THE BOER WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 25

THE BOER WAR.

De Wet and Steyn to Meet Botha. CAPTURE OF BOER GUNS. HiVAGES OF ENTERIC FEVER.— THE LOiSES DURING THE RAID. LARGE CAPTURES OF STOCK. Boers Surrendering on the Zulu Frontier. DEPARTURE OF OUR SEVENTH CONTINGENT. THE SAME MP KRUGER. — A MENDACIOUS HUMBUG. SEVENTY-FIVE BRITISH CAPTURED, TALES TOLD BY SURRENDERING BOERS.

LONDON, April 1. An overwhelming force surrounded a

patrol of Marshall's Horse at Zuurberg

Mountains, killing the officer and wounding five. The rest surrendered. They were disarmed and released. General French, in East Vryheid, drove the Boers from several of • their positions, killing fouri and wounding several. The Boers derailed a train at Olifants--fontein. No casualties resulted.

April 2. 1 De Wet and Steyn are going to meet Botha in the Ermelo district. Mr. Chamberlain, in the House of Commons, said the Government had been legally advised that Great Britain had not derived "from annexation the right to exact reparation for any damage to the Republics by the Jameson raid. The Chartered Company was not liable to compensate Great Britain as representing the late Republics.

In the House of Commons, Mr Chamber-

lain said Sir Alfred Milner had been instructed to inform the Swazi .Queen that the Swazis should remain quiescent, and after the war .their desire for British protection would be remembered. The announcement was greeted with Ministerial cheers. • The town guard at Richmond are on the alert. Fourie's commando, 200 strong, are 25 miles south-east of the township. Boer reports allege that Botha and De Wet, with 13,000 men, are combining against General French. The Boers are hard pressed to the east of Vryheid. Major Allanby repulsed the Lower Pon-

gola portion, who were endeavouring to * break through to the north, capturing a 15-pounder and two pom-poms. The entire office staff of the Rand Mines Corporation proceed to Johannesburg today. . ... ' Over 1000 Free Staters have enlisted in

General Baden-Powell's police force. The

general is reserving 1500 places for the colonials who may wish to join after their disbandment as regulars.

' The members of the Irish' Nationalist party are considering the suggestion that one of their number should temporarily re-

sign to allow Mr J. X. Merriman, the Afrikander Bond delegate, to be elected to the House of Commons in order that he may address the House on the question of the settlement in South Africa.

April 3.

A Boer laager at Voschberg, in the Orange Biver Colony, was surprised at night. Two Boers were killed and 60 captured.

General Plumer has occupied Wannbad and Nylstroom, capturing a number of Boers. There have been several promotions among the New Zealanders and Australians for gallant service during General Babington's engagement with De la Rey. Mr Brodrick, in the House of Commons, said Lord Kitchener had received no instructions prior to the peace negotiations, because the Government were not ac- • quainted with General Botha's proposals. - The Boers admit 700 killed, wounded, and captured during the raid that failed on -Cape Colony. ; Mr Brodrick states that the reinforceanents landed in South Africa between January 1 and April 1 total 43,000 men. One hundred Boers, including- George ' Grobelaar and Nicholas Potgeiter, have surrendered to General Plumer at Warm Baths. An advanced party 6f Victorian BushMien were surrounded in the Zuurberg SMviuifcaias by an overwhelming force of the

enemy, who poured in a heavy fire. One of the Bushmen was pinned under his dead horse. His comrades dismounted and extricated him. With the assistance of reinforcements the Bushmen drove off the Boers, killing four.

Lord Kitchener has allowed a limited number of miners to start 50 stamps for each company. He also makes the stipulation that the miners receive the same pay and rations as the irregular troops, the remainder of their ordinary wages to go towards a fund for the families of the Randites who were killed during the war.

The Chamber of Mines urges the miners to accept these terms while awaiting the restoration of normal conditions on the Rand.

The American courts have granted the Boer agents a preliminary injunction to restrain the shipment of a cargo of mules from New Orleans to South Africa.

Gene.al Crabbe surpii eel the Caps raiders' laager at Sand Drift. The enemy fled to the hills, abandoning 300 horses, arms, and equipment.

. April 4. Viljoen in January court-martialled and shot De Kock while carrying despatches to General Smith-Dorrien with General Botha's flag of truce. He was convicted because he had in 'his possession the documents of the Peace Committee at Pretoria.

The execution of Meyer De Kock, promoter of the Pretoria Peace Committee, occurred on February 12. He declared in a letter to his widow that he had done nothing except in the interests of his country, countrymen, and peace.

The Times says that De Wet, Viljoen, and their sympathisers cannot complain if Great Britain hereafter tempers mercy with justice. Lord Kitchener is erecting high loopholed stone mortello towers, with entanglements and ditches. This will enable a minimum number of men to protect railway bridges. Mr Kruger is anxious because Lord Kitchener is threatening Sibalk, the burghers' vast stores near Zyoutspanberg. Mr Bennet Burleigh reports that DeWet is at Vrede. A number of Boers belonging to the raiders crossed the Orange River to the westward of Bethulie. A train was wrecked and burnt to the northwards of Newcastle, on the Natal frontier, near O'Neill's farm. On the troops approaching, the wreckers retired, losing two killed. O'Neill has been arrested.

The Times says that the methods of guerilla warfare are alien to the dictates of civilisation. The numerous shootings of black women and children in South Africa have been confirmed.

General French has captured two more pom-poms. m

The Boers in the Eastern Transvaal are said to be plundering each other. April 5.

A New Zealand Rough Rider (E. H. Philpott) was killed at Kaweelfontein. A. Wookey is missing at Boshof.

The Tongariro conveys from Cape to Australia and New Zealand 906 officers and men, including invalids.

The Boers outnumbering them, compelled a British patrol to evacuate Agonthoris, Bushman's Land, after a five hours' fight.

A Blue Book shows that General Botha, on February 13, replying to Lord Kitchener's verbal message, declared that nobody had a greater desire than himself to terminate the bloody strife. He proposed to " meet at Middelburg to try and discover terms. He also asked for a safe conduct for six days from the notice of meeting.

The Standard reports that General Hildyard will shortly take over General French's command, and that General French will be given the work of organising the newlyarrived mounted troous.

The Standard's correspondent states that De Wet is at Vrede, • with 1500 men ami two 15-pounders. ~* Boer advices received in Brussels state that Botha had ordered De Wet, De la Rey, Beyers, Hertzog, and Harris,, in view of Lord Kitchener's contemplated action-, to destroy the railway towards- Zoutpansberg, where the Boers have a- large accumulation of stores.

Five hundred Boers, who were resting under Majuba, near O'Neill's farm, sent a portion of their number to wreck a train. They were successful. In the meantime, however, word had been conveyed to the British at Mount Prospect station. One hundred and sixty Grenadier Guards walked along the railway line and surprised the footers, who retreated before the fire from the British rifles and a gun on Laing's Nek.

Six thousand Canadian horses are being shipped from Portland, Maine (U.S.A.), for South Africa.

Up to the end of December there had been subscribed for the relief of the soldiers and sailors taking part in ths war and their families £2,600,000.

Generals Dartnell and Alderson are driving the enemy southwards. They captured 100 waggons, 6000 cattle, and 1000 sheep. They found a pom-pom gun smashed at the bottom of a precipice.

Many Boers have surrendered on the Zulu frontier.

It is officially announced that General Plumer occupied - Pietpotgietersrust unopposed. General French possesses all the com- [ mandants .of the enemy's known guns in the south-east. A South African medal will be issued shortly with 23- clasps, representing the different engagements. The men who served continuously under Generals French, lan Hamilton, and Barton will probabl£ receive five.

April 7.

The correspondent of the Paris newspaper Matin interviewed Mr Kruger at Utrecht. The ex-President, sitting with an old Bible under his left hand, made mendacious charges against the British soldiers. He said Botha was solicited to hear Lord Kitchener's peace proposals, and listened in order to gauge from the extent of the concessions offered Britain's desire for peace. He added : "We will grant peace when asked to do so without demand, for our submission will never forgo our independence. The Boers know their old President is praying for them. God will not permit His faithful ones to perish."

The Daily Telegraph's correspondent reports that the Boers have shifted their capital to a place 35 miles to the northeast of Pietersburg.

Sergeant Hamilton, of the South Australian Bushmen, was drowned at Kroonstad.

Private* T. H. Hempton, a New Zealander, died of dysentery at Kenhardt. £T. A. Hempton, a member of the second New Zealand contingent, died at Kenhardt about *'» year since. Presumably official intimation has' only just reached the War Office.]

April 8.

Scheeper's . -commando on Saturday captured 75 of the sth: Lancers and Brabant's Horse.

The Boers left a 4.7ii> gun attached to an empty train near Heidelberg. Parties of the enemy are daily surrendering at Volksrust and Heidelberg. They assert that they remained in the field because they believed General Botha's assertions that Mr Kruger was bringing reinforcements. Several commandos, averaging 200 men, are harassing the country between Aberdeen and the Orange River. A small commando is also in the vicinity of Carnarvon, otherwise Cape Colony is clear of raiders. General Gorringe's colonial column is refitting at Rosmead, Cape Colony, after three months' hard trekking. Their daily average was 31£ miles. One day they did 60. Lord Kitchener has presented the Red Cross Society's medal to Madame Ferriers, head of the French Ambulance at Johannesburg, for the kindness shown to British prisoners. The Boers have occupied Phillipstown, in Cape Colony, north-east of De Aar Junction. SYDNEY, April 7. The Antillian, with the last draft ofjfiie Imperial contingent, has sailed for the Cape. ADELAIDE, April 7. ' The transport Warrigal has sailed for Capetown with the draft of the Imperial contingent. BRISBANE, April 5. Four hundred troopers sailed by the Victorian for the Cape.

CASUALTIES TO NEW ZEALANDERS, VICTIMS TO ENTERIC.

WELLINGTON, April 3. The Government have received a cablegram stating that Sergeant Rule, of Rangiora, died at Capetown of enteric, and that Sergeant Hogg, of Catlin's River, was dangerously ill of the same disease at Germiston. The Premier has been advised by cablegram from the Governor of Cape' Colony that Trooper H. G. Williams, of Hokitika (second contingent), is dangerously ill with enteric fever at Springfontein, and that Trooper E. Yon Dadelszen, of Napier (third contingent), is in a similar position at Pretoria. The Premier has been advised that Privates B. Gibson, C. Moller, H. Udy, H. Keown, and Farrier J. Rose left Durban for England on the 23rd March.

PROMOTION FOR COLONEL CRADOCK.

CHRISTCHURCH, April 4. News has been received here from private sources that Colonel Cradock, • who left New Zealand in charge of the second contingent with- the local rank of major, has been promoted to the rank of brigadiergeneral in the Imperial army.

CONVALESCENT NEW ZEALANDERS.

WELLINGTON, April 5.

The Premier has received a cablegram stating that No. 778 Trooper Bonner (third contingent, Stratford) is convalescent, and No. 461 Trooper Colin M'Donald (second contingent, Kihikihi) is doing well.