LORD ROBERTS.

Manawatu Herald, 13 March 1900, Page 2

LORD ROBERTS.

Lord Roberts reports as follows under dare Wednesday :— •• The Boers yesterday abandoned their dinners. 11 Two brigades of cavalry and horse artillery, under Lieut.-General Kelly-kenny will march to-day ten miles eastward from Poplar Grove." The mounted troops employed by the British at Osfontein far butstripped the supporting infantry. The enemy extendeded in a south easterly direction, and fired volleys at our cavalry at 800 yards range. Lieut. General French's cavalry then swept southward again, and outflanked the Boers. After again volleying, the enemv'f forces began to make their escape, flying to the eastward in a continuous stream. Monnted police from Bloemfontein attempted to rally the Free Staters, but found it impossible to overcome their demoralisation. The Free Staters declare that they were unwilling to fight any longer. Lord Roberts now threatens both Bloemfontein and the railway line running south to Norval's Pont. During the Osfontein engagement on Wednesday, the 7th instant, Presidents Kruger and Steyn occupied positions far in the rear of the Boer army. The Presidents attempted fruitlessly to stem the retreat of the Boers, which resemble a partridge drive. During the enemy's flight from Osfontein a cart containing the Russian and Netherlands attaches accompanying the Boers collapsed. The attache? were by this accident compelled to join Lord Robert's staff. Sharp fighting preceded the retreat of the Boers on Wednesday. The enemy's rearguard showed a bold front, and this enabled the remainder of the army to in9pan. The majority of the Boers fted south. Some of them went in the direction of Colesberg and Stonnberg. j Lord Roberts reports that the enemy have confessed that they are unahle to withstand the British artillery and such a formidable force of cavalry as we have in the field. Lieutenant-General French's brigades are ten miles ahead of the main body of Lord Roberts'a army. It is reported by Lieutenant-General French that his front is clear of the enemy. After the retreat of the Boers from Osfontein, the British destroyed several boxes of explosive buHets which the B >ers had m irked " Manufactured for the British Government." GENERAL BULLER. General Buller is pushing troops towards Van Reenea's Pass, along which

the Ladysmith-Harismith railway j passed through the Drakensberg. It has been found that the Boers who lately invested Ladysmith, in their retirement to Biggarsberg, in the north-east of Natal, blew up the railway bridges and they also continued this king of destruction as far as Glencoe. This army condemns its commandants for withdrawing from the key of the gold mines. j The flying column sent through Zululand has invaded the Transvaal, and scattered small parties of Boers. The column sent through Zululand is under thecomm?nd of Colonel Prendergast, and consists of detachments of the King's Royal Rifles, Mounted Infantry and Mounted Police, with Maxim guns and one quick-firer. It invaded the Transvaal towards Catasa. Sixty Boers were caught in an ambush aud three killed. Other parties were scattered. CAPE COLONY. Major-General Clements has seized Norval's Pont. The Boers blew up the bridge over the Orange River. General Gatacre's force is at Bnrghersdrop. Commandant Louis Botha, is in command of 6000 Boers at Glencoe. BOERS DISORGANISED. The report already received of the disorganisation of the Boers has been confirmed. Reuters correspondent states that the disorganisation affects the Transvaalers just as much as the Free Staters. General Joubert has gone to Pretoria. Berlin letters states that he has resigned his command of the Boer army in consequence of a quarrel with Presi- j dent Kruger. j Commandant De Wet is in supreme command of the enemy's forces in the j Free State. ' Commandants Lucas Meyer and Schalk Burger are in disgrace. A TRAITOR PUNISHED. j A Russian Jew who signalled to the Boers during the siege of Kimberley has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for the crime. LATEST MOVEMENTS. The Boers are entrenching them-^ selves at Biggarsberg, and guarding the passes of the Drakensberg. Major-General Hunter's division is proceeding in a north-easterly direction from Ladysmith. Brigadier<General Brabant's force is marching on Aliwal North. Boer commandoes have arrived at Bloemhof, with the object of offering resistance to troops going to Mafeking or Klerksdrop. PRETORIA. Fifty thousand Kaffirs have been commandeered by the Boers and placed in the entrenchments at Pretoria. The greatest secrecy is maintained respecting the defence works of the Transvaal capital. Dr Leyds is hurrying hundreds of skilled European artillerists out to Pretoria. PRISONERS RELEASED. Major Walter Myde, of the Natal Field Force, Major Herbert Capel Cure, of the Ist and 2nd Battalions, Gloucestershire Regiment, and Lieut. Darbery (? M. B. C. Carbery), of the Ist and 2nd Battalions, Royal Irish Fusiliers, who were taken prisoners by the Boers, have been released owing to their being incapacitated for service. BOER PRISONERS. The courtesy and kindness shown by the British to General Cronje and his fellow-prisoners has pleased the Boers. A desperate attempt by Boer prisoners to escape from Simot's Town by •naking a tunnel was diacovered and frustrated. KRUGER. Before the siege of Ladysmith was ■aised Presidents Kruger and Steyn were unJer shell fire. During the retreat of the Boers President Krnger, with tears in his eyes, ittempted to rally his forces. President Kruger recently paid a visit to the Boer army in Natal. Wearing a band >lier and carrying a rifle, /the President inspirited the burghers by declaring that he wanted to have a shot at the enemy himself. In the course of an address he asserted that the struggle would be ended within a month either by arbitration or intervention. COLONIAL TROOPS. A detachment of New Zealand troops has been sent to Carnarvon irthe Carnarvon division of Cap.; Colony, and a detachment of South Australians to Vosburg, in the Victoria West division. The entire population of Carnarvon entertained the New Zealanders. NEW COMMANDS. Lie«t.-General White, hitherto commander of the Ladysmith garrison, has been ordered to Stormberg, in the north-eastern district of Cape Colony. He will be accompanied by Lieut.Colonel C. E. Duff, of the Bth (King's Royal Irish) Hussars. j * A tenth Division of the Army is being; formed, and Major-General Sir Archibald Hunter, hitherto Chief of Staff to General Buller, has been appointed to command it. TERMS OF PEACE. The « Daily Mail " states that Presidents Kruger and Steyn have made audacious overtures to Lord Salisbury I for peace, on the conditions that the ! independence of the Republics shall be a sine qna non to a settlement. The " Standard " says that the Government will shortly authoritatively re-affirm the impossibility of any peace with the perpetuation of such a political and military independence for the Republics as led to the present sanguinary conflict. •• After the war," the " Standard " adds, " Great Britain will dictate terms : she will make no bargain,"