Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-08

WARRENToN, Cape Colony, May 7.
The Beers have been driven out of
Fourteen Streams and the British are
now encamped on the north bank of
the Vaal river.
LONDON, May 1.-THE capture of
Winburg by the British is confirmed
and the main advance to Pretoria con-
tinues with machine-like precision and
rapidity which has characterized all
Lord Roberts's forward movements.
BY the occupation of Winburg, Gen.
Ian Hamilton puts himself nearly par
allel with Lord Roberts and only 20
miles eastward, while he has the adj
ditional advantage of being connected
with his chief by means of the rail-
road that runs from Smaldeel or Win
burg Road Station, as it is sometimes
called, to Winburg.
Lord Roberts reports to the war Of
flee, in dispatch dated Smaldeel May
6, afternoon, as follows:
eve crossed the Vet river this
morning and are now encamped at
Smaldeel Junction. The enemy is in
full retreat toward Zand river and
Kroonstad. The turning movement
was made by the mounted 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 determination to
close with the enemy. Capt. Anley,
of the Essex regiment, commanding
the Third infantry battalion, behaved
in very gallant manner.
THE naval guns and the artillery
made excellent practice, particularly
two fve-inch guns used for the first
time with this force.
eve captured a maxim and % pris-
oners. Our casualties are very few
only Is wounded, and one killed and
three missing
The only feature of the carefully de-
vised plan of general advance not dis
closed by the swift Developments is
that part Gen. Butler has elected to
take in the operations. At present
there are no indications of any move
ment on the part of the Natal army.
Lord Roberts is now nine miles north
of the Vet and 63 miles north of
} Bloemfontein.
At the time this dispatch is sent
there is nothing new from Gen. Hunter
. but it is presumed he is pushing stead
idly forward In the direction of Mafe-
king aided by the aggressiveness of
Barton's and Paget's brigades.
A special dispatch from Smaldeel
(Winburg road station), dated GAS p.
M, Sunday, gives details of the occu-
patton of Winburg by the British. 1t
says: "News has Just come here that
Gen. Hamilton is giving the Beers no
rest and that they are falling back
hurriedly. He entered Winburg to-
day after brisk fight, in which the
Beers fell back so quickly that one
of their guns in addition to a Maxim
was abandoned"
The same dispatch, describing the
crossing of the Vet river by the Brit
ish, says: "The Boer forces entrench-
ed on the opposite bank prepared to
contest the crossing. Our guns were
brought into play, and a 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,
\ turned the Boer right. 1t was dusk,
but nothing could stop the gallant
Australians, They pushed on again,
4 seized a commanding kopje and, by
brilliant movements and continuous
rife fire, drove off the enemy in the
darkness. The first CLEAN Of dawn
this morning found the enemy in full
flight and our men after them, and by
Q o'clock this morning we entered this
important strategic point"
A dispatch from Boshof dated May
4, says Gen. Methuen made a recon-
noissance from there the day previous
fy to the neighborhood of Sjartkop-
Diesfontein, locating the Boer lager
After an impromptu exchange of fire
the Beers removed their lager. A
fairly strong force of Beers was seen
moving northwards. Gen. Methuen
then returned to Boshof
sMALDEEL,, May THE British ar
gfved here without opposition. The
Beers last train left late Saturday
9ight,. The Boer losses yesterday on
the west flank were 40 killed Their
rear guard remains behind kopjes 10
miles distant There is much railway
forage and corn here. 1t is stated
that the Beers are retreating toward
Kroonstad. The Zand river bridge is
reported to have been destroyed.