The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-15
THE B0ERS MAKE LESS RESISTANCE
THAN EXPECTED.
Beers IN STRONG POSITION
From Which they are Driven by Cav
airy and Artillery-The Relative,
strength. of the Two Forces-what
ROBBERS has to Overcome to Reach
Pretoria-A Battle Imminent at Tha-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Men at Pre-
toria-w.znen Onering to Serve.

LONDON. May Iu.-lO.1o D. m--L<oru
Roberts telegraphs to the war office
from welgelegen. under date or May
9th. evening, as follows:
"Pole-Carew's and fuckers divis-
ions, Hamilton's column OF heavy ma
val and royal artillery guns and four
brigades OF cavalry marched here to-
day. The enemy hold the opposite bank
Of the Zand river. Their strength will
be ascertained tomorrow, when l hope
to be able to force a passage OF the
river"
Lord Roberts also reports TO the war
office as follows: Gable Cart Head
quarters, at the front, May 10, 9:1o
a. m.-We are now across the Zand
river. The enemy are still holding a
strong position, but we are gradually
pushing them back"
BRITISH CROSS THE ZAND.
ass p. m.-The war office has re-
ceived the following dispatch from
Lord Roberts:
Gable Cart, Zand river, May 10, 1890
p. m.-The enem are in full retreat.
They occupied a position twenty miles
in length. Ours was necessarily longer.
With the widely scattered force il will
take some time to name the casualties,
but l am hopeful we have not suffered
much. The cavalry and horse artillery
are pursuing the Beers by three diff
ferent roads"
London, May 10.-The crossing of
the Zand river by the British appears
to have been affected sooner that ven
the most sanguine expected. and this
morning Lord Roberts temporary
headquarters are established in a
cable cart OF the north bank of the
river. Though the opposition the fed
erals are Offering shows thai yester-
days report of the abandoning of their
positions were ill-founded, Lord Rob-
erts' advance force consisting of from
10000 to 1900 mounted men, besides
infantry, artillery, and the naval con
tingent, appears to be sufficiently pow
erful to overwhelm any opposition the
burgherS can offer. Even though, as
reported yesterday, they have been re-
inforced by 5000 men from other COM
mandS and possess a score of heavy
guns, the experts believe the opposi-
ton will not be prolonged longer than
is necessary to remove the guns and
other impediments in the direction of
Kroonstad.
Further reports from Lorenzo
Marques show that the customs au-
thorities there, in addition to clothing
anu SnOeS, refuse TO clear COrneQ peer
for the T~ransvaal, holding it as con-
traband
Lord Roberts announcement this
evening of the flight of the Beers
from the Zand river naturally caused
considerable qualification at the war
office, where it is o believed that he
will not allow the fed rails enough
breathing space to reform southwark
of Kroonstad. 1t is just possible that
Lord Roberts transport may be in
such condition that he will be able to
keep his troops moving so rapidly as
to drive the Beers right through
Kroonstad without giving them time
to organize resistance in the formi-
dable entertainments SO carefully pre-
pared at the Walsh river. The fact that
General French and the cavalry have
been brought up to supplement Cen
eral Hutton's mounted infantry leads
to the hope in British official circles
that the pursuit announced by Lord
Roberts may prevent all the Boer guns
and convo from escaping.
WOMEN READY TO TAKE UP
ARMS.
Pretoria, May 9.-President Kruger
has received a telegram from the bur.
gheress, asking If the time has not ar.
rived for the formation Of a corps OF
women, adding hat she is prepared
with a body of women volunteers, Il
taxi up arms in defense Of the indie
nondapoc Of tho Tra N Svao1