The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 23, 1900, Page 1

VOLUME LXXXVII-NO. 85. CRONJE FIGHTS DESPERATELY SAN FRANCISCO, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1900. PRICE FIVE CENTS. GAINST OVERWHELMING ODDS While the Free Staters Have Inflicted Fearful Slaughter Among the British Troops, It May Be Impossible for Them to Hold Out Until Reinforcements Arrive. Kitchener Refuses an Armistice, and the Boer General Will Battle to the Death. ONDON, Feb. 23, 5 a. m.—London enthusiasm over Lord Roberts’ operations in the Orange Free State ‘was struck all of a shiver last night by rumors that ran about the public places. Men in the service and in pOlItlc.a! clubs and the big hotels were informed that the War Office had edited Lord Roberts’ reports in regard to his engagement with General Cronje. It was said that the Highland brigade had met another disaster in attack Lpon the Boers in strong position. The reports could not be traced to any definite source, but well-informed men declare the War Office knew the Highland brigade had been again trapped, and the Black Watch and another regiment had been nearly wiped out. LoNG Tom [ LoNg Tom ! The war critics and experts placed considerable credence in the report of the disaster because of the list of killed and wounded officers, including General MacDonald and other Highlanders. These experts declare the censor was evidently hard at work on all newspaper reports. long Nec detailed account of the fight has yet been received in London, but one agency managed to get through and gersfontein.” iR AR 5 THE iooour MAN AT LAP>SMITH CIWVING WARNING OF A coMmING SHELL FRo™M BULWANA o (FRoM bay graepic CARRY (NG A MESSAGE FRO! SIR GEO. WHITE TO THE RcER FREE STATERS SEEMINGLY e o T GRANTED publish in the afternoon papers a statement that the battle about General Cronje’s laager was “a replica of Ma- At Magersfontein the Highland brigade marched up against a barbed wire fence under deadly rifle fire and.General Wauchope was killed, while a great number of other officers and men were either killed or wounded. SRITISH INFANTRY CHAR G ING THE ENEmMy UNDER HEAV SHELL FIRE ("mROM SwETCH IN ™E G(APHI() CRONJE'S AND ROBERTS MEN MAKING THEIR LAST STAND ENGAGE IN FURIOUS BATTLE M ARMITICE Zeneral Cronje is seemingly making his last stand. guns falling into his camp. jef asked for an armistice to bury his dead. chener’s reply. General Cronje immediately sent rstood and t his determination then situation of Gene back word that battle went on. T He is dying hard, hemmed in by “Fight to a finish or his re- as before, was to fight to the death. al Cronje Tuesday evening, as sketched In the scanty telegrams Refused Time to Bury the Slain, Cronje Will Fight to the Death. AARDEBERG DRIFT, Orange Free State, Tuesday, Feb. 20 (via Modder River, Wednesday, Feb. 21).—One of the costliest actions of the war occurred at Paarde- berg Drift Sunday, February 18. General Kelly-Kenny, in his pursuit of General Cronje, caught his rear guard a further advance of the mount Meanwhile the Highland brigad the Black Watch and the bank, and the Essex, W line on the left, which rested at Klip Drift and followed the burghers to the Boers' laager being the Welsh. The whole that have emerged from the of South Africa. at Koodoosrand. The drift action began at daybreak, the Boers, who lined both banks of the Officially Lord R attered the advance commandoes of the reinforcements that were striv- . mounted infantry driving the Boer rear guard up the river W thteil aoas Recasie heavy. The De ing to reach General that Lord Roberts wiring Wednesday should not mention the ONDON, Feb. 23.—The Dally News | toward the main body, while another body of mounted Infan- i position, covered the left of the appes armisti the War Office should withhold good news, if it has any. has the following dispatch from | try maneuvered on the right fronk and flank of the BoerS. advanced partly up the river bed and pa while v t trying to reconcile even the Is at hand It seems plain that General Cronje is in a bad and Modder River, dated Monday after- | The British main body advanced to outflank the Boers' tha rest of tn Defgade, Wil the other svung even a desperate situation and that the B pressing their advantage noon, February 21: laager on the north bank of the river. General Kelly-Kenny around the front of the Highland Brigade on the level, cover. Wt the attack on General Cronje proceeds there is a race for concentration between the British and the Boers. The Boer forces under General | having seized two drifts, found the Boers strongly Inclosed jess ground, exposed to a terrible fire, which obliged the men The engagement with General Cronje's five to elght thousand Intrenched men is likely to become an incident in a battle | Cronje are estimated at 8000 men. At 12| and’ordered an attack with the Highland brigade on the left 1o lig upon the sround as they did for the remainder of tne between the masses. The separate factions of the Boer power are rapidly drawing together to attack Lord Roberts. | g'clock Cronje asked. an. armistice of | and General Knox's brigade on. the center and.right, While day ® This began at 790 i the morning. gh the dread- Will General Cronje be able to hold out untl the Boer masses appear, or if he does, will they then be able to" | twenty-four hours, which was refused. | General Smith Dorrien's . brigade crossed the river and ad- fu] heat and a terrible thunderstorm ihe Britien humg to ine m? The British darf— facing the Boers on grr:und where the arms, tactics and training of the British are ex- Later he sent a messenger to say,that | vanced along the north bank. position, answering the Boer fire and s »ting steadily fve them the advantage. surrender. The British On both the north and south banks the ground is level ’ st = Buller, according to a dispatch from Chieveley, dated Wednesday, finds the Boers in position north of the - | bent o semly telling him. to mere oo | and the advance across this was deadly and the Britleh losses O O maewille. fhe; pink of the Sutuntsy. complotod the rgely reinforced. This seems strange. War Office, for the first time This does mot include, has given out an officlal compilationn of the British losses. therefore, Lord Roberts’ recent losses, nor the Wiltshire prisoners. es at Koodosrand were 700. ,usand fresh troops will embark for South Africa to-day. The total s 11,280 to camp. Cronje refused, saying there had been a misunderstanding and that he would fight to the death. The bombardment was then reopened, and the British lyddite shells set fire to were heavy. The battle was an exact replica of the Modder River. The soldiers were under fire all day and all the fight- ing had no definite result, as the Boers' laager was well bar- ricaded and they remained therein. The British guns shelled the laager vigorously, and the Boers confessed to a loss of enveloping movement, the Weish regiment having sicceeded In seizing the drift, thus closing in the Boers, who had fought throughout with splendid courage. General Cronje’s laager, full of carts, ammunition and stores, could be plainly seen near the north bank G Smith- i d k e body of o1 in- tive position of the combatants is likened to chess players, one of whom from time to time adds pleces to | the Boer wagons. The British continued | OVer 800 men. cmm;:':.l: ?‘Tn::'!l's:;”z:dco:r::;id am;":\-:r“:{\» p.«;"mr.‘»%w‘ he b r any loss to the adversary is irreplacable. shelling the laager through the night, and The terrific shelling was resumed Monday, when General Drift, advancing K4>W2;'¢l N Seha Wit i h-h:g ’ ‘g\,‘r. S e . in the morning it was resumed with Max- | Cronje asked. for an. armistice. ; " CRONJE'S BEST CHANCE | der, ana thus at Paardeberg will be ef- LIES IN NIGHT ATTACK | fected the destruction of the first frac- | tion of the Boer army.” BULLER REPORTS tion. behind. sistance will be half-hearted, LONDON, Feb. 23.—Spencer Wilkinson, situation in the reviewing rning P ary st, sa s, who was once an ar- GETTING CLOS r to s best T0 Colenso, which was promptly reoccupied | by the Dublin Fusiliers and Thorneycroft | Horse. A Transvaal flag was captured, as was a handkerchief Inscribed with Gen- | eral Botha's name. This is treasured as & | for General Cronje night attack, but the the British at night as There are, of course, in ok STEADY PROGRESS | La2dysmith will be reached in a few days. LONDON, Feb. 22.—General Buller re- j eral Cronje will be compelled to surren-| The Boers had the raflroad running from Colenso to Bulwana. The British continue to discover large quantities of ammuni- The Boers are well supplied with food, and a quantity of provisions was left It is expected that further re- and that | ports that his casualties Monday, Feb- GENERAL CRONJE’S LAAGER ims and rifles, principally from the north side. On Sunday there was much waste of life in attackine and the same result will be achieved without it. During Monday night seven Boers made an attempt to break through our lines, but they were captured and thelr leader was killed. Four were carrying letters. It is belleved that there was one other, would have been one of the finest per- formances in the annals of war. The Canadians made a gallant charge at the laager, but were driven back with loss. (General MacDonald and General Knox are who got ing lead into the Boer camp. . General Cronje’s magnificent night march from Magers- fontein now appears likely to end in disaster. The main body eof the Boers is inclosed in a terrible death trap. The enemy is hiding in the bed of the Modder, commanded by the British artillery and Inclosed on the east and west by the British Infantry. Sunday witnessed a gallant stand on the part of the retreating foe. n?!d, harassed, they still maintained a bold front. W l The sheillng was continued Tuesday, over fifty guns pour- It is On Sunday morning the action was renewed, but the Boers, who had intrenched the river bed during the night, prevented ously shelled. This force made a gallant attempt into the laager, but falled. Before seizing the western , the Boers occupied a kopje on the south bank, running down the river. Therefore, their force is cut in twe The Boers hold the kopje and have one Vickers-Maxim and probably one or two other guns. Toward evening the battery he south side opened, co-operating with the battery on the north si A wonderful sight followed. The shells fell with ama precision along the river bed, opposite the laager, which was shelled thoroughly, galling everything it cont: d. One sheil set on fire a small ammunition wagon, whic to ch dr! ze burned nearly t take care that the ar-| s . through. hat difficult to explain the Sunday action In which all all day. illery Site rly concentrated. Pro-|, CHIEVELEY CAMP, Natal, Feb. 2l.— | ruary 18, were: Killed—Captain Throburn| (Other prisoners say that General Cronje ! the British force was engaged, in which General Cronje, un- _Many other wagons were set on fire and the glare was Jonged sheliing will compel the Bi The steady progress of the rellef column | of the Royal Fusiliers. Wounded—Two | marched from Magersfontein here without | der difficult conditions, managed to hold his own. On Satur- ey alis weiatataes ooy . 0 iy 2 cither o hurd themecivad ‘at the Bitieh |35 u"’m;rrnpu}? The Boers Tuesday were | officers and f°“""°w“~ . outspanning, a distance of thirty-three | day night the British mounted infantry came In touch with IE00TY G0 ed a terrible fire, which in the hope of forcing their way I::“'.;L':l:mr:fi:";n:';; f;::'gi':p::;;}; Z;\ he ) miles. Had he succeeded in escaping it | Cronje’s rear guard, driving them back upon the main body. The seene toward nightfall was terribly pictur hhe blazing wagons, the roaring artillery and the cra re. a careful reconnaissance in force of the factory. The Boers were driven off in all | ing. Our loss was two officers, Captat n LONDON, Feb. 22.—The Times has th. g y' i that I 1d not it | directions, losing a good many killed and | C; bell of the Ninth Lancers and Lieu. or all norts of chamoas A ok S b o e | qlightly wounded: enemy's position coul ot assawit X | Campi the Ninth Lancers teu Boers, frumm the morth. er ok ENC SIONt GNIEY: e Siies hon Vil shelled| following trom Paardebers, dated Febru- | *fhe War Office has received from Lord | it without very heavy loss, which 1 was | wounded and about fifty. prisoners, who | tenant Houston of the artllery, and fous by fal sk 3o » 2 S . Accordl hey arrived from Ladysmith two | 11" slightly wounded.” conceiv fall by surprise on some point | gy ryary 21 and the British advanced in- | 275 21 Roberts the following message, which was | most anxious to avold. cc ngly I de- | say they men, all’slightly woun nvesting ring and thus gain a chance escape from the beleaguered Boers, but the probabilities ure that Gen- | casualties were few. fantry was subjected to a severe musketry | General Cronje’s laager.” ‘““We have expelled 500 Boers from an fire, but they had excellent cover and the isolated kopje about a mile southeast of delayed in transmission, dated Paarde- berg, Wednesday, February 21: “Yesterday afternoon I was satisfied by ! cided to bombard him with artillery and turn my attention to the enemy’'s rein- forcements. The Tesult was most satis- days ago by railroad. They also say it was our artillery fire which caused them to abandon the kopje they A special dispatch from Paardeberg, occupy- Continued on Second Page