of the Fifth Contingent, Wellington:—Fourth Contingent Sergeant G. A. Foss, No. 9 Company. Shag Valley; Private W. M. Clunie, No. 10 Companv, Wairoa, H. 8.; Private J. Gibb, No. 10 Company; Private B. C. Hopkins, No. 10 Company, Waipawa; Private C. A. Hirtzgill, No. 10 Company, Wellington; Private F. E. Lean. No. 10 Company, Havelock; Private W. G. Morrison, No. 9 Company, Tapanui; Private .T. G. H. Moore, No. 9 Company, Dunedin; Private T. Popham, No. 9 Companv, Middlemarch; Private W. Fuddle, No. 8 Company, Whangarei. .Fifth ContingentSergeant Gregg, No. 15 Company. Dunedin; Private J. G. Cooke. No. 12 Company, Wellington ; Bugler E. Dormer, No. 11 Company, Auckland: Private J. Kegan, No 11 Company, Auckland; Private T. F. Horne. No. 15 Company. Methven; Private A. E. Hayward. No. 12 Company. Norman by: Private P. .T. Stevens. No. 13 Companv, Gisborne. There are also .mentioned Somerville and Valentine, who do not appear in the list of the Fourth and Fifth Contingents, ami the following, of whom there are several appear:—Privates Brown, Cameron. Harris, Hunter, .Taek-

son, McJJougall, McAuley, Riddell. Retter and Smith. All the above are well. - Sergeant A - H. Challis, of the Fourth Contingent. Invercargill, and Private R. Searle. of the Fifth Contingent. Kakanui, are suffering from pneumonia, and at the reauest of the medical officer, have been received into the Hobart Hosnital.

The followinsr New Zealanders belonging to South African irregular corps are also on hoard the Karamea:—Privates Tait. Rowland and McDonald, of Brabant's

Horse: Private Keane, of Roberts’s Horse; and Private Gibson, of the British South African Police.

THE KROONSTAD PEACE COMMITTEE.

OPEN LETTER TO CAPE COLONISTS.

Following is the text of the open letter published in the “Cape Argus 5 ’ by the Kroonstad Peace Committee, several cf whose envoys have lately been flogged and shot by the Boers I‘Brethren, —The time has arrived for us inhabitants of the Orange River Ool‘cny to : make every effort to save our country from further destruction, and to 1 show you clearly vhat our conditiou actually is. “It has become the duty of every right-thinking person +o do everything in his power to make an end to this :lestructivej. protracted and useless warfare.

‘'What is the condition of the Orange Riter Colony to-day? Most of the farms have been burnt, nearly all the cattle have been removed, and what still remains of the sheep are full of scab, and is either slaughtered by the contending parties or must necessarily die of neg.ect. To plough and to sow is impossible. The country is literally one vast wilderness. The farmers have been obliged to come into the towns for protection, and hugerefugeo camps have been formed by the British for thorn and for their families. These people have lost everything they possessed in the world, and ruin and starvation stare them in the face. This state of affairs is becoming worse from day to day. And all this misery is caused by a small obstinate minority, who will not how to the inevitable, and who make the majority suffer. “We appeal to you to help us to make an end to this unhappy state of affairs, which is plunging everybody into poverty and despair. “We appeal to you because we know that you are able to assist us in tlie right manner. “We are deeply conscious of and grateful for the help" yo’u have so generously given to our widows and orphans, and for the sympathy which you have shown

to us in our bitter struggle. But any encouragement to the men who are still on commando to continue this hopeless struggle can only injure us, and cause us further misery. We are convinced, if you once realise this, that you will use every endeavour to help us to obtain peace. We have done our best, and w.e have fought to get South Africa under cne flag, our republican flag, and we have lost. Let there be no mistake about this.

•‘England has spent millions of money, and has sacrificed thousands of lives, and no reasonable being can believe for one n oment that she will now gave up the fruits of her victory. Therefore, it is the duty of us, the beaten foe. to accept the terms offered hv the conqueror. We can honourably give up the contest, because our people have fought bravely, and now we ought to try and work for peace in our land. “We feel bound to warn you that meetings such as your Worcester Congress cannot, and will not, do us any good, while they have done much harm by giving encouragement to the burghers still on commando. The fatal result of the Worcester Congress has been that the commandos have again entered the Cape Colony. Encouraged by your resolutions, and by the speeches which were made there, they have got undqc. the impression that you are ready to assist them by force of arms. It was not brotherly of you to raise such false encouragement in their breasts. “ England has definitely announced that she will not restore the independence of the two Republics. “Let us, in the interests of a lasting peace in South Africa, accept this announcement, and let us work for reconciliation on that basis.

“ From the speeches made in the British Parliament, and by Sir A. Milner, and from the proclamation issued by Lord Kitchener, we have learnt that the way in which the British Government is willing to settle matters is not ungenerous nor humiliating to us. “We appeal fo you, and we ask you to appoint another Congress, and to nominate men of influence out of your midst to visit- ex-President Stevn and General De Wet, to try and persuade them to accept the terms offered lay England. These two men are the only obstacles to peace.

“We ask you to believe us when we sar that ex-President Kruger and the late Transvaal Government were willing twice already to accept the British terms, but that ex-Pre.sident Steyn refused to have anything to do with any surrender. He continued the war, and encouraged his burghers in the hope that, we could get European assistance. “To-day he is cut off from all communication with the outside world. “ You know, and we know, how unfounded that hope is, and it is your duty to assist u.s to make him understand this. “ We have the honour to be, etc., “P. D. De Wet, Late Assistant Hoofd. Commandant, chairman. “ (1) Paul M. Botha, member late O.F.S. V olksr a ad. “(2) F. P. Naude, late Special J.P. “(3) D. H. Botha, late Special J.P. “(4) C. J. Cloete, member late O.F.S. Volksra ad. “ (5) C. J. Born man, member late O.F.S. Volksra ad. “ (6) G. F. Minnaar. (Members.) “ C. L. Botha, LL.D., secretary of the Central Peace Committee established at Kroonstad, 0.R.C.”