The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-12-19
.THB BRITISH RECRUITS
Thousands Are Anxious to Face the
Bullets Of the Boers.
fHg LATTER FULLY SUPPLIED.
A Reliable Statement Declares That
England's Foes Have Unlimitsd Sup
plies Of Food and Annaanitisn.
Butler Crosses the Tugsla River.

plies 81 FO0o ana AMmun1Vnons
Butler Crosses the Tugsla River.
London, Dec. 19.-The war office has
been In communication with General
Sir William Lockhart, commander-in-
chief In India, with view Of ascertain
ing what troops can be spared from his
forces, and It 10 understood that -
result Of these inquiries . force will
almost Immediately leave Bombay for
Dun ban, including four regiments Of
I. seasoned troops, with sap ammunition
column, and a brigade of artillery, IN
Guiding horse and field batteries. u ID
hoped that this forcs will, reipforee
General Butler within month.
The Duke Of Connaught visited tho
war Office yesterday. Since the ap-
pointment of Lord Roberts a. COM
mander-in-chief in South Africa the
question Of rank no longer bars the
duke from going to the front. and, as
he has strong desire to 20, It 10 be-
lieyed that only the queens reluctance
stands in the way. It 10 not unlikely
that this will be overcome. Fl
Lord Chesham, commanding officer
Of the Royal ,Buckinghamshire Ye0-
many, has been authorized to organ
lie force Of 1000 yeomanry. who will
proceed TO the cape. The yeomanry
forces sent out will DO drafted 20 a. to
work together with the mounted In
fantry and mounted militia from Can
ada and Australia.
It Is understood that the volunteers
selected will not form separate corps,
but will Join their linked battalions Of
the regular forces In South Africa.
Throughout the country volunteers
are responding with the utmost alac-
rity to the of1cial notices. Lord Ions
dale says he believes the government
will only accept from 20 to 50 men
from each yeomanry regiment. 1t ID
asserted that many officers Of the vol
unteer regiments are offering to 80 as
troopers. II not accepted as officers.
The Daily Mail hears from hitherto
reliable correspondent that General
Butler. after a stiR fight, crossed the
Tugela river. The correspondent also
states that General Methuen's COM
munications are cut
A dispatch from F'rers Camp says
that the bodies of two guides who mis-
led General Gatacre at Stormberg were
found on the battlefield. The men had
been shot.
dispatch from Naauw Poort, Cape
Colony, dated Dec. 16. says: The
Poers brought big gun to bear on the
British near War Kop. The British
pieces were too small to reach the
enemy. and after an intermittent artil-
lcry duel General French withdrew
N der shell fire, but without losses, to
Arundel.
J, B. Robinson, the South African
millionaire, writes to The Daily Chron-
lcle reasserting that the Beers have
unlimited supplies of ammunition and
ample stores of food and declaring that
all the statements to the contrary
should be ignored.
The Times says editorially: Lord
Roberts will have absolutely a free
hand and may be expected to resume
the original plan Of campaign abandon
ed by General Butler under the neces-
sity Of relieving Ladysmith."
Inquiries among the Liverpool ship
owners show that transportation for
10000 men, with horses and equip
ment, can be ready before the men are
prepared to start. The government
has chartered the feninsular and ORR
entail Steam Navigation company's
steamer Assaye, and the Goorkha, of
the Union line