The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-08

London, May 4, Ais a. m.-General
Broadwood's cavalry brigade has
reached Isabelfontein, twenty-eight
miles north of Thabanchu. General
Ian Hamilton is bivouacking at ia
cobrust, fifteen miles north of Thaba-
nchu. General fuckers division is
moving eastward from Kaar siding.
The divisions Of General French and
General Rumble are neal Thabanchu.
Thus Lord Roberts has so, 200 men OPP
Grating clear of the railway along the
front of forty miles. He is advancing
slowly with some successes, but moth
ing decisive. Yet, at all points of con-
centration the Beers appear in force
sufficient to compel the British to pro-
coed with caution. Their wide front
in a rugged country makes turning
movement offhand difficult.
The Beers, Mr.. Winston Churchill
saws, have enormous herds of cattle
and fiocks of sheep gatherd in the
southeast. These they are driving
northward.
Observers at headquarters in Bloem-
fontein seem to think that the Beers
are preparing to evacuate Brandfort
and Ladybrand. The Beers still hold
ing Thabanchu district remain at
1000. They ave among their guns a
4O-pounder. One correspondent, wir-
ing from Bloemfontein, Wednesday
at n:55 o'clock p. m. said the British
hoped to cut off the whole
The correspondents at Kimberley
have been forbidden to communicate
for several days, the deduction being
that a Onward movement is underway
there. The Beers in Natal are restless.
Two hundred crossed Sundays river
Wednesday and tried to engage the
British outposts.
1t is that the British nave
captured Brandfort.
ALONG ROBERTS FRONT.
The Blomefontein correspondent OF
The Standard t~elegraphing May End
say:
Il have Just ridden hither from ina
banchu, along the line of our a
east of B~lomefontein. The distance is
fully forty miles, and yet almost every
point of concentration is contested by
the enemy.
General Rumble, with the Eighth
division, is posted on our right hank
with orders to guard a strong and
boldly outlined frontal position in a
country of a decidedly difficult nature.
Their the Beers have posted a num-
Der of guns of superior weight and
range to our own. However, they
SHOW no disposition to do more than
to keep in touch with us and 10 haraSS
our van
Further to the west General Ham
ilton, with his division of Mounted in
fantry is pressing northward, encoun-
tering only a desultOry fire. The High
land brigade, from Valkrantzy has been
engaged, while General Tucker, COM
handing the Seventh division, has
moved eastward from Karee siding
and has returned south, followed by
the Beers.
Nevertheless the cavalry, owing to
the greater number OF the enemy,
have been prevented from completing
the movement that was intended to
encircle the Beers on the march to
Brandfort; and the enemy are now
prepared to offer a stubborn opposition
on an e~ntrenched hill to the southeast
of Kroonstad. The colonial cavalry
were engaged, and they lost twenty
horses while under fire from pom-poms.
The Beers were, however, driven from
their position"
THE HIGHLANDERS' CHARGE.
The Daily News has the following
from Thabanchu dated Wednesday,:
In yesterdays thanking movement,
Captain Towse and fifty Gordon High
landers were surrounded by go Beers,
who demanded their surrender. Cap
tain Towse ordered his men to fix bay
onets and charge. With a wild cheer
the GordonS rushed at the enemy and
swept them away with great slaughter.
Captain Towse was blinded in both
eyes by the enemy'S fire and through
out behaved heroicly.
London, May 3.-The war office has
receive the following report from Lord
Roberts under date of Bloemfontein,
May 2:
aaGaparaI Hamilton mot with eonSid-
cradle success and drove the enemy
out of the strong position they a
taken up at Hout mex, with compare
lively small loss to us. The Beers
disappeared in severel directions,
mainly to the east and north, leaving
t~wenty-six prisoners in our hands, in
Guiding one commandant, and sixteen
other wounded men. General Ham
ilton is now in camp at Jacobs rust.
AS the men needed rest, after fighting
seven out Of the last ten days, 1 or
dered them to halt for the day. Cen
eral Broadwood's brigade of cavalry
arrived upon the scene in time to af-
ford assistance by threaten
ing the enemy's rear. During the af-
ternoon, General Ian Hamilton was
Joined by General Bruce Hamilton's
brigade OF infantry.
THE enemy admit having twelve
KILLED and forty wounded yesterday.
AIIEOnSSI IN Oh
Gunther, a German officer belonging
to the Fifty-fifth regiment, and
amongst the latter was Maximoff, the
Russian commander of the foreign
legion. Twenty-one out OF fifty-two
Of the enemy's casualties occurred
amongst the members of that legion.
Two Frenchmen were among the kill
ed"
ROBERTS PLANS KEPT SECRET.
Lord Roberts latest dispatch throws
no light on the object and possibilities
OF the extensive operations in the
neighborhood of Thabanchu. One mil
itary critic believes the inference is
justified that Lord Roberts successful
attack at Hout mex threatens the
Boer center and puts the British in a
favorable position to crush the BoeI
left which is still facing General Run
die at Thabanchu, or their right, which
is somewhere between Brandfort and
Winburg.
General Ian Hamilton's success al
Hout mex elicits little enthusiasm, as
the critics unanimously pointed out
&hnt +h4 Ia - -