Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-01-26
BOERS DRIVEN BACK
All Day Sunday the Battle
Ragged Fiercely
BRITISH GAIN THREE POSITIONS
Buffers Forces Are steadily Pushing
the Enemy Backward In a Difli-
cult and UphilI Fight In the
Face of Heavy Fire.


Face of n Heavy Fire.
LONDON. Jan. 23.-Gcneral Butler
has reported nothing of his operations on
Monday, and official and press intelli-
gence leaves the British bvouacked Sun
day night on the ground they had won
after two days fighting.
Military men assume that fighting must
have taken place and that it was proba-
bly, more severe than on the two preced-
ing days. General Butler would not be
likely to give the Beers leisure to add to
the elaborate intrenchments, to arrange
their artillery and to concentrate their
forces.
General Butler cables to the war office:
"Spearman's Camp, Jan. 21..General
Warren has been engaged all day, chiefly
on his left which he has swung forward
about n couple of miles The ground is
very difficult, and as the fighting is all
the time uphill it is difficult to say exact
ly how much we have gained, but think
we are making substantial progress"
A later dispatch says: General War.
ren's engagement continues. lie has
forced the enemy from three positions.
The Lancashire and Irish brigades are
advancing steadily. The fire is very Sc
we're occasionally"
The war Office has received the follow
ing from General Butler, dated Spear.
mans Camp, Jan. 81:
sin order to relieve the pressure on
General Warren and to ascertain the
strength of the enemy in the position in
front of Potgieter's drift General Lyttle.
ton made a reconnaissance in force yes
terday. This kept the enemy in thcii
trenches in full atrcngth all day.
The war office HIS received the follow
ing from Lord Roberts, dated Cape Town,
Jan. 2l:
General French reports a demonstra
ton with cavalry and two guns toward
Hebron ON Friday, but that otherwise his
situation is unchanged"
A third supplementary list of the Brit
ish casualties in the attack upon Lady
smith on Jan. q is published 10y the war
Office 1t shows % noncommissioned
officers and mon killed and five danger
ously wounded. This brings the total of
casualties in that engagement to 4SS.
The Daily Mail has the following, dated
Sunday night, from Spearman's camp:
"Therc has been hot fighting all day.
At dawn our attack was resumed along
the entire line all the brigades taking
part. We soon discovered that the Beers
still occupied the range of hills in force,
their position being very strong The
range is intcrsccted by steep ravines and
many approaches very difficult of access
To-day the Beers who were driven
from their trenches yesterday took cover
in dongas and behind the rocks with
which the hills are strewn. The forces
therefore commenced the task of driving
them out and set to work with good
heart in the early morning. Much firing
took place, and our progress was slow,
hut gradually British pluck told its tale,
and the enemy fell back to another kopje
We swarmed on and occupied it, and then
the attack recommended with the utmost
galantry.
"The country simply abounds in hills
favorable to guerrilla warfare, and our
task is an arduouS one. Nevertheless it
Is being gradually accomplished. When
ever any of the enemy were observed
taking up Il fresh position our field bat
teries poured in showers of shrapnel, and
the rapid movement of the guns. followed
10y accurate shooting. must have greatly
distressed them.
1.-THE enemy were on the defensive al
most the entire day save once when they
attempted to outhank our left and were
signally chcckmatcd. They relied almost
entirely on rihc fire. \ few shells were
fired from heavy piece of ordnance, but
these fell harmless
1--WE now occupy the lower crest on the
left and are convcrging slowly but surely
to the Roer center. The Boer loss is I'M
known, hut must have been heavy Theil
killed and wounded are carried away to
the rear rapidly. Strong rumors are in
circulation that the Beers are retiring.
The battle will be resumed tomorrow"