LATE WAR NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, 21 February 1901, Page 37

LATE WAR NEWS.

ENCOUNTERS WITH DE W 7 ET. LONDON, February IS. Details have been received of some of the recent encounters with General De Wet’s commandoes. These show that Colonel PI timer's force of Australian and New Zealand Bushmen followed sections of one of De Wet’s comiuand’oes from Phillips town, to Hcutkraal, a distance of about twenty-five miles. When darkness stopped the chase both friends and foes were exhausted, and their horses were knee-deep in mud. Lord Kitchener witnessed an action which took place north-west of Houtkraal. General De Wet and Mr Steyn, with between 2000 and 3000 men, crossed the railway line between Houtkraal and Potfont ein before daybreak on the loth instant. Colonel Crabbe left Houtkraal in pursuit at daybreak. He used two fifteenpounders, and the shells frequently scattered the enemy.

De Wet, who did not attempt to use his guns, was surprised by an armoured train which arrived from the north, and which opened fire on his force with two naval twelve-pounders.

This diversion facilitated the capture cf practically the whole of De Wet’s con vo v.

Included in the portion of the convoy which was captured was an ambulance waggon laden with ammunition. There were also taken by the British nineteen other waggons, six hundred shells ancl half a million cartridge*.

Fifty Boers and a hundred horses were captured. Those of the enemy who were taken prisoners were for the most part ragged ancl bootless.

De Wet lost sixty-five killed and wounded of his following.

The Boers broke Into sections and fled in a south-westerly direction towards Britstown, sniping occasionally as they went.

Colonels Piumer and Crabbe are containing: the pursuit of the invaders, and Major-Generals Knox and Bruce Hamilton, 'with Colonel White, have joined in the chase.

Major-General Bruce Hamilton, by zig-zag marches, followed General Be Wet for three weeks.

At the moment of invading Cape Colony Be Wet forbade his followers to indulge in looting. The Dutch Do Wet unwillingly, declaring that he had only come to ruin them. Many of his followers have since deserted Be Wet. whose horses are badly fed.-

Tlie invading force, which is mainly armed with Lee-Metford rifles, is now greatly harassed. Xruitzinger’s, Hertzog’s and other commandoes ar© prevented from ju:\ctioning with Be Wet. Major-General 'French is still driving all Louis Botha’s force before him, excepting the Carolina commando, which broke through westwards, and has since become disorganised. In view of the heavy expenditure in South Africa, Lord Kitchener asked for assistance in financial matters. The Right Hon St. J. Brodrick is sending out Mr G. D. A. FleetwooctjWilson, As-sistant-Under-Secretary for War, to act temporarily as Lord financial adviser.

Three Boers were killed and twentythree wounded in attempting to cut the railway near Johannesburg. While a hundred Boers were conveying forage through Giringspoort they were ambushed by a detachment of the re-cently-formed Cape Cyclist Corps entrenched upon a kopje, The cyclists lolled seventeeen of the enemy. All the male inhabitants of Grasfontein have been arrested on a charge of assisting the invaders. The Boer raiders possess splendid maps of Cape Colony, provided by Mr Steyu before the war.

Captain Berry, of the Queensland. Bushmen, and Lieut. Lewin, of the New Zealand Roughriclers, have been discharged from hospital, and have resumed duty.

The following Westralians were wounded in the fighting at Klipplaat.: Captain Oliver, Privates Campbell and Flynn.

Four thousand horses have been commandeered at Harrismith, and two thousand at Standerton, for the purpose of remounting British irregular cavalry. The King and Queen inspected Lord Strathcona’s Hors e at Buckingham Palace, and presented the Canadians with medals set in the regimental colours. Field-Marshal Lord Roberts and General Sir Red vers Bulier were present. LONDON, February 19. Zand Drift, west of Philippolis, is the only drift across the Orange River where mines are not laid. General De Wet was purposely drawn thither, the country having been denuded of horses. The mobility of the British forces exceeds that of the enemy. The “Daily Mail** states that De Wet was headed off between Strydenbuig, forty miles north-west of Houtkraal, ancl Hopetoun. Half of the force in De Wet’s camp met and jirotested against the indiscriminate flogging, chiefly of laggards, which was carried on, and resolved to fight independently. During the debate on the Address-in-Reply in the House of Commons, Mr Winston Spencer Churchill, ALP. for Oldham, made bis maiden speech, in which he justified the war in South Africa.

Mr Churchill said the war had been conducted with unusual humanity, and that whatever Great Britain had lost in doubtful friends at the Cape, she had gained ten or twenty fold in true friends in Canada and Australasia.

Mr W r . R. Crenier. member for the Haggerston Division of Shoreditch, speaking at Peterborough, declared that Air Chamberlain had grossly deceived the late Queen respecting the war, thereby causing her death. Air Chamberlain asserts that there is not a word of truth in the statement.

Several Australian Bushmen were wounded in the fighting at Grasfontein, including two Queenslanders —Sergeant Strong (fatally) and Lieutenant Kellaway (severely). At Richwartz Kopje, Corporal Buchanan was severely wounded, and • >, i - vates Rawson, Wilson and Holmes \v ere captured. All of these men are Queensland Bushmen.

Mr Wolmarans, the Boer peace envoy, who is visiting Holland, says the Boers will accept nothing short jof independence. The proposals put forward by Sir Edward Clarke, one of the British proBoer leaders, would not be acceptable if they contained a vestige of British control over the Boers.

Dr Levels complains of the theft at Brussels of his handbag, containing diplomatic documents.

Alajor-General De Lisle’s column has occupied Carnarvon, about one hundred miles west of De Aar Junction.

Reuter’s correspondent states that when Hertzog’s commando at Calvinia heard of the death of Queen Victoria, the men trampled upon her portraits*, with ribald, filthy remarks * -ALBANY, February IS.

After coaling, the steamer Cornwall, with the New* Zealand Sixth Contingent aboard, sailed for Capetown on Saturday.

The members of the Sixth Contingent who were left behind in Sydney will be sent on to South Africa with the next New South Wales Contingent. AUCKLANB, February 19. At a meeting of the Cabinet "to-day, the fact was mentioned that the Government had been approached regarding recruiting for the South African police in this colony, and that an answer had been sent that it was not desirable in the interest of the colony. A communication was received from the Premier of Victoria stating that similar proposals had been made to his Government, and that a reply had been given that theproposal could not be agreed to.

RETURNED TROOPERS. By the steamer Rimutaka, winch arrived in port on Tuesday, the following members of contingents retained to Now Zealand : Veterinary-Lieutenant Young of Wellington (Fourth Contingent). Tune expired. Corporal W. Allen, of Bunedin (Fourth Contingent). On leave, owing to a death in his family. Corporal Fulton, of Auckland (Third Contingent). Invalided <>n account of an attack of enteric fever.

Trooper Saxby, of Hawke’s Bay (Third Contingent). Invalided on account of a broken ankle, caused by a fall from Ills horse-

Trooper C. C. Roberts, of Ashburton (Third Contingent). Invalided on account of an attack of enteric fever.

Trooper Wilson, of Wanganui (Third Contingent). Invalided on account of an attack of enteric fever.

Bugler Orr, of Wellington (Fifth Con tingent). Invalided on account of enteric fever. Gunner R. Searle, of Oamaru (Fifth Contingent), who was left behind in the Hobart Hospital when the Karamea touched! at that port. Searle is still suffering from the effects of enteric

fever. Sergeant Challis, of Invercargill (Fourth Contingent), wno was also left in the Hobart Hospital with Searle, in a very-critical condition when Searle left him. Challis was suffering from a complication of complaints. Searle speaks very highly of the manner in which both himself and Challis were treated by *iie Hobart people. Trooper Jamieson, a time-expired man of Thornevcroft’s Mounted Infantry, was also a passenger by the Rimutaka.