The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-10
TOO HOT FOR HIM.
Dispatches From the Front Tell
Why Butler
Has Abandoned His Third Ad-
vance on Ladysmith.
WAS TO SAVE HIS MEN.
Could Go No Further Without
Terrible Sacrifice.
The General Who Saves His
Men From Slaughter
Is Now Considered to Have
Made a Brilliant Move.
A DISTINCT SUCCESS.
MacDOnald's Retreat So Char
aCterized in a Dispatch.
Beers Retired in One Direction
and He in the Opposite.
Is Now Considered to Have
Made a Brilliant Move.
A DISTINCT SUCCESS.
MacDOnald's Retreat So Char
acterized in a Dispatch.
Beers Retired in One Direction
and He in the Opposite.

Headquarters Camp, Springfield
Bridge, Feb. 9-The position taken
north of the Tugela river proved a diff
cult one to maintain. The regiments
sent across as reinforcements went in
TO the front line of trenches but owing
TO the great strength of the Beers in
the Brakfontein hills to the left it was
found impossible to advance without
risl1ing unnecessary loss.
The Beers continued shelling the
British position. Several Long Tom"
shells fell among the transport trains
and four burst on Zivaat Kop, but the
Beers could not get the range. The
British guns posted there failed to
silence the Long Tom or other mask
ed guns. The Beers continued to work
the Nordenfeldts on the British infan-
try entrenched on the hill. . The fire
was severe at times.
Wednesday afternoon Gen. Butler re-
solved not to press the advance by
this route. The transport train moved
back and the infantry retired from Vaal
Krantz.
Wednesday night the gun on the
Szwart Kop replied to the Boer she'll
ing. When they commenced to shell
the transport train the Beers got a
large number of cannon into position.
Their superiority of shell fire rendered
the advance impossible.
.MacDONALD'S RETREAT.
ModdeR River. Feb. 9.-Noon-Gen.
Macdonald scored a distince success at
Koodoosberg. His original orders were
to hold the drift and construct a fort.
The position, however, was extremely
difficult, a long range of high hills run
ming northwest and terminating close
to the drift on the north bank of the
A. MAS INN hi rn hn a
whole summit, Gen Macdonald con-
structed strong works across the cen
ter which were held by the Seaforth
HighlanderS and three companies of
the Black Watch. While the Highland
light infantry held a. small kopje on the
right the Ninth Lancers patrolled the
left toward the river, Gen. MacDonald's s
plan being to repel attacks Things
went quietly until Wednesday when the
Beers advanced along the ridge within
500 yards, mounting two mountain
Founders, which were invisible from the
plain. They also held a smaller drift
three miles to the west. On receipt of
this news Gen. Methuen dispatched a
large force of cavalry and two horse
batteries under Gen. Darlington, with
the purpose of surrounding the Beers.
In order to further this plan, Gen. Mac
Donald adopted merely defensive tao
tics.
It was not attempted to force back the
Beers right, which move might have
resulted in their general retirement
soon.
Gen. Darlington left Modder River at
II 80 in the morning and arrived within
two miles of Koedoosberg at 4:30 p. m.
too late to attempt the turning move
ment. The next morning it was found
that the Beers had fed from the lower
drift but still remained on the hill
which they also left when they per-
ceived Babington's movements. Early
in the morning Darlington vigorously
sheHed the retiring Beers.
The whole British force is now return
ing to camp.
This little affair reflects great credit
upon Gen. MacDonald's tactics and
proves that the Highlanders have thor
Oughly recovered their old go and cour-
age.
THINK BULLER WAS FOOLING
New York, Feb 1O.-The war office in
London has given out no confirmation
of the report that General Butler s
forces had again retired to the south
side of the Tugela. The BOer teIe-
grams have been generally correct
hitherto however, and the public in
clines to the belief that thereport is
accurate. The London morning papers
publish dispatches from various sources
which indicate that General Butler had
found his position on the Vaal Krantz
ridge a difficult one to hold and the
silence from the war Office is taken as
corroboration Of the report that the
third attempt to relieve Lady smith has
failed. The military critics are almost
unanimous in the belief that Ladysmit tn
cannot hold out against another Boer
attack One London paper strongly
hints that General Buffers operations
are for the purpose of distracting the
attention of the Beers from the pro-
jected central advance by a strong
force, presumably headed by Lord Rob
erts.
The government announcement that
in three weeks time Lord Roberts will
have 1914 900 men in South Africa. inten-
SITES public curiosity to unveii that
closest official secret where this tre-
Inendous force is. High authorities
agree that Lord Roberts after safe
guarding his communications will have
only from $4,000 to 10000 men for his
northward march. Estimates of how
many Beers he Will have to face are
mere guess work, so much depends upon
the fate of Ladysmith and the number
of Beers released from that point
Extraordinary efforts have been made
by the censor to conceal Lord Roberts
destination, but the general idea seems
to be that he contemplates an advance
towards Bloemfontein.
A late dispatch from Sterkstrom
states that a, British patrol consisting
of a sergeant and six men of Bra