Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-02-06
BOERS TO MEET BUTLER
Troops Leave Ladysmith to Co.
operate with Gen. Joubert.
COLLISION IMMINENT.
Beers Reported to Have Lest 1000
Men in the EaxagemeMts at
Spcarmaa's Camp.

speech to the Beers at Lady Grey. said
that his men were almost surrounded at
Stormberg and unless recruits were forth
coming he would be compelled to aban
don the position. 1t is admitted that in
the recent fight at Ladysmith the Beers
lest 100 killed and 600 wounded.
Many colonists whc fought at Storm
berg have gone back to their farms and
have refused 10 return to active service,
though threatened with death. Among
those are some conspicuous burghers who
originally invited the Free Staters to in
wade Cape Colony.
Field Comets Killed.
London, Feb. "a Dispatch from
Ladysmith, undated via Spearman's
Camp. February =, says: Native desert
ers report the following field comets
killed in last weeks fighting: Lombard
of Waterbury. Grobelair Of Bremersdorp
Opperman of Pretoria, Daniel Erasmus
Of Magaliersberg, and one Free State
cornet.
The British artillery broke seven Boer
guns. The Boer casualties were approx
mately 1000, though this information is
not confirmed officially.
butler Moving Forward.
London, Feb. 3.-2:30 p. m.-The war
Office is silent as regards Gen. Butler,
but there is every reason to believe he IS
continuing his movement upon Lady
smith. Those who are in a position to
know, confirm his reported recrossing OF
the Tugela river and believe he was en-
gagged yesterday The message from
Ladysmith saying the Boer forces were
leaving again and that the besieging
force was considerably diminished, tends
To confirm this.
Field Marshal Lord Roberts has mott
fed the v ar office that forty Highlanders
hn urnr rNrn SIN tnI I'LL cd ut
Magersfontein are prisoners at Pretoria.
Boer Cities of No portauce.
Spencer Wilkinson, who devotes his ar
ticle in the Morning Post to the princi-
pies upon which war should be conducted
as applica Die to South Africa, says: The
Beers have no great cities. Pretoria and
Bloemfontein are not centers of national
life. like Paris and London. To occupy
them, therefore, would have little effect.
unless after the defeat of the Boer army.
The Boer power is the body of citizens
constituting the army. 1t is, therefore,
our first duty to crush the biggest army.
namely, that in the vicinity of Lady
smith. Though there have been appar-
emily troops enough in South Africa,
Gen. Butler has never had sufficient num-
Der for this purpose. Accordingly the
outlines of the war reveal no bold and
clear conception Until the strategical
idea energies and controls operation there
can be 10 decided turn in the tide
Besiegers TO Intercept Butler.
Kilograms flashed from Ladysmith
three days ago say that the Boer in
yestment lines then were thinning and
Chat the beslegerS were moving in force
toward the Tugela, indicating that ii col
llsion was expected there. This nteli-
sence bears out other signs that Gen.
Buller Is planning a fresh attack. The
war office continues to reveal nothing of
what has happened in Natal. Without
exception the military critics regard with
dismay the prospect of Il renewal of the
assaults unless Gen. Butler has been
heavily reinforced. and there is nothing
to Indicate that this is the case.
Waiting for Results.
New York, Feb. 3.-Very little news
OF the situation in South Africa has been
given out i'll London during the past
progress on the southern frontier of the
Free State. but the details are benc
held back until results can be reported.
That is the impression being made by
such dispatches as are allowed to come
through from SterskstrGm and French.
camp near Coiesberg. The report that
the Boer losses at Spi0nkop on Wednes-
day last exceeded 1000 dead, although UNI
confirmed, has created u favorable i'm
preston and very few are disposed to
discredit it.
The Morning Leader believes that Gen.
Butler has begun movement toward
Ladysmith. The article says: Gen.
Butler probably engaged soon after noon
yesterday tlsriday) If all his artillery and
munitions had come up. In any case, his
orders were definite for an advance at tb,4
latest this morning. There is no reason
to suppose that the direction is that of
Dundonald's reconnaissance toward
HOnOpr'S f.lpcn fo pot
though some cavalry and horse artillery
may go by that way, SO as to operate on.
or. perhaps, beyond the Acton Homes
road.
Butler to Strike Hard.
I'VE are inclined to believe Gen. Buller
means to pound out of existence any
Beers or any works lying on the river
near the junction Of Little Tugela. If he
succeeds in establishing himself there on
the northern bank he will virtually have
turned the Boer positions at Onerbrook
and Grobelers kloot, overlooking Colen-
SO. This would mean the splitting of the
Boer forces on the south of Ladysmith.
Probably Gen. White would be able to
help in the effort by occupying with ener-
gy the containing bodies Of the enemy.
There is no actual news to support the
statement of the Lealer, but seevral of
the London morning papers profess to be-
lieve that Gen. Butler is pushing toward
Ladysmith
Warrens troops, on Wednesday. were
still resting south Of the Tugela, while
Gen. Lyttleton's brigade held it's position
on the north bank. Gen. .Joubert has
gone to the Boer camp on the Upper Tu-
gcla. an apparent indication that he ex-
poets another attack on his right
Invasion of Free State.
Gen. Tucker, who came from India to
command the Seventh division, has gone
up to Modder river. This seems to indi-
cate that the troops of that division
which are arriving at the Cape will, as
well those Of the Sixth division under
kelly-Ienny, DC used along the border or
the Free State and take part in the pros
pective invasion.
The reported activity OF Col Plumer's
force near Crocodile pools, more than ten
days Old is a good sign that strong eff
fort will be made by him to push through
TO Mafeking.
The first batch of wounded men belong
ing to the naval contingent serving in
South Africa has arrived in England.
They are mostly skilled gunners. They
say that the Beers Maxim Nordenfeldt
one-pound quck-iring guns have a most
demoraliZing effect on the British These