Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-15
BUTLER AT WORK.
His Operations on the Biggars-
berg Very Successful.
9th Division Pushing on to Pretoria
with Its 30-Mile Front.
Everywhere Signs OF Generalization Of he
Beers Are Being Seen.

London, May 15.-345 A. M.-General
Buffers turning of the Biggarsberg po-
sitinn was effected by a bold move
mont. The Beers had evacuated He'll
makaar but were making a stand.
Monday evening. at Bleskoplaagte. I
miles from Dundee. The correspond
cnts on the spot regarded this as rear
guard action intended to cover the re-
treat If the army. At the same time
Gen. Hldyard took Indoba, and it is
reported that the Beers withdrew in
disorder.
Gen. Butler, who seems to be employ
ing his full strength, is expected to
push on. His first marches were As
miles in three days. He is thus break
ing into British territory which had
been administered for six months by
the Transvaalers as though it were
part of the republic, they holding
courts and levying taxes. His success,
therefore. has political as well as mill
tary consequences.
While Lord Roberts infantry are
concentrating at Kroonstad where they
will rest for a day or two, his horse
men have penetrated IS miles north
ward In the squadron which cut the
was the American scout, Frederick
Burnham. Two hundred Beers, who
had hidden in the river jungles near
Kroonstad to escape service. have sur
rendered to the British and taken the
oath of allegiance.
According to a dispatch from Bennett
Burleigh to the Daily Telegraph dated.
Thursday. May 10, Paul Botha and
la, Of
Volksraad, demanded that the chair
man should call a meeting to sue for
peace, as further resistance was sui
cdal and proposed to make President
Steyn a prisoner.
Nothing definite has been heard about
the expected relief of Mafeking. The
Cape Town correspondents continue to
wire that relief is imminent. fixing Tues
day or Wednesday as probable dates IN
quirers at the war office are told that the
news of the relief will he made public i'm
mediately upon its receipt No. word had
come to hand at midnight.
The latest supposition concerning Gen.
Hunter is that possibly he is marching up
the north bank of the Vaal. with IA force
sufficient in cooperation with Lord Rob
erts. to render the Boer defence of the
Ndll frontier impracticabe. East of
Blocmfuntcin Gen. Rumble Is advancing
toward LIdybrand. His troops and those
of Gen. Brabant. comprising the Sth Di-
vision. are stretched over a distance of 30
miles. The Beers are described as quite
lis organized ana as retreating northward.
President Stcyns licutenants are trying
to rally them.
The same stories of disintegratiOn come
from nearly every point where the Eng
lish correspondents are. Mr. Hollewall.
formerly a correspondent at Mafeking
who was put over the Transvaal border.
telegraphing from LOurenZo Marques.
Sunday. says: Judging from talks have
had with the Boers. the end of the war
will come in 4 month or six weeks. Mr..
Steinekamp. chairman Of the second
Raad. who travelled with me, said if the
burghers were pressed from Pretoria.
they would retire to the district of Ly-
denburE mountains. which had already
been provisioned. He remarked that he
hoped the burghers would stand firm, but
he feared they wsre too broken in spirit.
gathered from lin that the whole avail
able force Of the Transvaal was now in
the field the final communicating having
taken place, Thursday, ana that it is only
Kruger that keeps the burghers to-
gether."
At the British hospitals in Bloemfon-
TEN the deaths from enteric fever aver
age from S to 10 daily.
London. May 14.-1.52 p. MA dis
patch received by The Associated Press
from PirtermaritZburg Natal, timed
205 +. NJ. today, brings the first inti-
nation Of a success attained by Gen.
Butler in northern Natal. The sender
of this dispatch evidently assumes that
news Of the affair has been received
direct from the scene Of hostilities, for
he merely says:
General Buffers official telegram re-
porting his success at the Biggarsberg.
received here an hour ago. has given
keen satisfaction. 1t is confidently an
ticipated that Dundee will be occupied
by the British, today. The residents OF
the north country are delighted, as
forcing the Biggarsberg means that
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