The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-06-08
BY THE BOeR FORCES IN PRESENCE OF
BRITISH ARMY.
INFANTRY AND ALL ARTILLERY
Withdrawn In Good Order = Botha's
Army Intact and on Its Way to Ly-
denburg Strongholds-His Fighting
Before Pretoria, Not to Defend the
Town. But to Gain Time to Save His
Army-Best Line of Retreat for Him
Left Open.

London, June Z, Ais a. m.-Military
operations in South Africa are appar-
emily at q standstill. For a day or two
the tired troops of Lord Roberts are
resting, and he is filling the magazines
and warehouses at his new base, Pre-
toria, preparatory TO a long chase after
the retiring Beers in the direction of
Lydenburg. His cavalry are probably
seeking to intercept Botha.
Some dispatches are to hand which
left Pretoria Monday while the fight
ing was going en- outside the city. They
came by way of Lourenzo Marques.
One of them says: Toward the end
of the day, when the British guns were
shelling the southern forts, a number
of projectileS burst, damaging the su-
burbs. All day armed burghers have
been leaving Pretoria, going east. The
greater part of the railway rolling
stock has been removed.
General Botha was fighting, his OBJ
ject being not to defend Pretoria, but
to delay Lord Roberts until the rail-
way switch had been cleared and the
main part Of the Boer army had start
ed to withdraw The British advance
appears to have left open to the Beers
the beet line of retreat along the rail-
way" Possibly, Lord Roberts may have
been able to cut the railway before the
full retirement was effected. That
Pretoria would be defended was ap
parently given out after the council
of war, with a view of misleading the
British.
Lydenburg, the district into which
the provisions originally destined for
Pretoria have been diverted and where
a cartridge factory has been erected
and reseve supplies of all sorts are
stored, is a volcanic region of fertile
valleys, enclosed by great ramparts
of precipftous rocks, penetrated by
narrow, winding passes. There are
herds of cattle in the valleys and there
is much native labor available for for
tifying.
Probably the most important Boer
army is at Laings mex, where both
sides are passive. General Rumble and
General Brabant have withdrawn
| little southwark
London, June Gloss a. m.-Lord
Roberts telegraphs to the war office
| as follows:
Pretoria, June 5, 5:35 p. m.-The oc-
| cupation of the town passed off most
now hoisted on top of the government
| offices. The troops met with a much
| more enthusiastic reception than / an
| ticipated. The Third battalion of the
| Grenadier Guards lined the square
when the march past took place.
J Owing to their having been on duty
at some distance around the town,ve
few cavalry and infantry We're able
| to take part in the ceremony. Several
of our officers who had been prisoners
were among the on-lookers."
special dispatch from Lourenzo
Marques, dated Tuesday, June 5th,
says: Generals Butler and Christian
| request when a three days armistice
was agreed upon" The dispatch adds
that the British have evacuated
Utrecht.
| THE BOER ARMY INTACT.
1t appears evident that the Boel
commander-in-chief, General Botha
with all his guns, withdrew from Pre-
toria in good order, probably along the
Delagoa bay railroad with the view Of
joining President Kruger. So tht
Transvaal forces remain practically
intact with Presidents Kruger anC
Steyn and General Botha and Secre
tary of State Reitz all safe and in
| position to continue the direction of af
fairs. The more optimistic see in tn.
fact that President KrugerS wife ant
General Bothas wife were left at Pre-
toria an indication that the presiden
does not count on a long resistance
In any case it will probably take Lore
Roberts at least a week to organize {
campaign of pursuit.
a belated dispatch from Mafek:ns
| dated May 31st, announces the British
occupation of Malamni, where tw'
| hundred Beers surrendered.
Among the officers of the Thirteenth
imperial yeomanry captured are tn
Earl of Leitrim, the Earl Of Longfor,
and the Earl Of Ennismoor
Unless fond q diOeSfed Ur,icklr v.-il