The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-05-09
VEPENER IS RELIEVED
ihe Beers Raised the Siege and Re
tired Northward.
ALSO EVACUATED DEWETSD0RP

The Result of General Roberts, EXTENSIVE
observation-disclosures of General French
to Intercept the Retreatin< Boer Army
-Mafeking Is Hard Pressed and OF
Short Rations-News From Pretoria
LONDON (By Cable).-General Roberts's
extended movement for the clearance o.
his eastern flank has been directed from
Bloemfontein over a front seventy miles
long. from Karee Siding to Wepener. In;
principal changes effected were the relie
OF wepener and the occupation OF Dewets
dorp by General Chermslde's division with
out opposition. General French made
close approach to the Thaba Nchu ROAD
but was not In time to close It.
The War Office has issued the following
from Lord Roberts, dated Bloemfon:ein
Wednesday:
"The enemy retired from in front o:
Wepener last night, aud this morning nee
northeastward along the Ladybrand Road
"Their number was between 40oo ane
5000"
The relief OF Colonel Dalgety's force wa:
accompanied by General Brabant.
The Times has the following from spe
cial correspondent, dated Mafeking, Basu-
toland:
"I rode from Jammersburg here, skirt
inc Wepener. and met General Brabant's
advance guard tour miles south OF Wep'
ensr. They report three successful fights:
Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, with
twenty-five casualties.
"The siege was raised and 5000 OF the
enemy retired along the Ladybrand Road
within our sight and unpursu cd. Coionel
Dalgety's casualties were thirty-tnree
killed and 1872 wounded"
Earlier In the day the War ONCE received
the following dispatch from Lord Rob
erts:
"Pole- -Carew's division reached Roode'
kop Yesterday evening without suffering
any casualties. Pole-Carew's advance was
covered by cavalry and horse artillery
which drove back the enemy with heavy
loss. Several OF their dead were left on
tho ground.
"The mounted men halted for the night al
Grootfontein and at 730 this morning were
crossing the Modder River at Valsbani, In
accordance with my instructions to French
to sndeavor to place himself astride the
enemy's line OF retreat.
'French's arrival near the Modder eri.
IDENTIFY, however. alarmed the Boer5, 1or
they evacuated their strong position near
DeWetSdorp during the n1Sht anu IL was
occupied by Chermside's division at $50
this morning.
"The mounted infantry under Ian Hamsl.
ton drove of the enemy from all the topjes
In the neighborhood Of the waterworks.
There were no casualties on our side. The
Highland Brigade marched twenty-four
miles yesterday to the support OF Hamil-
ton and halted for the night at Kip Kraal,
four miles short Of Sanna's Post"
In a dispatch to the War ONCE Lord
Roborts reports the following casualties
before the occupation Of Dewetsdorp: or.
Hcers, killed, two; wounded, three. Men,
wounded, twenty-five.
Further reports from distressed Mateking
declare that though there are water, food
and ammunition enough there to last un.
til the middle OF May, they are only SO Oh
restricted scale, the food not being more
than enough to barely sustain life.
Two pints Of soup and two quarts OF oat
bran are the daily. allowance, but II the
siege lasts much longer 1t will be difficult
to find more than one ration. A census
which has just been taken shows that the
population numbers 1850.
The districts around johannesburg and
Pretoria are being extensively intcenched.
Begbie's foundry In johannesburg Is pro-
ducing 700 shells weekly. Large quantities
OF silk have been commandeered In Jo'
hannesburg to make balloons.