The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-06-05
AFFAIRS IN TRANSVAAL
A REVIEW OF THE SITUATION BY SPeN-
GER WILKINSON.
THE BRITISH BEFORE PRETORIA
Roberts steady Advance from the
Vaal River to Johannesburg Passes
Through That City and Moves on
Toward the Capitol-No News to
Show Whether lie Has Met Resis-
tance or Not = Ten Thousand Boer
Troops About That City.

Troops About That City.
London, June 3.-Spencer Wilkinson
reviewing the events of the week in
South Africa for the Associated Press,
says:
The situation can clearly be under
stood if We, in the first instance, neg
lect the Pretoria kilograms. Lord Rob
erts advanced from the Vaal in two
columns, he himself, with the main
body, following the line of railway,
and Generals French and Hamilton
keeping pace with him short march
to the left and slightly in advance.
ION Monday night General Roberts
was at Kip river station, the left wing
column being south of Klipriversberg.
The Beers retreated before General
Roberts, but resisted the left wing.
'On Tuesday night General Roberts
near Florida, just west of Johannes
burg.
"On Wednesday morning General
Roberts summoned johannesburg and
agreed to give twenty-four hours de-
lay before entering the town, which,
however, he surrounded with troops.
Generals French and Hamilton We're
kept away from the town and pushed
forward
"On Thursday General Roberts en-
tered johannesburg and made a for
NAL occupation. He held a review of
two divisions, and then, leaving a bri
gade to garrison the town. he put
main body into camp to the north on
the Pretoria road on Friday morning.
'At that time Generals French and
Hamilton were we'll toward Pretoria.
Very likely General French was east
of the railway and the remainder of
the army within two easy marches of
the Boer Capital.
Meantime, Lord Roberts communi-
cations were well covered and the
Free State forces We're receiving pun
ishment On Tuesday General Run
die defeated the Free Staters near
Sanekel and received reinforcements
from the Third brigade. On the same
day the Highland brigade, which had
| marched north from Ventersburg, en-
tered Heilbein.
On Thursday the Free Staters near
Fycksbure We're reported from Maseru
to have been surrounded by Generals
| Brabant and Rumble, which proves
that General Brabant has an infantry
| brigade which though not Rundle's,
may be Chermside's.
| Nov as to Pretoria. On Wednesday
President Kruger left. The Boer troops
were dismissed from the forts at Pre-
| toria and the town resolved to suwen-
| der and made it's arrangements. The
! burghers were in panic and believed
! that Roberts was close at hand. These
facts were telegraphed here by two in
! dependent witnesses.
Our news of Lord Roberts was
twentyfour hours old. and there was
nothing improbable in his troops being
| where Pretoria reported them TO be.
| Therefore, we were ready to believe
| that Pretoria would be occupied on
Thursday. Now it is clear that the Pre-
toria kilograms expected the occupa-
ton two or three days too soon.
| General Roberts must now be before
| Pretoria, but the evidence Is not Suffi-
| cient to enable us to Judge whether
he has met serious resistance. There
might be slight difficulty if the Beers
have reoccupied the forts, but in all
probability the entry into Pretoria will
| not be long delayed The Boer mill
tary power is now completely broken
and the war practically over, although
| the complete occupation of the coun-
try will take some time and probably
will be delayed by many guerrilla
| bands.
President Kruger may form a band
at Lydenberg, which, however, can dc
no great harm, as General Butler will
| move up to the Delagoa bay railway
and stop Kruger's supplies. So soor
as the British have all the railways
flying columns will quickly make ar
end to all local opposition and the
| Lydenberg region can be dealt with a,
leisure"
CABLEGRAMS FROM ROBERTS.
London, June "A cablegram from
Lord Roberts dated johannesburg
May 31st, but which was not dispatch
ed from there until $50 o'clock a. m.
Jun 1St, has been received by the wal
office 1t says:
The occupation of johannesburg
passes off quite satisfactorily, thanks
to the excellent arrangements mad,
| by DR.. Krause, the Transvaal com
mandant here, and order prevailed
throughout the town.
"Dr. krauSe met me on my entranc
to Johannesburg and rode by my sid
to the government offices where h
introduced me to the heads Of the sew
eral departments, all of whom &C
ceeded to my request that they woult
| continue to carry on their RESPECTIVE
duties until they could be relieved o
| them.
Johannesburg is very empty, bu
a good crowd Of people assembled il
the main square by the time the Brit
1sh nag was being hoisted. "A roya
salute was fired and three cheers 70
the queen were given.
eat the end of the ceremonies tn
Seventh and Eleventh divisions march
ed past with the naval brigade, tn
heavy artillery and two brigade divis
ions Of the Royal Field ARTILLERY.
General Ian Hamilton's column an,
the cavalry division and mounted in
fantry were too far away to take par
in the ceremony. The troops lookec
very workmanlike and evidently tool
keen interest in the proceedings.
The Fourteenth and the Naval bri
gade have been left in Johannesburg
to preserve order, while the remand
er of the force is encamped north o
the town on the Pretoria road"
Cape Town, June "A dispatch Il