LORD ROBERTS'S FORWARD MOVE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 94, 27 April 1900, Page 3

LORD ROBERTS'S FORWARD MOVE.

UTTER DEFEAT OF THE BOERS. IMPORTANT POSITION 3 OCCUPIED BY BRITISH. (Received 26, ?.13 a.m) London, April 25. When he decided on an advance on Sannas post, General lan Hamilton ordered a detachment of 140 New South Wales Lancers to occupy a square kopje situated a mile from and overlooking Watervaal drift, The Welshmen accomplished the task after some sniping. One casualty which occurred to the column was the capture of Private Braun, of the New South Wales Mounted Rifles. The Standards correspondent estimates that a -force of 3000 Boers is entrenched in the hills south-east of Bloemfontein. §•. General Hamilton'sdivision, of which the Colonial Brigade, under MajorGeneral Huttoo, forms a part, has advanced eastwards from Bloemfontein _ and occupied the waterworks. As the Boers held the neighbouring hills Major-Generals Smith-Dorrien and Hector Mac Donald have beer despatched to support General Hamilton. General Maxwell's 14th Brigade, belonging to General Tucker's division, moved eastward from Glen Siding, eight miles north of Bloemfont«in, and seized the hills covering Kranzkraal and a waggon bridge over the Modder River. This movement cats off the Boer retreat; northwards at that point. A a a result of General Hamilton's advance eastwards the enemy was everywhere defeated and retreated eastwards towards the Basutoland frontier. lieutenant-Colonel Alderson, commanding the first corps of MajorGeneral Hutton's brigade, advanced southward to Leeuwkop, while MajorGeneral Dickon, with the Fourth Cavalry Brigade, a battery of the Royal Horse Artillery, and a New South Wales ambulance corps, moved from Springfield against the Bjers in the neighbouring hills. The battery shelled a Boer force which held a kopje to the south-Wbst of Bloemfontein waterwoiks. Tue enemy were dislodged. Major-Genei al Dickson's column also participated in operations further south. It is stated that 40,000 Boers are enveloping Lord Roberts, under Commandants De Wet and Ollivier,

GENERAL HAMILTON'S ADVANCE. Received 27, 1.30 a.m. London, April 26. Major-General lan Hamilton is now n. ar'icig Thaba K'chu. ile cleared all th-j krpj s in tie neighbourhood of Bloemfonuia water- j woikf. | President Kruger imagined thut Lird Rofcei (8 was s'atijnaiy for another month, awaiting remounts. The my&ieri-ius attempt to destroy the railway bridge at Komati Poort fCired the Baers, who were strongly jeweling the neighbourhood.

A VERY IMPORTANT CORRECTION. Wakapuaka, April 26. The message received this morning should read " Forty thousand British are enveloping Commandants De Wet's j and Ollivier's forces." '