The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1900-05-18
BOERS Will GIVE
BATTLE AT LAING'S
Big Force Concentrated There
to Oppose Roberts.
INTEREST IN MAFEKING

"uiier hepOrtS DcIcat OF lSOerS In Ma
taI-Sunday River Battle-Free Stat
srs Surrender-Steyn's Brother Gives
Up His Arms.
LONDON, May 15.-The war office has
furnished tardy confirmation of General
Buffers movement on the Biggarsburg
III a dispatch from General Butler ut
Aemp's Farm As follows:
I'm accordance with instructions to
keep the enemy occupied at Bggarsburg
on May IL, concentrated the Third
cavalry brigade of the Second division
and some corps of artillery at Sundays
river drift on the Helpmaalr road and
directed Colonel Bethucn to advance on
Greytown with the Bcthucn mounted
lnfantry, the UmvOti mounted rifles and
che Imperial Light infantry. On May
IL We moved to Waschbank and Be-
thuen, with Genera! Hildyard from
Elandslaagte, occupied Indoga noun
tain.
"On May l3 1 sent General Hamilton
with three battalionS up the steep slope
Of Withock hill. The Third cavalry
brigade crowned Il hill on each side of
the main road and Bethuen attacked by
the Pomcroy road from three sides. The
enemy hurriedly abandoned the position
which they had strongly cntrcnched
and retired to the mex III front of Help
maakr, whence we hope to tiislodge
them, as many of them have retired.
We have gained the summit of the Berg
with the loss of only fcw men
wounded. am advancing on Beth
and Hlldyard moves on Vessels mex.
"Our small loss, l think, was certainly
due to the excellent troop leading of
General Hamilton and Lord Dundonald
and Colonel Bethurn."
a second dispatch says:
'Thc enemy evacuated Hclpmaakr
Mex during the night, leaving IL rear
guard of about 900 mon in front of us.
These we have forced back throughout
the day under considerable difficulties,
rs tiey fired all the grass OH top of the
berg as they rctrcated, and the wind be-
Ing unfavorablr to us, we were scarcely
able to see at all. l halted the infantry
who marched very we'll through the hot
smoke ut Beth.
"Wc have taken n few prisoners. Our
casualties are small.
A third dispatch says:
''Dundonald reported late last night
he had driven the rear guard on to the
main body of the enemy, near Buraltn-
don, where they occupied i'll force q
strong position with three powerful
guns. Major Cough, with the compos-
lte regiment, mancuvcrcd to the right
around their left flank and they retired.
Dundonald then halted. He was 20
miles as tho crow flies from his previous
nights bivouac and had covered nearly
40 miles during the day in watcrlcss
country, most of the time being through
smoke. From prisoners 1 learn that the
enemy numbered over 1900 at Help
maakr and being joined by those who
LETT Van JunderS pass they must total
nearly 5000 men.
''HeldyarI reports the occupation of
Wassais Mex and repairing the line"
Interest Centers In 0Iafelsing.
Judging from the above dispatches
the British advance is little more than
nh arduOus march. The Beers who
were active at first later appear to have
shown the same readiness to retreat
which is now marking the movements
OF the federals i'll the Free State.
Apparently the burghers are about to
evacuate Natal and concentrate for the
Van Keenan, pass, westward
The reOccupatiOn of Dundee by the
British places the coal supplies there in
their hands. There is little news of a
definite character. Interest for the mo-
ment Is almost entirely ccntered in Mafe-
king. whence the wife of the MAYOR has
received II cablegram setting forth that
all was well OH May t.
Butler Occupies Dundee.
The war office has received tho follow.
Ing dispatch from General Butler at
Dundee:
1--WE have occupied Dundee. About
$500 of the enemy have left for Glencoe.
where they are entrenchcd. Their wa.
CONS left by DcJagcrs DRIFT and the
DannhauSer road. Their Kaffirs said
they were going to Laings Mex. Almost
every, house i'll Dundee is completely
looted. The navigation collicrv is all
right The machinery of the Dn,ndee
colieries Is destroyed. The houses of
the town are damaged, but are .struc-
turally intact"
Stcyn's Brother Surrenders.
BRANDsDRIFr, May lj.-Gencral Fun
d1r hoe 81.