The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-11
Beers IN FULL RETREAT
THE BRITISH SUCCESSFUL ALL ALONG
THE LINE.
ROBERTS RAPID PROGRESS.
The Boers river From the North
Bank of the Vet River Roberts
Crosse, over inLurg Captured.
Boer- Driven From their strong POSI-
ton Before Thabanchu and cut OF
Fourteen streams R~etreating Rapid:
ly Toward Kronsrad.

London, May Lord Roberts rel
ports to the war office in a Dispatch
dated Smaldeel, May 9Th, afternoon, as
follows:
I'VE crossed the Vet river this morn
ing, and are now encamped at Small
deel junction. The enemy is in full rel
treat towards the Zand river and
k~roonstad. The turning movement
was made by the Infantry
just before dark yesterday. 1t was a.
very dashing affair. The Canadians,
New South Wales, New Zealand rifles
and Queensland mounted infantry We'd
with each other in the determination
to close with the enemy. Captain An
ley, of the Essex regiment, commando
ing the Third infantry battalion, be-
haved in a very gallant
THE naval guns and the artillery
made excellent practice, particularly
two 5-inch guns used for the first
time with this force. We captured a.
Maxim n twenty-five prisoners. Our
casualties are few, only fifteen wound
ed. one killed and three missing"
Smaldeel, May THE British arrived
here without opposition. The Beers
last train left late Saturday night. The
Boer losses yesterday on the west
flank were forty killed. Their rear
guard remains behind kopjes ten
miles distant. There is much railway
forage and corn here. 1t is stated that
the Beers are ~retreating towards
Kroonstad. The Fam river bridge is
reported to have been destroyed.
WINBURG CAPTURED.
London, May THE capture of
Winburg by the British is confirmed
and the main advance to Pictorial
continues with the machine-like pre-
cision and rapidity which has charac-
terized all of Lord Roberts forward
movements. By the occupation of Win
bur General Ian Hamilton puts him
self nearly parallel with Lord Roberts
and only twenty-nine miles eastward,
while he has the additional advantage
of being connected with his chief by
means of the railroad that runs from
Smaldeel, or Winburg road station, as
it is sometimes called, to Winburg.
The only feature of the carefully
devised plan of general advance not
disclosed by the swift developments is
that part General Butler has elected
to take in the operations. At present
there afe no indications of any move
ment on the part of the Natal army.
Doubtless a few days, or less. will
bring out the British line of action be-
fore the Biggarsberg.
Lord Roberts is now nine miles
north of the Vet and sixty-three miles
north of Bloemfontein. The Beers are
retreating towards Kroonstad.
General Hunter is presumed to be
pushing steadily forward in the di-
rection of Mafeking, aided by the ag-
gr~essiveness of Barton's and Paget's
brigades.
The critics Of the afternoon papers
view the situation with the greatest
satisfaction.
A special dispatch from Smaldeel,
dated 9:45 o'clock p. M, Sunday, May
Gin, gives details Of the occupation of
Winburg by the British. 1t says:
News has just come here that Gen
eral Hamilton is giving the Beers no
rest, and that they are falling back
hurriedly. He entered Winburg TODAY
after a brisk fight, in which the Beers
fell back so quickly that one of their
guns, in addition to a Maxim, was
abandoned"
CROSSING THE VET.
The same dispatch, describing the
crossing of the Vet river by the Brit
iSh, says:
1.-The Boer forces enc on the
opposite bank prepared to contest the
crossing. Our uns were brought into
play and a terrific shell fire was di.
rected on the Boer lines. At the same
time the Queenslanders, under a heavy
hre, dashed across the river and ad'
Vanc1ng in the open, completely turn
ed the Boer right. 1t was dusk. blu
, nothing could stop the gallant Aus
tralians. They pushed on again, seized
a commanding kopje, and by brillian
movements and continuous rifle fire
| drove off the enemy in the darkness
4 The first CLEAN of dawn this mornins
f0lnn the annmU i'm full Aioht a-I 4,,,
men after them. and by 9 o'clock thi!
morning We entered this importan
strategic point"
A dispatch from Boshof, dated Fri
day, May 4th, says General Methuel
) made a reconnaissance from there tn,
day previous to the neighborhood o
Sjartkoppiesfontein, locating the Doe
: lager. After an u~nimportant ex
. change of fire the Beers removed thei
, lager. A fairly strong force of Boer
! was seen moving northward. Genera
: Methnen then returned to Boshof.
1 BOERS DRIVEN BACK AT OTHET
POINTS.
: Warrenton. Cape Colony, May T.
| The Beers have been driven out o
, Fourteen Streams n the British ar
l now encamped on the north bank O
the Vaal river.
5 London, May THE war office ha
I received the following dispatch fror
; Lord Roberts, dated Smaldeel, May
:. 1885 a. M:
General Hunter, after defeating tn
enemy on May eth, Joined hands wit
Paget. near Warrenton. The enem,
left fourteen killed and wounded o.
the ground. and we captured severa
prisoners. Our losses were slight.
t The enemy have retired from tn
s front of Thabanchu and the exceed
ingly strong position they held is nov
occupied by Rundle's division"