The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-07
The WAR IN AFRICA.
Butler Advances But
Loses Many Men.


Loodon. March l 4 Is q. m Gen
BuIles's distinct success in stormiDg
Pister's bill brings the rescue Of
Lsdysmith near, bot the war Office
insimsssd late last evening that an
Immediate announcement of relief
Dsed not be expected The going
70 and fro at midnight of officials
end messengers suggested that i'm
portsnt news bad been received
As his message reveals, Gen
buller'a successful attack came after
the hard Sighting on Friday. and it
IVES impsovised and i,s execution
begun during the armistice of Sun
dsy In proposing the Irmistice, the
British commander stipulated that
both sides should be free TO move.
bat neither should do any shooting
He wee therefore within bis priv
'sgss in immediately beginning TO
sssnsfsr HE troops
Gen Bul'er's tidings come weight.
Cd With his long Iiss of casualties.
HE losses In the four attempts to get
Gen White out aggregate 1000
Lsdysmith 10 in desperate straits
Charles Willisms. the military expert.
says ha learns on very high au,hor
y, presumably that Of Lord Wolseley,
that Gen Whites force 10 slmos. at
its les, gasp"
"This is not 90 much," says Mr.
Williams. con account of any lack of
provisions or Of ammunition, neither
OF which 10 yet exhausted "a because
os tho poisonous nature OF Kip river
wster and the evil effects of the heat
1ven those who have escaped fever
dyseutery and disrrhoea are in
state Of low vitality They can still
msintsin trenches. and would pro
baby hold their own against a last
desperate assault. but they can
initiate nothing Gen Butler now
knows that. ss units tie regiments
will be of no use TO him for months
The water Of Klip river is not
available for drinking aud to boil i,
10 impossible. because of the scarcity
Of fuel IL is thick with putrid
animal matter Tea made of il has
suspended fibre. something like beef
tee il is caused by The sewerage
from the Boer camps
Mr. Williams sdds that when news
'lite this passes under the thumb of
tho censor IL more than objects what
ever jolly bews may be photographed
from Lsdysmith.
There 10 no authoritative indication
% yet OF what Lord Roberts will do
next IL seems likely that q branch
railway will be built scross the veldt
to lesseo the difficulties Of transport
Col Girouard. who built the Soudsn
railway. is With Lord Roberts The
strain on the Western railway 10 seen
from the fact that the population OF
Kimberley. two weeks after the re.
iie', continues on reduced rations.
L~sd Roberts troops thus far have
been only partially fed
IL is quite clear to technical heads
thst those who talk of OH immediate
and rapid advance far into the Free
State do not realize the transport
conditions The BYers. ss il now
appears. have built Q railway from
Hsrrismith TO Kroomstsdt To facilitate
the movement Of their troops be.
tween Natal and the Free State.
msfekiDg was holding out on Feb
10 AT that time the Boers were
showing unususl activity and firing
ip6smsble shells.
Tbe Beers who hold positions
south Of the Orange river have been
weakened
Lieut. Bsrentzen. writing on behalf
Of himself and Of other Scan dinsvisn
prisoners. sfirms that there are no
mercensries in the Boer army and
no volunteers who receive Q penny
for their services.