Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-07
DURING ALL OF WHICH TERRIFIC SHELL FIRE WAS TURNED
ON B0ERS-AUSTRALANS GALLANT WORK.
AN IMPORTANT STRATEGIC POSITION
BRITISH CAPTURE GUNS AND A MAXM-HAMLTO TON NOW PAR
ALLEL WITH ROBERTS WITH RAILWAY CON-
Meeting THEM.

London, May THE capture of Wynd-
burg blythe British is confirmed and the
main advance on Pretoria continues. BY
the occupation of Wyndburg Gen. Ian
Hamilton puts himself nearly parallel
with Lord Roberts and only 80 miles
eastward, while he has the additional
advantage of being connected with his
chief by means of the railroad that runs
from Smaldeel or Wyndburg road sta
tion, as it is sometimes called at Wynd-
burg.
Lord Roberts is now nine miles north
of the Vet and 63 miles north of Bloem-
fontein. Evidently he is not letting the
grass grow under his feet, though the
Beers seem equally anxious to retreat
towards Kroonstadt, and are so doing.
! The critics of the newspapers view the
situation with the greatest satisfaction.
special dispatch from Smaldeel, dat
ed 9:45 p. m, May 6, gives the details
of the occupation of Wyndburg by the
British. 1t says
News has just come here that General
Hamilton is giving the Beers no rest
and that they are falling back hurriedly.
He entered Wyndburg today after
brisk fight, in which the Beers fell back
SO quickly that one of their guns, in ad-
dition to Maxim, was abandoned"
The same dispatch describing the cross
ing of the Vet river by the British says:
The Boer forces entrenched on the op-
poslte bank prepared to contest the
crossing. Our guns were brought into
play and terrific shell fire was directed
on the Boer lines. At the same time the
Queenslanders under heavy fire dashed
across the river, and advancing in the
open, completely turned the Boer right.
1t was dusk, but nothing could stop the
gallant Australians. They lAshed on
again, seized a commanding kopje, and
py brilliant movements and continuous
rifle fire, drove off the enemy in the dark
| ness. The first CLEAN of day this morn
! ing found the enemy in full flight and
our men after them, and by 9 o'clock this
morning we entered the important STRAIT
egic position.
| A dispatch from Boschoff dated Fri
day, May 4, says: General Methuen
made reconnaissance from here Thurs
day to the neighborhood Of Sjarkoppies-
fontein locating the laager After an
unimportant exchange Of fire the Beers
removed their laager. A fairly strong
| force Of Beers was seen moving north
wards. General Methuen then returned
to Boschoff."
London, May THE war office has re-
ceived the following dispatch from
Lord Roberts, dated Smaldeel, May 7th,
1885 a. m.
General Hunter after defeating the
enemy May 4th, joined hands with Paget
+; Near Warreckon. The enemy left thir-
teen wounded on the ground and we cap
tured several prisoners. Our losses We're
| slight. Hunter speaks in high terms of
the gallantry of the Yeomanry under
Colonel Maybrick. The enemy have re-
tired from the front of Thabanchu and
the exceedingly strong position they held
is now occupied by Rundles' division.
London. May Z, 1856 a. m.-The official
Roberas has crossed the Vet river and
is encamped at Smaldeel Junction. The
Beers are in full retreat towards Zand
| river and Kroonstad.
London, May E, II a. m.-Lord Roberts
reports to the war Office in dispatch
/ dated Smaldeel, May 6, afternoon, as fol-
| lows:
1--WE crossed the Vet river this morning
and are now encamped at Smaldeel juno
tion. The enemy is in full retreat toward
Zand river and Kroonstad. The turning
movement was made by the mounted in
fantry just before dark yesterday. It
was very dashing affair. The Cana
dams, New South Wales, New Zealand
Rifles and Queensland mounted infantry
Wed with each other in the determina-
ton to close with the enemy. Capt. An
ley of the Essex regiment commanding
the Third battalion, behaved in a verey
gallant manner.
"The naval guns and the artillery made
excellent practice. particularly two five
inch guns used for the first time with
this force I'VE captured a Maxim and
twenty-five prisoners. Our casualties
are very few-only fifteen wounded. one
| killed and three missing"
The British arrived here without oppo-
| sition. The Beers last train left last Sat
/ urday night. The Boer losses yesterday
4 on the left flank were forty killed. Their
rear guard remains behind kOpjes ten
miles distant. There is much railway