Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-06-08
BOTP CAPITAL has FALLEN,
Escaped with Their Equip.
ments and Ammunition.

war VIII Probably be Continued In
b, Hough Mountainous Country---
po,rs capture Several Hundred Men
If the Imperial Yeomanry.
cen. Robertss troops formally entered
Pretoria. the capital of the South African
Republic, on Tuesday. There was severe
f,t,fur near the city on Monday, and
Monday night Gen. Botha attempted to
.,.p zine by asking for negotiations, but
Gsn. Roberts returned the stereotyped
answer of unconditional surrender. The
Boar forces were able to escape capture,
and 20 take their equipment and ammuni-
ion with them.
Now that he is established at Johannes.
5Yrr and Pretoria, Lord Roberts will, no
5oubt. see to opening the railway commun-
cations with Durham, shortening the dis
.ance for the transport of his supplies by
onebalf that from Cape Town, and great
Iv reducing the risk of interruption by hos
lie bands. The next movements, there
fore. vii. be- to the eastward to follow up
the re,reating Beers and if possible pre-
ven. their concentration, and if that has
been effected, to push them to the north
IN order TO clear the country south Of the
p-e,oria-Delagoa railway to hostile forces,
and prevent the return of any Transvaal
commandos there may still be in the Free
STATE back across the Vaal.
What the intentions of the Boer leaders
nav be regarding the continuance of the
war does not seem to be as yet decided
mon, and the abandonment of Pretoria
leaves the matter still in doubt. During
the past two months large quantities of
war material and supplies have been sent
away north to the great stronghold i'll
Maratoland so miles northeast of Peters
burg, over and above what has been col
lec.ed at Lydenburg. This points to con-
.inued opposition to the British invasion,
and were the British government disposed
10 anything less than unconditional capt.
ulation, might play its part in the discus
sion Of terms. But as Lord Roberts clear
" has Instructions to enter into no parley
with the Beers and to push the war to its
conclusion, the Boer leaders must soon
come TO a definite decision as TO the future.
Persons acquainted with the country des-
.r!be the Magatoland region as practically
impregnable, capable of being held by a
comparatively small army so long as its
ammunition lasted, and of that it is claim
81 the Beers have enough to prolong their
resistance for more than year.
News came Tuesday that the 18th bat
talon of the Imperial Yeomanry had to
surrender TO a superior force Of the enemy
near Lindley May 81. Gen. Methuen
made forced march of A miles in %
hours to relieve the Yeomanry but arrived
100 ate. He attacked the Beers, force
Of about 5000, and won decisive victory
in a running fight of five hours. Probably
4OU to 500 men were captured by the Beers.
Gen. Butler and the commander az La
ings Mex agreed Sunday an armistice OF
.lree days, and the two commanders met,
but the object of the armistice and the con-
ference is not apparent. The Boer report
Of the fighting on the Goth, not 3lst of May
as previously reported, at Biddolfsoerg
near Seuekal shows that the British loss
was nearly $50 all told, killed, wounded
and prisoners. 1t is to be noted that these
operations are being conducted by Gen.
lie Wet, who made the Wepener raid,
About the same time as the disaster to the
Duke of Cambridge's Yeomanry aud the
Irish corps, a Boer force of 200 surren
dered at Malmani, a shor. distance north
OF Mafeking.