, 1900-01-08
ATTACK LADYSM|TH
SIR GEORGE WHITE SENDS WORD
THAT HE is VERY HARD
PRESSED.
General Butler Moving Forward Hop
ing to Reinforce White-Boers
Mass in Trenches to prevent juno
ton of Forces-Heliograph Sig
mailing Used.

London, Jan. S.-This mornings dis.
patches from the seat of war show
that the situation in Natal is more crit
ical for British arms than at any pre-
vioGs stage of the campaign. The Bo-
ers have at last attacked Ladysmith
in force, and while it is said that Gen
eral Sir George White was able to re-
pei first assaults, the last words re-
ceived from the besieged town were
that he was very hard pressed"
Upon receipts of this news, General
Butler moved General Clery's two bri-
gades forward, only to find that the Bo-
ers were massed in force in the trench
es fronting Colenso, showing that they
were strong enough to attack Lady
smith and hold General Butler in check
at the same time.
Some fighting was begun by Gen
eral Clery near the Colenso bridge on
Saturday at about 5 o'clock since which
time no dispatches have come through.
General Whites position at Lady
smith is clearly very critical, and it is
not exaggeration to say that the Brit
ish public must prepare itself for the
most serious disaster of the war. The
latest message from White himself is
dated at a quarter past 8 o'clock p. m,
Saturday. At that time he was very
hard pressed, to quote his W words.
Communications from Ladysmith
are received, it will be remembered, by
heliograph, and at a critical point the
sun failed and General Butler had abso-
lutely no more news to send. He adds,
however, that there vas a camp ru-
nor to the effect hat at 5 o'clock Gen
eral White had defeated the Beers,
taking 400 prisoners. Presumably Gen
eral Butler would hardly have trans
some reason for thinking there was
some truth in it, Still /, does not pro-
fess to be anything more than a ru-
NOR, and General Butler expressly says
lldl Le has no real NEWS.
The serious tone in all Of General
Whites messages is very significant.
According to the war office, these were
received by General Butler in the fol-
lowing order during Saturday:
80 a. m.-Enemy attacked Caesars
Camp 2:55 a. m. in considerable force.
Enemy everywhere repulsed, but fight
Ing still continues"
IL a. m.-Attack continues. Enemy
has been reinforced from south"
"12:45 p. m.-Hate beaten enemy off
for the present, but they are still
around me in great numbers"
1918 p. m.-Attack renewed. Very
hard pressed"
In each successive messages, 1t will
be seen, the British commander empha-
sizes the seriousness of his position.
When he is for a time successful he
intimates it is for a time only. The
series Of dispatches ends with admis-
sion that he is very hard pressed by
his enemy. General White is by COM
mon consent the bravest Of brave, and
it is pretty sure that he will not lose,
or seem to lose heart unless position
were extreme critical.
What adds seriousness to the situa-
ton Is the fact which one OF General
Buffers message conveys, that he is
rowerless to help the beleaguered garri-
son. With all Of his available troops
General Butler made demonstration to-
ward Colenso on Saturday, his great
object being, Of course, to keep the en-
envy on the Tugela river occupied there,
but he found the trenches full of b.
ers.
There are evidently enought of them
to both hold the Tugela against Gener-
al Butler and to press General White
hard in Ladysmith. General Butler
apparently did not feel at last reports
himself strong enough to renew his
advance to the relief of the garrison,
but he may have done so later.
If SO, we can expect news OF a bloody
battle. II not, than we shall have the
remarkable spectacle of n British ar
my shut up in Ladysmith and fighting
desperately for its lie, with another
larger army fifteen miles to the south
powerless to move to its relief.
The scene OF the first attack Of the
Beers on General Whites lines is i'm
portant, as it shows that the enemy
was following a well defined plan.
Below General Joubert, on the Tuge-
la, is General Buffers army, which
numbers about $4,000 men. South OF
Ladysmith there is a strong, fortified