The Irish standard., 1900-01-27
MEETS WITH A CHECK
Buffers Forward Movement Is at
a Standstill.
With Only Loo Yards Separating
Him from the Enemy, His Com.
mand Cannot Continue
with Safety.

ing further would be issued until
Wednesday forenoon, the following
dispatch from Gen. Butler, dated at
Spearman's Camp, January %, $3.50 p.
M, has been posted:
warren holds the position he gained
two days ago. In front of him. at about
l.40O yards, is the enemy's position, west
Of Spions Kop. 1t is on higher ground than
Warren's position. SO IT is impossible 10
see into it properly.
1T can be approached only over hare
open slopes. and the ridges held by War
rem are SO steep that guns cannot BIZ placed
on them. But we are Smelling rhe enemys
position with howitzers and field artillery,
placed on lower ground, behind infantry.
The enemy is replying with Crtu+ot and
other artillery. In this duel the advantage
rests with us, as We appear 10 he 81 archins
his trenches, and his artillery fire is not
causing us much loss.
An attempt will be made fortnight to
seize Spions Kop, the salient OF which
forms the left of the enemys position. fac
Ing Trichards Drift, and which divides it
from the position facing Pots;ieters D1.ii.
1t has considerable command oNey AL the
enemy's intrenchments.
At IL StandstiIl.
London, Jan. 24.-Gen. Bullo%'s great
turning movement, OF which - much
had been expected, has conc TO Il stand
still. His carefully worded message to
the war office tellingthis, artcra si,,ucc
OF two days, reads like an apology and
an explanation. Gen. Warren holds
the ridges, but The cncmy's. position is
higher. The british artillery is play
ing on the Boer positions, and the l;ocrs
are replying. The 1;,itsh infantry is
separated only by l,400 yards from The
enemy, but an approach TO the steep
slopes, across the bare open, would On
pose the British to fatal rifle fire.
Gen. Buffers plans have reached their
development. He declines to send his
infantry across this zone against
formidable positions by daylight, and
discioses his purpose to assault the
Spion kop heights during the night
If he takes it cpd thus commands
the adjacent country, an important
and possibly decisive step will be
accomplished.
British Thrice RcpulScd
Pretoria, Jan. % (via Louren2o
Marques, Jan. 24.)-According 10 Off
cial dispatches received from ME Epry
laager near Colenso 10000 British ma. 3,
simultaneous attack Saturday ON s..,.
eral positions of the Tugcla river, Mit}
the object of forcing the relief Of l.n}y.
smith. A terrific battle cnsucl. Aia
fighting continued for GO hours. \
frightful bombardment by 40 Iri,;,h
cannon opened the engagement. ll,u
came grand infantry attacks by Ne
force under Gems. Butler and Wnrr,r.
who were three times rcpuiscd. with
great losses.
Whites Headquarters Smashed.
Head Boer Laager, Lady smith, JAN.
22.-The quarters of Gems. White atH
Hunter were smashed this morning hy
q shot from Long Tom 1t is not
known whether any of the occupants
of the building were killed.
Continue to lombard kimhcrlr,.
Modder River, Tuesday, Jan. ga
photograph message from Kimberley
says the l'ocrs vigorously renewed the
bombardmcnt Tuesday.
a HOcr Account.
London, Jan. 24.-rhe following ac.
count of the fighting is from I,ocr
sources:
Boer Camp. Upper Tugela River. Sunday.
Jan. 2l.-Aftcr Comma ndant Botha che cktd
the British advance yesterday morning, il
was expected that there would be no FUR
ther action until Tomorrow. This after
noon, however signs were discerned OF
an intended movement in the British north
ern camp. When the heat, which was
more frightful than any yet experienced,
had worn off. the British cannon started
IN full force, and the infantry advanced
IN extended order Gems. Botha and
Cronje held the high hills over which the
road to Ladysmith passes When the
mauser fire opened II pandemonium of
sound filled the air. The vindictive crash
of lyddtc shells the sharp volleys of lee
metfordS, and the whip-likc crack OF maui
ser5 were ntersperaed with the boom of
the Rocr maxims. The battle ended with
darkness. but not without evidence Of exc
cution nmong the British that were mani
fest AT sunrise. Field Cornet Ernst Emilio
was killed, nor did the generals escape I'M
scathcd
the Other road to Ladysmi;h crosses the
hills. The British advanced from low kopjes
on the banks OF the Tugela unmolested,
Then they entered the zone of mauser fire,
and although their naval guns kept IN
the usual terrible racket the advance was
stopped and the British had to count out
their dead and wounded. Commandant
ViJoen, und Two burghers were knocked
senseless by an explosion of lyddite but
Commandant Viljoen recovered. Field
Cornet HeilbrOn was wounded and, on re-
fuSing TO surrender, was shot.
The British loss was probably insignif-
cant. They complain that expansive bull
lets in mauscrs were found in the field and
soft-nosed bullets with ice-metfords. The
Beers admit tina. sporting mausers were
occasionally found, but that they deny
the charge respecting expansive bullets
Not shot was fired ~ the Beers with