New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-05-16
THE CAPTURE OF DUNDEE.
GENERAL BULLER'S MASTERLY TACTICS
IN NATAL CAMPAIGN
tcopyr.ght; 1900: BY The New-York TribuneI

tcopyrtght: 1900: BY The New-York TribuneI
lBV TO THE TRIBUNE.l
London May 16, / a. m.-Sir Redvers Bullers
nnanouvres ending with the occupation of Dun
dee yesterday have been officially reported, and
are highly praised by the correspondents at
tached to his staff. There was a concentric
movement on Friday and Saturday upon Help
makaar by General Clery's division the
Ladyssnith road ami Colonel Bethune on the
Greytown road, while General Hildyard, with
the division formerly commanded by General
Warren, occupied Indoba Mountain from
Elandslaagte. Three infantry bait alions xcled
the summit of another mountain on Sunday.
and the cavalry held the crests of nle hills over
looking Hepmakaar. while Colonel Bethune at
tackled from Pomeroy.
The Beers retired from HelpmaLnar on Sun
day night leaving a rear guarG which was
forced back on Monday toward Dundee. the
cavalry under Lord Dundonald covering nearly
forty miles in twenty-four hours. General Hid
yard had occupied Vessels 'ek, and had be-
gun TO repair the railway.
Dundee was occupied yes terday, the Beers
having retreated northward toward Newcastle.
The Boer positions on the Biggarsberg range
from the railway TO Helpmakaar were turned
at their southernmost point and the British
forces were enabled to regain possession of the
post from which General Yule had retreated
during the first weeks of the campaign.
Details Of these operations leave a distinct
Impression Of well planned series Of tactical
manouvres by a greatly superior force against
the rear guards of a skeleton army.
BRITISH LOSSES LIGHT.
There were few casualties on the British side,
and no guns were captured and few prisoners
taken. The operations, while successful, were
almost as safe and boodless as the ordinary
maneuvres at Aldershot. The Bggarsberg
hills had been held by a force utterly made
quate for the defence of so long line, and the
position was evacuated without a struggle when
General Buffers elaborate combination was
formed
There is no evidence either that the Boer force
exceeded four thousand men or that it was we'll
armed with artillery. Probably it had been
weakened both in commanders and in guns, ow-
ing to the necessity for reinforcing General
Botha.
Sir Redvers has so few incidents Of his four
days 1naneuvres to relate that he refers 20
the discomfort caused by the smoke from the
burning grass on the mountain sides His two
infantry divisions were virtually unopposed, and
he has a third division in reserve at Ladysmith
and Colenso. II place of concealed batteries
equipped with smokeIess powder and trenches
swarming with marksmen, there rear
guards scuttIng north and setting fire to the
dry grass on the mountains.
The armchair strategists find it difficult to
abandon their theory that General Butler Will
force Van Reenen's Pass westward and enter
the Free State. and assume that he will do so
now that the Bggarsberg range has been
cleared. Why he should shift his point OF at
tack the Free State when BUNDLES division
has occupied Mequatling's Mex and is pressing
the Free State forces northward is not plain.
General Butler is likely TO send his bat
taions into the Transvaal by Rorke's and Land
mans Drifts. and to advance gradually toward
Newcastle with a turning movement around
Laing's Mex through Utrecht.
GENERAL PLAN OF ADVANCE
The conquest of the Free State will be virtu-
ally finished when Lord Roberts reaches the
Naal and annexation proclamation will be
issued without the necessity for waiting for the
dispersion Of General Oliviers scattered forces
~ord Roberts's advance into the TransvaaI viii
De accompanied. unless all signs fail, by stimuli
taneous movements by Generals Butler and
hunter on each flank
contradictory reports are received through
Doer sources from Mafeking one version is a
f@gue rumor that the town has fallen; another
'hat the Beers occupied Kafirstad Satur
NHS' ahd were IN turn surrounded and attacked
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