Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-05-08
He Has Crossed the Vet River
and Tarries at SmaHdeel Junction
Beers ARE IN FULL RETREAT.
They are Believed to BIO Making for Kroon-
stad The English Press Expresses Great
satisfa ction-Tho Crossing of tho Vet
Described-.The British Havc Driven tho
Beers out OF Fourteen Streams and En-
campcd on tho North Bank Of the vaal.
tBy Telegraph to virglnian-PIlot.J

London, May S.-4:20 a. m.-The
Beers are everywhere retiring before
the British, except on the Natal frontier
and at Mafeking, to the dinner circle Of
their defcnces. They appear de-
termined not to fight until the Ikroons-
tad hills are reached.
Lord Roberts Is expected to do an
other forty or fifty miles and then to
wait for q time in order to bring up
supplies and to repair the railway.
There are one or two hints in the dis
patches from the front that he may rest
for q few days at Smalldeel
General French's 10000 cnvalry have
not been mentioned in the official or
unofficial dispatches for four days.
1t is by no means likely that he is
idle, and the conjecture Is that he Is
either detouring toward Kroonstad or
raidinE the Ladybrand district.
SITUATION AT MAFEKING.
Fifteen thousand British are now
operating on the Western frontier of
the Free State. AS the deadlock at
Warrenton has been broken and the
Beers are retreating, there is nothing
formidable, except distance, between
hopeful advices from Mafeking on
April % were that the garrison would
be barely able to hold out for a month.
At that time the fever was spreading
According to advices from Mazeru,
Basutoland several thousand Free
Staters are n birth of Ladybrand. where
they have collected great herds. The
district Is rich In food for men and
horses and the Beers seem resolved not
to move northward, but to be preparing
to resist where they are. II they are
let alone they will menace the line of
communication after the main British
army has passed into the Transvaal
Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener
personally directed the artillery in the
Vet river engagements.
Queen Victoria will send n signed
photograph to Colonel Kekewich. the
hero Of Kimberley.
Six thousand, four hundred and fifty
eight troops are now at sea on the way
to South Africa No others are under
orders to go. except as recruits to fill
up the losses Of regiments at the front.
A BRITISH VICTORY.
London. May Til a. m.-Lord Rob
erts' reports to the War Office in a dis
patch dated Smaldeel, May 6, after
noon. as follows:
I'VE crossed the Vet river this morn
Ing and are now encam2ed at Small
ueel junction. Inc enemy lS IN Iull re-
treat towards Zand river and Kroon-
stad. The turning movement was made
by the mounted infantry just before
dark yesterday. 1t was n very dashing
affair The Canadians. New South
Wales. New Zealand Rifles and Queens
land Mounted Infantry We'd with each
other in the determination TO close with
the enemy. Captain Anley. Of the Es-
sex Regiment. commanding the Third
Infantry Battalion, behaved in a very
gallant manner
''The naval guns and the artillery
made excellent practice, particularly
two 6-inch guns used for the first time
with this force.
I'VE captured Maxim and twenty
five prisoners. Our casualties are few.
only fifteen wounded, one killed and
three missing"
FURTHER ADVANCE CHECKED.
Smalldeel, May THE British ar
rived here without opnosItIon The
Beers last train left late Saturda "
night. The Boer losses yesterday On III =
west flank were forty killed Tbair
rear guard remains behind kopjes ten
miles distant. There Is much railwav =
forage and corn here. 1t is stated tha
the Beers are retreatng toward Kroon-
stad. The Zand river bridge Is repo1ted
to have been destroyed.
THE CAPTURE OF WLNBuRG
London, May THE capture of
Winburg by the British is CONFIRMED
and the main advance to Pretoria con
tinues with the machine-l like precision
and rapidity which has characterized
all Lord Roberts forward movements
BY the occupation of Winburg. Cen
eral Ian Hamilton puts himself nearly
parallel with Lord Roberts and only %
miles eastward while he has the adli
tional advantage of being connected
with his chief by means OF the rail-
road that runs from Smalldeel or Win
burg road station as 1t Is some times
called, to Winburg.
The only feature OF the carefully de-
vised plan Of general advance not dis
closed by the swift DEVELOPMENTS is
that part General Butler has elected to
take IN the operations. At present there
are no Indications OF any movement
on the part Of the Natal army. Doubt
less few days or less will bring out
the British line Of action before the
Biggarsburg.
Lord Roberts is now nine miles north
Of the Vet and sixty-three miles north
OF Bloemfontein. The Beers are retreat
ing towards Kroonstad.
General Hunter Is presumed to be
pushing steadily forward in the direc-
ton of Mafeking. aided by the agrees
siveness Of Barton's and Paget's bril-
gades.
THE PRESS SATISFIED.
30 ~