The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-16
ROBERTS DOES NOT MARCH DIRECT TO
Bl0EMfONTeIN.
THE BOER F0RTIFICATlONS
On Direct Line of March Thus Avoided
and Their E~ntrenched Positions
Flanked HI, Advance Very RH pid.
To Seize the Railway south of the
Town All the Divisions with the
Main Unoppo~ed During
Sundays March.

London. March Is. 4:2o a. m.-Lord
vance. and he is again misleading the
Beers by continuing the advance more
southwark Instead of through the fiat
country due east of Aasvolgel kop.
He will probably seize the railway
south OF Bloemfontein, and. although
another battle is possible. it is more
likely that the Beers are endeavoring
to delay his van until all the roll
ing stocks OF the railroad and stores
and troops from the Orange river dis
tricts can be gotten away north. Such
coincidence is now had in the mill
tary operations that interest rather
centers in the political aspects OF the
war.
The Daily News quotes Whitelaw
Reid in a private letter as saying: Il
give you hearty congratulations or the
changed aspect of the war. Il is an
immense relief TO US all, as we'll as to
you"
Except in the case of Germany, the
replies of the powers to the Boer APP
pealS for Intervention are not yet
known publicly here, but il is quite
certain that Austria-Hungary and
Italy will decline to intervene, and
there is no apprehension that anything
will come of the oVertureS OF the two
republics.
a dispatch from Lorenzo Marques
the arrival there of Mr..
Fisher, the Orange Free State secre-
tar nj Mr.. Wolmarans, a member
of the Transvaal executive council. 1t
is not known whether they are bound
on a mission to foreign powers or to
Sir Alfred Miner. Mr.. Wolmarans
is in President Kruger's confidence.
Lodon, March 13.-The Daily News
has the following dispatch dated Mon
day evening March 18th from Venters
Vlai W. left Aasvodel kop preceded
by cavalry and marched here, a dis
lance of about fifteen miles. The army
has been following Kaahl spruit and
we are now rather to the south OF
Bloemfontein an only about twelve
miles off. All the divisions have now
joined the main advance. Lord Rob-
erts' headquarters are at GregorOwskfs
farm. You will remember that the re-
form prisoners were tried before
Judge GregoroWSki.
BY advancing along kaahl spruit,
Lord Roberts has Outwitted the Beers.
who had intrenched themselves along
the Modder, thinking that our route
would be in that direction. We found
most of the farms along our line of
march deserted, with white flags fly
ing over the houses. All the belong
ings worth removal had been taken
away and there were evident signs
that the occupants left in a great u
ry things being Uttered about.
1.-The commander-in-chief has given
strict orders that nothing is to be
touched. It is not expected that we
shall meet with great opposition in en-
tering Bloemfontein."
London, March 1.-THE war office
this morning, issueda dispatch from
Aasvogel kop, under date of March
18th, 5:35 a. m, which, beside mention
ing minor casualties says: W. were
unopposed during the march yester-
day. General Gatacre reports that ne
was within a mile of the Bethulie rail-
way bridge yesterday. The bridge was
partially destroyed and the enemy was
holding the opposite bank
Venters Vlai, Orange Free State,
Monday, March II, evening-The Brit
ish forces, which since the fighting at
Dreifontein have been marching rapid
ly hither, have turned the Boer posi-
ton. Our cavalry are ahead. The
Beers were reported this morning
about u, 900 strong with eighteen guns
in position on a range of kopjes COM
handing the direct road to Bloemfon-
tein which is distant fifteen miles.