Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-05-09
ADVANCE ON PRETORIA.
Roberts and His Army Seem to
Have Begun It In Very
Dead Earnest. ~
BATTLES OF DAILY OCCURRENCE.
Hutton Crosses the Vet in the Face Of
Burgher Resistance.

London, May 1.-THE official an.
uouncement is made that General Rob-
erts has crossed the Vet river and Is
encamped at Smaldeel Junction. The
Beers are in full retreat towards Zand
river and Kroonstad.
London, May 5.-The war office has
issued the following from Lord Rob-
erts. dated Brandfort, Friday, May A:
1.-THE mounted infantry have gone on
to the Vet river. The rest of the force
will march there tomorrow. The rail-
way has been repaired to BrandfOrt.
Hunter reports very satisfactory news
that the passage Of the Vaal has
been carried at Windsorton without
opposition"
London, May THE war office has
published the following dispatch from
Lord Roberts, dated Vet river, May 5,
f:15 p. M:
II marched here today with Pole.
Carew's division. Headquarters and
Wavel's brigade, of the Seventh di.
vision, are two miles in the rear. Max
wells brigade, Of the same division, is
the same distance to our right. The en-.
envy are in considerable strength on the
opposite bank of the river. Our guns
engaged theirs for some three hours
without our being able to force a
passage of the river, but shortly be-
fore dusk the mounted infantry under
General Hutton turned the enemy's
right, and in a very dashng manner
pushed across the river under heavy
shell and musketry fire.
Beers Leave Their Dead for Once. ,
1--WE are now bivouacking for the
night within three miles of Vet river
Our casualties, hope, are not numer.
GUS. Hamilton was in action yester
day and succeeded in preventing a
junction of two Boer forces by a well
executed movement by some of the
Household cavalry, the Twelfth lancers
and Kitchener's Horse, who charged
body of the enemy and inflicted serious
loss. The enemy fled, leaving their
dead on the field and their wounded to
be attended by our doctors. Macdon-
AIDS Highland brigade dislodged the
enemy on the right flank under cover
of the naval guns, In which operation
the Black Watch distinguished them.
selves and were very skillfully led"
Hamilton and Hunter Engaged.
Hamilton was advancing this morn
ing to dijcult drift over the Kleine
Vet river. Hunter reports that Barton's
brigade was heavily engaged this morn
ing two miles north of Ruidam [Rooi-
dan]. The enemy's position was quite
four miles long and strongly held. He
states that our men marched maguifi-
Gently and carried ridge after ridge in
grand style. Casualties in this force,
In Hamilton's and Hunters will be re-
ported as soon as possible.
(. Beers Charged with Brutality.
Captain Miller, who was taken pris-
oner near Thaba N'Chu, has been sent
to Rundle's camp by the enemy with
a severe wound in the abdomen. Bra
bant reports that one sergeant and
three men were captured on May
while on patrol. and that one of them,
who had been brutally ill-treated and
left for dead by the Beers, was found
the following day. Lieutenant Lilley,
Victoria mounted rifles, reported miss
ing, was found at Brandfort danger
ously wounded and has been most
carefully attended by the Netherlands
ambulance"