Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-05-08
ACROSS The |. B VET
General Roberts Now at Small
deel, Sixty Miles North of
Bloemfo fontein. B
Beers Offer but Little Resist
ance, Retiring in a North
erly Direction.
Hunters Force Supposed to Be
Pushing Forward to Relief
Of Mafek ling.

q LONDON, May 8.-The capture OF
Winburg by the British is confirmed
and the main advance to Pretoria con-
tinues with the machine-like precision
and rapidity which has characterized
all Lord Roberts forward movements.
BY the occupation Of Winburg, General
Ian Hamilton puts himself nearly par
allel with Lord Roberts and only 20
miles eastward, while he has the addi-
tional advantage of being connected
with his chief by means Of the railroad
that runs from Smaldeel, or Winburg
road station as it is sometimes called,
to Winburg.
The only feature Of the carefully de-
vised plan Of general advance that is
not disclosed by the swift development
is that part General Butler has elected
to take in the operations. At present
there are no indications Of any move
ment on the part Of the Natal army:
Doubtless a few days more or less will
bring out the British line Of action be-
fore the Biggarsberg mountains.
Lord Roberts. is nine miles north OF
Che Vet and 6s miles north Of Bleem-
fontein. Evidently he is not letting
grass grow under his feet, though the
Beers seem equally anxious to retreat
towards Kroonstad and are SO doing.
NJ At the time this dispatch is sent there
Is nothing new from General Hunter,
Bnt it is presumed he is pushing stead
ily forward in the direction Of Mafe-
king, aided by the aggressivensss Of
Barton's g and Paget's brigades. 4 s 3ss5s'. .sE.
The critics Of the afternoon papers
view the situation with the greatest
satisfaction. 81 #5s:.
Giving the Beers No Rest.
A special dispatch from Smaldeel
gives details Of the occupation Of Win
burg by the British. It says: III: l'e:s ,H@
News has just come here that Gen.
eral Hamilton is giving the Beers no
rest and that they are falling back hur-
riedly. He entered Winburg Sunday
after brisk fight, in which the Beers
fell back 50 quickly that one Of their
guns, in addition to a Maxim, was
aband Toned. - Il s $..,5s5 & II 4 II. ?s' .
The same dispatch, describing the
crossing Of the Vet river BY the British,
says: 4 "a S$ e. I q
!, ssThe Boer forces entrenched on the
opposite bank prepared to contest the
crossing. Our guns were brought into
play and a terrible shell fire was direct
ed on the Boer lines. At the same time.
the Queens Lancers, under heavy.
fire, dashed across the river, and, ad-
vancing in the open, completely turned
the Boer right. It was dusk but moth
ing could stop the gallant Australians.
They pushed on again, seized COM
manding kopje, and by brilliant move
ments and continuous rifle fire drove off
the enemy in the darkness. The first
gleam Of dawn found the enemy in full
flight and our men after them, and by 81
o'clock we entered this important STRAIT
egic point. - ss ss .... . 5.5
"a dispatch from Boshof, dated Fri
day, May a, says General Methuen
made a reconnaissance from there the
day previously, to the neigh hborhood Of
Sjartkoppies Fontein, locating the Boeri
laagar. After an unimp portant exchange
Of fires the Beers removed their laager.