The Irish standard., 1900-06-16
TAKES IMPORTANT PASS.
After a Fight-Boers Abandon
Laing's Mex and Majuba.

London, June 13.-The war office
posts the following dispatch from
Gen. Butler:
forced Almonds mex to-day. 1t isn't
marked on the map, but is the last de-
file to Charleston flats. The enemy were
IN considerable force. with several guns
IN position. The brunt of the fighting
ielt upon the Second Dorsets. who carried
the position at the point of the bayonet,
and the Third cavalry brigade, who were
heavily attacked on cur right from very
broken country round Iketini mountain.
nope our casualties. are less than 100.
which. considering the extreme length
OF the position. is much less than ex-
pected.
The whole attack was directed by
tremely good. The artillery. Tenth brig
ade and Third cavalry brigade did
most of the work"
The war office has received the fol
lowing dispatch from Gen. Kelly
Kenny:
"Bloemfontein. June l2-our troops
OF Roodeval. where the Beers cut the
British lines of communication. having
defeated the enemy. They will be at
America Siding tomorrow at eight a. m.
London, June 13.-The war Office has
issued the following:
Butler, to the Secretary of War-"Jou-
berts Farm June II. SIP p. m.-IIncamped
four miles north of Volksrust. Langs
Mex and Majuba were completely evacu-
ated by the Beers last night. Gen. Clery,
from lngogO. is now coming over the Mex
have had to camp here for want of wa
ter"
London, June 1.-two pieces of
news encouraging to the British in the
official dispatches are that the broken
communications of Lord Roberts are in
fair way to be mended by the forces
moving northward and sout Inward and
driving off the rowing commanders, and
that Sir Redvers Butler is at last mas
ter OF Laing's mex.
Telegraphic communication with
Lord Roberts is expected to be re-
stored to-day, as dispatch from
Bloemfontein, dated yesterday, says
that the railway is in British posses.
sion again, and that the work of re.
pairing the line is going on rapidly,
with the abundant material ware
housed at Bloemfontein.
From the subjoincd telegram it
would appear that Gen. Hunter was in
command of the troops referred TO by
Gen. Kelly-Kenny in his dispatch from
Bloemfontein:
"Bloemfontein, June 12.-Gen. Hunter Is
coming up rapidly from the northwest,
having severely defeated q large COM
mando of Beers who had destroyed two
miles of railway north of 1<roonstad."
n'l,n ;, IL,
news cheering to its sympathizers.
The following bulletin, the Boer ver-
sion of the disaster to the Derbyshires,
was posted by President Kruger Sun
day at Machadodorp:
ION June Z four divisions of burghers,
commanded by Steenkamp, Froneman,
Duploy, Fourie and Hell. attacked the
British at Roodeval, killed 200. took 700
prisoners and captured immense stores
OF food and ammunition, Maxim gun
and 1000 lyddite shells. Some food was
taken by the Boer farmers and the rest
was burned. The English mail was taken
The burghers attacked from the open
veldt, and gave evidence of unprecedent-
ed bravery
Gen. De Wet was also fighting on
June 2, whether at Roodeval or else
where is not clear, but the Boer war
Office gives it out that he captured
5000 suits of clothing, blankets. gloves,
boots, etc. Being unable to carry
them with him in his rapid sweep
through the country, according to the
Transvaal war Office, he burned the
whole mass. Gen. De Wet hds also re-
ported that he put 1000 British out of
action and destroyed property valued
at C 100000. AS Lord Methucn is Off
cially described as fighting on June Z,
it is possible that he was engaging
Gen. DE Wet.
The war office casualty returns up 10
June o aggregate 1864, besides 792 Of
ficers and 1885 men sent home us in
valids, but not including the sick in
South African hospitals.