The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-02-15
Lord Roberts is Not Engaged in
q Movement Against BlOem-
fcntein as was Hoped.
us FORCE NOW AT MODDER RlYtR
The Purpose Is TO Relieve Cecil Rhodes
and the Besieged City of
-. Kimberley.
Mt Rcns!urg The Doers Arc strong
Enough. 10 Take the Offensive
GsssS -tstssier About 10 Make
~ Fourth Attack.

London. Feb. l3.-Thc news print
cd in London Monday throws ercat
, light on the war situation. Lord Rob
erts IS not engaged in Il movement
, against BlocInfontein as had been
hoped, but is "a MOddcr river, and it Is
believed that hc means TO attack Gen
CronJc for the purpose of relieving
Cecil Rhodes and the bcsieged city OF
Kimberley, whose inhabitants have
been eating horse meat for five weeks
and whose death rate has grown
alarmingly. Gen. Cronie has strength
cned his position in expectation of an
attack. 1T Rcnsburg the Beers are
strong enough TO take the offensive
The most depressing news, however,
comes from Natal The Beers have
occupied farm south of the Tugela
near Chcvcly, which farm is studded
with hills from which the country
can be commanded for miles around.
It is reported from Durham that Gen.
JOubCrt j. marching Il column Of 5000
men to outIank Gen. Butler. A Boer
column is operating in Zululand, and
there seems 10 be alarm i'm Natal and
1, fear that Gen. Bullcr's line of COM
municatiOn will be attacked. Al
/ though Winston Churchill! telegraphs
! that Gen. Butler is about to make a
! fourth attacj, on the Bocr front, the
/ London papers call attention to the
fact that The general has removed his
| headquarters from SpcarSman's Camp
TO Springfield. and apparently do not
believe that Gen. Butler will attack
again. As for Ladysmith, the mill
tary experts have given up hopes. It
is agreed that sortic from the be-
lea9uered town would result in the
British being cut to pieces. The Morn
ing Leaders expert says:
"Gen. Butler felt that il would be
useless to pcrscvcre in his attempt 10
relieve Ladysmith, which would have
cost more loss than the number of
men remaining in Ladysmith.
I'VE hear now Of two attempts to
turn Gen. Butler himself; one by a
small Bocr column marching through
Xululand AMI another with 5000 men
in Natal under the redoubtable Jou-
bert himself
"It is quite possible that Gen. Bull
Ter was held on the Upper Tugeia as
much by the ruggedness of nature as
by the cnemy's artillery. lie may be
so weak on the lower Tugela as to
leave his right flank and his commune /
cations with the sea open to u strong /
attack.
"3ut he must make the best of his
force. All the rcinforcements within
reach for a fortnight TO come are ear
marked for an attempt to force n pas
sage of the Orange river, which we
have got at point where it is of lit
Kimberley"
The expert notes with alarm the ap-
pcarancc of entcric fever in Gen. Cat
acres and other camps. lie says Lord
Kitchener has not got to the front
yet, and that Lord Roberts is not like
ly 10 order a general advance until his
chief Of staff arrives.
Winston Churchill's dispatch from
Frcrc Camp, sent Sunday noon with
Gen. Eullcr's approval, in which he
warns the British people that there
may be heavy loss and possibly dis ,
i'm Buffers fourth attack,
says, describing the last fight:
a MaNim-Nickers gun, abandoned ;
by the Beers in donga was about
TO fall into British hands when that
notorious rufhan, the fearless Viljoen !
himself brought back team of horses !
md escaped with the gun, threading !
MS way between the red flashes and ,
black clouds of lyddite shells, which I
he British artillery concentrated on
hin. 1t was a splendid feat of
lrms."
Prince Christian Victor, aide de
amp of Gen. Ilildyard, was knocked :
own by the concussion of 1O0-pound ,
hell bursting on a rock by which he I
vas sitting. The prince behaved .
with extreme composure. -.
}oer prisoners admit heavy losses, .
'ut declare an unfaltering determina- :,
ion to resist to the uttermost. The .
fifth month OF the war opens with =
he Beers apparently about to take =
he offensive, with the armies appar- !,
ntly intact and well supplied with ;.
and, according to Win ;.
ton Churchill, foreigners and war a
iatcrial pouring into the Transvaal
Trough Delagoa bay
The war Office has received the fol.
1wing dispatch from Field Marshal n
ord Roberts, dated from the Modder \
ver, Sunday, February II: 1,
81 have received a telegram from e
uller, as follows, dated Friday, Feb d
nary o: 1t was necessary after seiz- 1
~ Naal Krantz TO entrench it as the
ivot OF further operations. But
'und after trying two days, that ow-
Ig to the nature of the ground that II
lis was impracticable. II was also b
Sposed to the fire OF heavy guns in n
ositions from, which our. artillery Is
as dominated. 1t is essential to Il
oops advancing. on Ladysmith by 81,
arding or Monger's drift, to hold
aal Mantz securely, and accordingly Y
e are not pressing the advance by n.
lose roads, as / find we cannot make !,
sacuratu ~