THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1514, 7 March 1901, Page 47

THE TRANSVAAL WAR.

OF DE WET. LONDON, February 28. Mr Bennet Burleigh, correspondent of the '‘Daily News,” cabled on Tuesday evening that the Orange River was at ill high, and that the British columns were tightening their grip on Mr Steyn and General De Wet. Commandant Hertzog is near Pertusville, and the British patrols are engaged. A battle is imminent. LONDON, February 28. In an engagement on. Saturday with General De Wet, two commandants and two hundred Boers were captured. During the fight a 15-pounder was captured by Captain W. C. Marcer, of the Coldstream Guards, and Privates Sheelhan, O’Brien and Green, of the Victorian Mounted Rifles. It is stated that General De Wet recently advised Commandant Hertzog that unless thel raid into Cape Colony was a signal success he had better consider the advisableness of surrendering. Commandant Hertzog has effected a junction with De Wet and Steyn. The three are camped together on the southern bank of the Orange river. Colonel Thcmeyeroft is pressing towards them from the west, and other commanders are converging to intercept the Boers in evetry direction. De Wet is preparing to move eastward across the railway between Norval’s Pont and Naauwpoort. LONDON, March 1. General De Wet, Mr Steyn and Commandants Hertzog and 1 Brand, with two thousand mein, are moving south in the direction of Colesberg, hoping to cross into the Orange Colony at Norvai’s Pont. Yesterday the raiders had reached a point east of Philipstown, about; midway between Petrusville and Colesbeirg. Major-General Smitli-Dorrien and Colonel Alderson, operating in the Eastern Transvaal, report large captures of stocK, waggons and prisoners. They state that the enemy is demoralised. Sir Alfred Milner has gone north from Capetown to assume the duties of administration of the new colonies. The British Government is steadily setoding and -horses to South Africa to relieve those who have been fighting for any length of time, and to make good the waste from casualties and disease. LONDON, March 2. * The London ‘ r Times” correspondent, reporting from Hope town in -egard to recent fighting, says that Major-General Plumer overtook General De Wet on February 17th at a depot westward of the railway. Plumer’s supplies being exhausted, he halted at Haauw Pan, to the west of Elsievlie, on the 18€ h, in order to refit, leaving three r strong patrols to hang on to De Wet’s rear, and wafcL the river drifts. The patrols behaved splendidly, and touch was maintained with Major-Gene-

ral Knox, who was enabled to gauge the enemy’s intentions. The British southern columns ay ere so marshalled as to prevent a junction of the invaders from, south and west. De Wet tried to re cross the C range river at Brakkies. Small parties crossed in a, boat, but the main commando was unable to establish a ford. They 'headed from the river in the direction or Prieska, but they a\ ere again repelled towards one of the yl rifts. Plumer, Avheh he had obtained supplies, again resumed operations, and prevented the enemy’s passage -of Mark's Drift, and captured a hundred, prisoners. When Colonel Owen, on the 23rd February, captured the last of the Boers’ guns. Dot Wet’s rearguard, during the silent watches of the night, slipped by the Kimberley column, and recrossed the railway. De Wet, with Hertzog, went towards the Zand Drift. The majority of the commando dispersed or surrendered. De Wet, in his fanaticism, is reported to be demented. He flogs everybody. Commandant Haasbroek, whose commando remains compact, refuses to cooperate Avith De Wet. The correspondent Avas not- allowed to indicate the new British concentration, as his message preceded Lord Kitchener’s- latest despatch. Lord Kitchener has returned to Pretoria. He telegraphs that General De Wet has been forced north, over the Orange river, tAvo hundred' of his followers and other stragglers being captured. GENERAL BOTHA. LONDON February 28. An am icuneement declared to be official Avas made that General Botha had surrendered to Lord Kitchener, but later the reported surrender, was stated to be unofficial. A previous message stated that General Botha was moving to Awards General Viljoen’s headquarters at Roosenkraal, twenty-five miles west of Lydenburg. The conflicting statements regarding General Botha's surrender are the outcome of his Avife’s return to Pretoria after urging her husband to yield. The Right Hon W. St. j. Erodrick, Secretary of State for War, stated in the House of Commons that nothing official with reference to the reported surrender has been received. LONDON, March 1. The ‘‘Daily News” states that General Botha has offered to surrender on certain terms, and that negotiations are being continued. Lord Kitchener is still at Middelburg. GENERAL FRENCH’S SUCCESSES. LONDON, February 27. Lord Kitchener, who has reached Middelburg, on the Delagoa Bay railway, reports that up to the 25th inst. General French’s additional captures wvere as follows :—One nineteen-pounder Krupp gun, one howitzer, one Maxim, tAventy thousand rounds of small arms ammunition, six thousand cattle, ten thousand sheep, and 287 waggons. There were no British casualties. The Beers at Pretoria are filled with consternation at General French’s successes. MISCELLANEOUS. LONDON, February 27. Forty Boers Were captured near Wiilowmore, in the south of Cape Colony. Commandant Scheeper's laager at WilloAvmore Avas captured when the bulk of the commando was absent. Commandant Hertzog is striving to join General De W e t at Petrusville, twenty miles north-east of Philipstown. The Boers under General Lucas Meyer, are retreating before Lieut.-General French and Colonel R. N. Read into the Pongola bush, on the Swaziland frontier General Botha is between Ermelc- and Middelburg, on the Delagoa Railway. The War Office is increasing the number of Yeomanry for the Cape to fifteen thousand. Ten thousand reinforcements, mostly mounted troops and artillery, wall sail before March 14th. In the House of Commons, the Right Hon W- St. J. Brodrick, ‘Secretary of State for War, stated that those Boer women detained in British camps whose husbands Avere on commando had been placed on reduced rations. Other Boer women Avere on full rations. Mr Bennet Burleigh, war correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph,” states that the Australians serving in South Africa greatly desire to be included in one command. The following casualties have occurred in recent engagements : —Victorian Bushmen —Privates Fisher and HolloAvay severely wounded; Privates Pearson and Jones, slightly wounded. West Australian Bushmen —Privates Rattan and Burke, severely Avounded. Three hundred Boers surrendered to General French after some fighting. A force of NeAv Zealanders at Zeerust shelled the Boers southward of the town and compelled them to remove their laagers. They also captured some cattle. Bomb-proof entrenchments and entanglements have been constructed round the toAvn. Cannon and ammunition, which had been buried by the Boers, have been discovered by Lieutenant-General French’s scouts.

The Boers in the Pietersburg district, 150 miles north-west of Pretoria, are running trains southAvard as far as Warm Baths station, watching for an opportunity to destroy Pienaar’s river bridgei * Mr Kruger has been informed that his grandson, Piet Kruger, and his son-in-, law, Commandant Malan, bom serving AA'ith General De la Key’s commando* were recently killed in an engagement in. the Rusteaburg district. Sir Alfred Milner confirms the report that Commandant Hertzog flogged a. Kaffir named Esau at Calvinia, Avith fatal results. 'LONDON, March 1. ; Private D. M. Carson, of tile Netv' Zealand Roughriders, died of enteric at Kruger.sdorp.. Private Carson belonged to the Fourth Contingent, and came, from Dunedin. It is now stated that the New Zealand Shipping Company’s new steamer Tongariro has been chartered to convey invalided Australians to the colonies. Lieutenant-Colonel Robin and Lieutenants Banks, Sommerville, Fitzherbert and Tucker have been discharged Horn hospital, and have resumed duty. Torrential rains have rendered the Orange RHer impassable for some days. SYDNEY, .February 28. The Imperial Government has awarded the Avidow of Lieutenant J. G Grieve, of the New South Wales forces, Avho was killed at Paardeburg in February, 1900, Avhile attached to the Roy al Highland - ers, a pension of £BO a year, a eompasr donate alloAvance of £ls yearly for each of the children, and gratuities amounting to £l6O. The tAvo thousand men required for the Imperial Contingent have been enrolled. HOBART, March 1. ‘ The troopship Chicago, .from CapetcAAm, brought a batch of invalided soldiers, including the> following - New Zealanders : —Privates Woodward, Watt, Wallace, Brown, Spencer, Dignan, McCoy, Warren and Wyse; Corporals Austin and Jones; Bugler Matterson, Sergeants Matson and Lancaster. Private Farrall, bound for Auckland, died of pneumonia, and was buried at sea. MELBOURNE, March 1. The troopship Ranee, brought a batch of returning soldiers, including fourteen Neiv Zealanders. In accordance with a request from the Imperial Government, Mr Seddon has agreed to send an additional medical man to South Africa. Surgeon-Major Burns, of Dunedin, who was with the First Contingent, has been selected to fill the office. Dr Dawson will accompany the Seventh Contingent. The Premier has received a cablegram from Capetown, which states that “No. 1062, Corson, Fourth New Zealand Rough Riders, died of enteric fever on, February 25th at Krugersdorp.” This advice refers to Private D. M. Corson, of Dunedin, whose death was notified in a Press message from London a few days ago. A member of the Imperial Yeomanry, describing the fight at Rhenoster Kop, where the New Zealanders gained distinction, states that “a New Zealand farrier, a man of giant build, was mortally wounded above the groin. He went on firing, saying that was the only way ho could forget the pain. Another thickset young fellow, now lying in. the Yeomanry Hospital at Pretoria, was shot through the shoulder. Ete rolled over, swore, and then crawled slowly away out of the firing line. MaAdng gone some twenty yards, a second ball took him in the calf of the right leg. Then he rose, and swore defiantly that no Boer bullet would stop him. As he stood, a third ball grazed his elbow, and next moment, forgetting his wounds, he was sprinting down the slope for dear life.”