Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-13
GEN. ROBERTS ARMY In 4 FIGHT
He Attacks Gen. Botha in a Very
Strong Position.
THE RESULT IS UNKNOWN


ter river yesterday, June ~. The Boer
camp was captured and the burghers, it
is added were scattered in all directions.
Lord Roberts on being notified of the
cutting of his line of communications sent
Gen Kitchener in all haste to join Gen.
Mcthuen. June IL Lord Roberts attacked
Gen. Botha who was in strong force fif-
teen miles southeast of Pretoria. After
strenuous opposition the British forces
gained considerable ground, but Gen.
Botha, when Lord Roberts left the field,
was still undefeated
All is quiet at Pretoria and Johannes
burg, and Lord Roberts says the govern
ment need have no apprehension about the
security of the army in South Africa, as 1t
will not take long to remedy the reverses
and repair the railroad.
A lengthy dispatch forwarded to the war
office by Major General Knox from Kroon-
stad. presumably sent there by messenger,
reads as follows:
Dispatch From Gen. Roberts.
"KROONSTAD. June 1--WE have been
requested to forward you from Lord Rob-
erts the following dispatch from the Pre-
toria residency at sos am. today:
PRETORIA, June 12.-Pretoria and
Johannesburg are perfectly quiet. and sew
eral of the inhabitants have expressed
gratitude for the peace ana order WHICH
prevail.
AFTER surrendering the city Botha re-
tired to a place about fifteen miles east on
the Middleburg road. He had small force
at first but during the last few days his
numbers increased and his being so near
the town kept up the excitement in the
country and prevented the burghers from
laying down their arms and 1nterfered with
the collection of supplies. 1t therefore be,
came necessary to attack him. This l did
yesterday. He held a very strong position.
practically unassailable in front, which en-
abled him to place the main portion of his
former experience We're his vulnerable
parts. 1 sent French, with Porter's and
Dixon's cavalry brigades and Huttons
mounted infantry round by our left. and
don's cavalry brigade. Ridley's mounted in
fantry and Bruce Hamiltons infantry bri
gade round by our right. Both columns
met with great opposition. AT about 3
O clock in the afternoon 1 saw two of Ham,
iltons infantry battalions advancing to
what appeared to be the key of the enemys
defense, on their left flank. This was al
most gained before dark and I ordered the
won.
Center Was ImpreHnable.
'Pole-Carew, with his division, occupied
our center.
LAS 1 have explained, he could not at
tack, but he gradually advanced SO as to
support Ian Hamilton. and when left the
field he was on the lines held by the enc
my's outposts in the morning.
"I hurried back to get news of Methu-
ems movement. On hearing that the Free
Staters had taken advantage of our Cross
ing the Vaal to interrupt our line Of COM
munication, I sent Kitchener with such
troops as l could then spare to Vredefort,
with orders to push south and communicate
with Methuen. who, l knew, had a very
compact force in the vicinity of Heilbron.
l also dispatched special messenger to
Methuen, instructing him to push on at all
speed to the main line of railway. These
two officers met at Vredefort road station
In the evening of June 10. They marched
yesterday to Rhenoster river. where Me-
thuen gained complete victory over De
Wet and took possession of his camp and
scattered his troops in all directions. He
and Kitchener marched today toward
kroonstad.
"'Her majestys government need have
no apprehension as to the security Of the
army in South Africa. The enemy gained
a slight success, which was unfortunate
but which will be remedied very shortly
and 1t will not take long to repair the dam
age done to the railway. AS these diver
sions are all in existence 1 am now able to
hold the line between this and Rhenoster
in strength. Methuen will arrange to guard
1t onward as he advances.
Hunter Mt POtchefstroom.
I1uHteT Suouiu Ue Ut fotcHeIStTOOLn To-
day. He will then move on Johannesburg
1--WE have communicated with Butler
who will, no doubt, soon make the presence
Of his force in the field felt.
"'Our losses yesterday were not, trust
serious. but deplore the death of that gal
liant soldier, the Earl of Airlie. The only
other casualties reported as yet are:
Seventeenth Lancers-Major the Hon.
Lionel Fortesque and Lieutenant the Hon.
CayepdiSh both kil1e6
General Knox adds that Kroonstad Is
quite safe
Another Dispatch From Roberts.
The following dispatch has been received
at the war office from Lord Roberts,:
''KATZBOSCH, June 12.-In yesterdays
engagement Methuen had one killed and
eighteen wounded. Among the latter is
Lieut.. Cearle Of the 18th Battalion of Yeo-
manry
"On June the Derbyshire militia lost
thirty-six killed and 1O4 wounded, all of
whom were in the Yeomanry hospital which
was captured by the Beers and retaken by
Methuen.''
AT the cape the ministerial crisis con-
tinueS. The Times correspondent cables
that, though the announcement of the res
ignation of Messrs. Tewater. Sauer and
Merriman was premature, 1t seems certain
tnat they will resign. 1t is not likely the
whole ministry will resign, a solution of
the difficulty being possibly found by the
progressives lending Premier Schreiner two
members to fill vacant seats in the cabinet.
Haus Sauer. a brother of the dissentient
minister, j. w. Sauer, has just arrived
in England from the cape. In an inter-
view today he said he believed Mr.. Rose
1nnes would consent to join Mr. Schrener
and was sure Sir John Gordon Sprigg
would also do SO If asked With such a
combination, he added. Mr. Schreiner was
assured of a majority. though a slim one.
The Earl Of Airlie David William Stanley
Ogilvy) was the eighth earl Of his line. The
title was created in 1880. The earl, who
was born in 1866. and who succeeded to
the title in 1881, was lieutenant colonel
commanding the Twelfth prince of Wales)
Royal Lancers. He married in 1885 Lady
Mabel Frances Elizabeth Gore, eldest
daughter of the fifth Earl of Arran. Their
eldest son. Lord Ogilvy. born in 1S93 sue
ceeds to the title. The deceased leaves two
other sons and five daughters.
The earl served in the Afghan campaign
of 1875 in the east Soudan expedition IN
1884 and in the Nile expedition in 1885,
when he was twice wounded.
Major the Hon. Lionel Henry Dudley Fo--
tAscue was the third son of the third Earl