Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-02-13
LADYSM|TH MAY FALL.
Unless Relieved Gen. White will
pc Forced to Surrender.
LONDONERS STOICAL.
Becoming Accustomed to Defeats
Lerd Roberts Advance On
Bloc m fol tein.

| Feb. 9.-It is reported from the upper
| Tugela that in yesterdays fight while
driving the British across the river with
heavy loss to them, the Beers had four
men killed and eight wounded. On re-
| taking the kopje twenty-five Beers were
| found killed.
The alarm was given at midnight that
| the Ladysmith troops were trying to force
| a passage in the direction of the Free
| State lager. Heavy firing was heard
| but no particulars have been received.
London. Feb 10.-2 D. m-Gen Butler
| is once more south of the Tugela river;
| Gen. Macdonald is back at the MOdder
| river, and, apparently, the Beers have lost
none of the ascendancy they have held so
| long. Yet today's news by no means
| causes the acute disappointment attend
| ant upon the other failures to relieve
Ladysmith. This can be attributed to
| three causes-frst, there is strong be-
| lief that Gen. Buffers last attempt was
| only demonstration on large scale;
| second, the wiser critics had warned the
public not to expect the immediate relief
| of Gen. White; third. the nation has set
| tied down to the realization that the war
| Will last long time, and they are not
! SWaYed as at first by minor reverSeS aud
victories. The second and third reasons
arc self-eXplaining. The first requires
! COIlSIUeTaDi Die UdjlOn. III IaNOT Oh the
| opinion held by Spencer Wilkinson, the
military critic Of the Morning Post, that
! Gen. Butler did not intend Immediately
pushing on to Ladysmith, there is over
whelming evidence to show that Field
Marshal Lord Roberts ordered systematic
| activity upon the part of all the forces.
On this basis, Gen. Buffers move may
only be a repetition Of Gen. MacDonald's
and Gen. Frcnch's "Reminiscences.
Acting Under Orders.
Mr.. Balfours ambiguous statement
| about awaiting the completion of plans
Is another strong reason for believing
| Gen. Butler never intended to make the
main advance via Naalkrantz, but was
! acting under the orders Of Lord Roberts.
1t IS also curious that the news of Gen.
Buffers retirement first came from the
Boer head laager near Iadysmith and
| that the British correspondents were free
| ~ allowed TO send dispatches before any
| thing from Gen. Butler was published
The unusual appeal Of Bennett BurIeigh.
war correspondent of the London Daily
Telegraph, asking the public to suspend
Judgment and rely on Gen. Butler, also
has considerable significance On the
other hand. Gen. Buffers recent speech
to his troops in which he said he hoped
to be in Ladysmith within week, tends
some people claim, to throw doubt on the
belief that he has only been dem
onstrating in force
Retired in Good Order.
The latest news from Modder river
shows that Gen. MacDonald's retirement
| from koodoOsberg was effected in com
| pete order. The most reasonable expla-
nation Of his movement is that it was
undertaken more to restore confidence of
| the Highland brigade, still nervous from
their terrible experience at MagersfOn
tie n, than to gain any important oh
iective With this important unit Gen
Methuens force is rehabiitated for
| vigorous attack on Gen Cronje and an
looked for, more than likely superintend-
ed by Lord Roberts, while the seventh
division and part of Gen. French's cav
! airy are occupied in turning movement
east of Jacobsdal.
Situation at Colesberg.
a dispatch from Rensberg, dated Fri
| day, February 9, reports much aggreS-
sive activity against all of the British
accommodating and declares the Beers are
in no sense surrounded at ColeSberg, but
are simply held in check by Il series of
camps forming Il semi-circle from east to
west. The Beers. it is added, are still in
| full possession Of their lines of COMMUNE
cation with the Free State and hold
| strong positions around Colesberg.
During the morning of February q
bombardment with Lyddite occurred at
| RenSberg and the Beers Maxim Vickers
| \ dozen dead Beers were found OH
| kOpjes.
Lord Roberts has addressed another
letter TO Presidents Kruger and Steyn,
| complaining of the wanton destruction Of
| property in Natal
Had to Evacuate.
| A dispatch to the London Times from
Springfield bridge, dated Friday, Febru-
airy 9, says: Our force at yaalkrantz
entrenched itself as well as possible, but
| nevertheless we continued to lose men
and no advance was made. The Boer ar
tlllery fired necessarily and as Wednes-
! day proceeded 1t was increasingly appar-
| ent that. although the infantry might by
very determined assault, force its way
| through the center OF the Boer posi-
| ton, 1t would become impossible during
| subsequent operations to maintain the Sc
| curity of the lines Of communication and
| the evacuation was decided upOn The
| retirement commenced at o'clock at
| night, the pontoon bridge being removed
| after Gen. Hildyard's force had crossed
this morning. The whole force retired
| beyond the range of the Boer guns, which
| continued shelling."
Session of the Cabinet.
An extra cabinet council was held this
| afternoon IN response to summonses is
| sued yesterday evening. The council
lasted over two hours. Several members
| of the defense committees were present
and Lord Salisbury presided The pre-
mier held a supplementary consultation
| after the departure of the majority of his
! colleagues.
LARGE Increase in Navy.
The first lord of the admiralty. George
j. Goschen, is preparing estimates for a
large increase in the navy. 1t is thought
probable that Parliament will be asked
for t20, 900, 000 for new ships.
Durham, Feb. 10.-The Beers have TAX
en- Inkandala, a Zululand magistracy.
The magistrate, the night previous, ex-
ploded the magazine and with his staff
and the police evacuated the place and
| proceeded to Eshowe
Impos sib!e TO Advance
Headquarters Springfield Bridge. Feb.
| 9.-The position taken north of Tugela
river proved difficult one to maintain.
| The regiments sent across as reinforce
ments went into the front line of
trenches, but owing to the great strength
! of the Beers in the Brakfontein hills to
the left it was found impossible to ad-
vance without risling unnecessary loss.