The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-13
BRITISH SITUATION BETTER.
ROBERTS COMMUNICATIoNS MAY
SOON BE MENDED.
Huller Is Now Master of LaInE's
NelS-Telegraphic Communication
May BE Restored To-day-Boer Re-
port of Disaster to Derbyshires.
DcWet Captured Much British
ClothinE-BOcrs StiII Have a Fight
ing Force of 2C,O0O Men.

CIothing-BOcrs StiII Have a Fight
ing Force of 2C,OOO Men.
London, June IS. $50 a. m-Two pieces
of news encouraging TO the British in the
official dispatches are that the broken
communications of Lord Roberts are in
fair way to be mended by the forces NOV
ing northward and southwark and drv-
ing off the rowing commandos, and that
Sir Redvers Butler is at last master of
Laing's Mex.
Telegraphic communicati ton with Lord
Roberts is expected TO be restored to-day,
as dispatch from Bloemfontein, dated
yesterday says that the railway is in
British possession again, and that work
of repairing the line is goin on rapidly
with the abundant material warehoused a
Bloemfontein.
From the subjoined telegram it would
appear that Gen. Hunter was in command
of the troops referred to by Gen. Kelly
Kenny in his dispatch from Bloemfontein:
"Bloemfontein, June 12.-Gen. Hunter is
coming up rapidly from the northwest
having severely defeated a large COM
mando of Beers who had destroyed two
miles of railway north of Kroonstad"
The Boer government is also issuing
news cheering TO its sympa thizers. The
following bulletin the Boer version of the
disaster TO the Derbyshires was posted
by President Kruger Sunday at Macha-
dodorp:
"On June I, four divisions of burghers
commanded by Steenkamp Froneman, Du-
pioy, Fourne and Mel, attacked the Brit
ish at Roodeval. killed two hundred, took
100 prisoners and captured immense
stores of food and ammunition. a maxim
gun and one thousand lyddite shells Some
food was taken by the Boer farmers and
the rest was burned. The English mail
was taken. The burshers attacked from
the open veldt. and gave evidence of un-
precedented bravery"
De Wet Doing Good Work.
Gen. DeWet was also fighting on June
,. whether az Roodeval or elsewhere is
not clear. but the Boer war office gives
il out that he captured 5000 suits of
clothing, blankets, gloves. boots, etc. Be
ing unable to carry them with him in
his rapid sweep through the country, ac-
cording to the Transvaal war office. he
burned the whole mass. Gen. DeWet has
also reported that he put 1000 British out
Of action, and destroyed property valued
100000. AS Lord Methuen is officially
described as fighting on June 7, it is pos
SlDle that he was engaging Gen. DeWet.
According to a dispatch to the Daily
Express from Machcdodorp, dated June
10. via Lorenzo Marquee, those around
President Kruger say that Louis l3otha
and Delarey have been offered Indirectly
10000 a year 90 lay down their arms,
and President Kruger expects the same
offer to be made TO himself, President
Steyn and De Wet President Kruger
belives that the British make these Of
fers 20 close the wlr on the principle
chat it would cost less than 10 fight it
out.
A Good BOcr Army Left.
a dispatch from Lorenzo Marquee says
that 1900 Beers are reported 10 be retir-
ing on Middleburg from various quarters
and, that after wedding out the faint
hearted, 10000 steadfast men are still left
Gen. Butler was unable on Monday 10
follow up the Boers from lack of cavalry
scribe him as fighting a spirited advance
over a rugged fed under pro onged rifle
fire.
The Beers had two guns which they got
away. Few dead or wounded Beers we're
found. 1t seems probable that the major
portion of the Beers had Withdrawn before
the advance was begun.
Lord Methuen, Gen. Rumble and Gen.
Brabant are reported 10 have $1,000 men
and fifty guns engaged in enclosing the
Beers in the eastern part of Orange River
colony.
The war Office casualty returns up to
June 9 aggregate 1864. besides 1872 officers
aud 2.355 men sent home as invalids, but
not including the sick in South African
hospitals.