THE TRANSVAAL WAR

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1514, 7 March 1901, Page 30

THE TRANSVAAL WAR

DE WET’S LATEST ESCAPE. LONDON, March 3. General De Wet’s invasion of Cape Colony has endedMen and horses are swimming the river where it widenp near Colesbeig Bridge, . ~ The river is not running rapidly, though in flood. _ . . LONDON, March 4. It transpires that Major-General Hickman, on February 26th, inflicted, losses on General De Wet’s commando m the vicinity of Zand Drift, where two Boers were drowned in attempting to cross the river. The attempt was then abandoned by the main body of the Plumer then pursued De Wet fistward, and troops were hurried via /i.anover road to Colesberg to trv and intercept De Wet’s flight. Desultory skirmishing took place at various points in the direction of Hamelf ontein. . ' Colonels Haig and Bethune arrived there on the 28th nit., hut the invaders had already gone. Mr Steyn and General De Wet, with fifteen hundred men, -swam the river at Lilliefontein, near the Colesberg bridge, on the 28th ult. The current carried many of them down a considerable distance. The enemy, nevertheless, removed five carts and waggons, and two ambulances; but abandoned a number of horses, carts, maps of Gape Colony, and clothes. Many Boers were seen on the other side of the river riding off in a seminude condition. Nine men of Nesbitt’s Horse, firing from cover, wounded -some of the swimmers.

Colonel Thorneycroft, after a running fight, lasting two days, galloped through and dispersed eight hundred of Commandant Hertzog’s commando. A quantity ofk jewellery and other loot was captured. Captain J. Dallimore, with fifteen Victorian. Bushmen, surrounded thirty Boers on Friday, and captured them all. Three Boe(rs murdered a native who was the principal witness against twenty prisoners indicted for treason at Waterkloof. _, ' , Sir Alfred- Milner’s sudden, departure from Capetown for Pretoria is believed! to be connected with the supposed negotiations between Lord Kitchener and General Botha. It is announced that eighty of Kitchener’s Fighting Scouts who were attacked by a superior force of Boers surrendered after a prolonged fight, in which they sustained twenty casualties. The report is interpreted as referring tO‘ Colenbrander’s Scouts, a force recently raised oh the Rhodesian frontier. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, Leader of the Opposition, speaking at Oxford, admitted that some form of provisional temporary government, probably military, should precede the establishment of representative institutions in the conquered Republics. It was imperative that the burghers should be restored 1 to their farms and given pecuniary assistance. The “Daily Express” states that Lord Kitchener allowed General Botha facilities to communicate with Mi’ Kruger, whereupon the Boer General informed the. ex-President that there was a desire for peace on all sides. . , . . . • Mr Kruger communicated with the Czar, urging him to use his efforts tq obtain tine application of The Hague Peace Convention principles Vrßussia, however, reminded Mr Kriu ger that he commenced the war. LONDON, March 5. * The New York “Tribune’s” Brussels correspondent stated that a council of commandants held at Petersburg authorised General Botha to capitulate on condition that the Boer prisoners are liberated and rebels pardoned, the semiindependence .of the republics under the Crown granted, and owners restored to their property. He adds that Lord Kitchener is willing to grant the terms demanded, but that Great Britain insists'on an unconditional surrender and The exile of Mr Kruger and other republican authorities. .

General Be Wet, in any, event, intends to continue the guerilla war. It is officially announced that General De Wet' was headed off near Philippolis, and that he is now approaching Fauresinith. 35 miles due north. Major-General Bartnell captured a Hotchkiss gun at Piebretief. '■ A commandant who was in the vicinity surrendered, with fifty men, on Saturday. Lieutenant A. E. Benson, of Kitchenu ePs Horse l , and formerly of the New South Wales Bushmen t has died of wounds. ,l ' Colonel Babington has unearthed a Krupp gun, a pompom and some ammu- ; ' nition at Zandfontein. :

' The “Times’' reports that Colonel Bethuno has occupied Ruckhoof, in order to be able to deal with roving commandoes. •JS •

TTbe Premier has received advice of tfce death, at Pretoria from enteric

fever of Private J. P. Roberts, of the New Zealand Rough Riders, and of Private A. W. Dudley, of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, on the 2oth and 28th February respectively. Private Roberts was a. son of Mr Roberts, C.E., of Nelson, and Private Dudley, cf the Second Contingent, was a son of Mr C. T. Dudley, of Christchurch. INVERCARGILL, Mearch 4.

By the Mokoia ten invalided soldiers, ex Chicago, arrived this afternoon, and are being entertained by Bluff people 1 to-night. They are : —Mathie.son (Kitchener’s Horse, who belongs to V/in ton), A. Austin (Kimberley Light Horse), Lancaster (South Australian Light Horse), Spencer (Third Contingent, still on crutches, his foot having been shattered), Sergeant Watson (First Contingent), Privates Wyse, Wallace, Brown, Woodward (Fourth Contingent), Wall, Mackay, Wamen, Dignan and Corporal Jones (Fifth Contingent); also Mathieson (a Natal railway guard) and Dr Ackland (attached to the Imperial troops). All looked well, the voyage having set them up. Wallace, • a W ellingtomaii, had been wounded, and was a prisoner. He speaks highly of his treatment at the hands of the Boers and tlieir women nurses. He says the colonials thought a lot of General Botha and De La Rey, but “detested De Wet, whom they regarded as a revengeful sneak who was always up to mean tricks.”