Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-08
British Soldiers Are Making
Determined Attack.
KOPJE HAS BEEN SEIZED
And This Gives Gen. Butler a Footing
on the North Bank OF the Tugela-
The March to BlOemfOntein May
Have Commenced.

Have Commenced.
Spearman's Camp, Wednesday, Feb. Z.
6. p. m.-General Butler commenced the
advance for the relief of Ladysmith
Monday. The naval guns opened at I in
the morning and a feint attack was
made in front Of our position. Three
battaliors advanced toward Brakfontein
with six batteries. AT II O'Clock the
Beers opened with artillery fire and sent
several shells among The British in
fantry. who retired one hour later.
Meanwhile a vigorous attack was
made on the extreme right, where the
engineers expeditiously constructed >
position. Several pieces of cannon hid
den among the trees on Skratzkop, bonn
barded heavily. The British infantry ad-
vanced and the Beers We're entirely sur
prised. At 4 O'Clock a high hill. a CON
tinuation of the Brakfontein, had been
taken. The opera lions were excellently
planned. The name Of the hill taken is
krantz kioof. The mbardment OF the
Boer position was resumed his (yeSter-
day. morning. The Beers worked a dis
appearing cannon from the high Dorm
kiOOI range, on TIE IISHl VI lAo Ahi NdP-
tured, but the British shells exploded its
magazine and the gun was put out Of
action uuntil late in the day. Musketfy
fire was intermittent until the afternoon,
when the Beers made a determined #
fort to retake the hill. ReinfOrcements
rushed up cheering, the Beers were re-
pulsed and the British advanced along
the ridge.
London, Feb. S.-A special dispatch
from Spearman's camp dated wednesday
Feb. 4. SAYS: sour further advance is
at the moment prevented, as the Beers
enfilade us from their positions on Spion
Kop and Doorm klo0f. Our casualties
although estimated lat $50, are trif1ing
considering the great Importance OF the
movement just concluded.
Boer Head Laagar, L~adysinith, Tues
day, Feb. 6, II a. m.-Further reports
of yesterdays fighting at the upper III
gela river show that the British lost
heavily at Pont drift, but took an import
ant position on a small kopje on the MO-
len drift side. Four Beers We're killed.
The British loss is unknown. They are
still N possession of the kopje and the
big guns have ceased firing.
Capetown, Feb. ~7.-Fighting began this
morning at Sterkstrom and is now IN
progress. No details have been recelv-
ed.
London, Feb 5, 4 a. m.-The British
columns are putting themselves In mo-
tion in all parts of the South African
warfield. A confirmed attack upon the
Beers appears to be in progress. General
Butler has gained q footing on the plat.
eau north of the Tugela, after two days
hard fighting.
thuen has begun a turning movement
against the Boer right, While General
Macdonald threatens the Boer tiana,
thus relieving the pressure on Lord Me-
thuen's front.
Lord Roberts, who, according to an in
formant in close touch with the war
office, is in the middle of the theater OF
war. has begun to march on
tein. The Beers have taken the initi-
alive against General Gatacre, attacking
two of his positions at Sterkstrom. II
really looks as though the general for
ward movement, so long talked Of, were
in progress.
General Buffers third attempt at rellev-
ing Ladysmith absorbs attention. Iele-
grams of from 100 and 200 words from q
dozen correspondents have beeen passed
by the censor, who has apparently re-
dated messages written Monday or Tues
day to Wednesday at 6 p. m. From these
it is clear that General Butler, up to
Tuesday evening, had taken one hill. hao
repulsed a Boer counter attack and was
holding the position against an ~enfiladine
fire from Spion Kop and Dorm kloof
His losses, as mentioned by one cores
pondent, are $50.
The only kilograms from Boer sources
assert that one of General Buffers at
tempts to seize the fords failed, but they
admit that he has lodged forces on one
kopje.
Light on General Buffers operation
ceases here. the war office not contribut
ing any information.
Three thousand militia have been or
dered to prepare for e~mbarkation. Tit
obsolete guns at the various coast de
fenses are being replaced with moder,
naval guns. The government is prepar
ing a plan to be submitted to parliamen
for the conversion of the yeomanry vol
unteers and militia into a we'll organized
and properly equipped army for home de
Tense.
London. Feb. S.-The Standard has tn
following from Spearman's, camp, date,
Feb. Z:
1.-The force under General Butler l
again advancing to the relief of Lady
smith. and after two days of severe fight
ing it may fairly be said to have mad
a good first step on the road to the be
sieged town.
THE movement was begun at an earl
hour on Monday morning by way of Pot
gieter's drift. TIL eleventh brigade
forming a part of the fifth division unde
General Warren. made a feint attac
upon the kopjes on our front. The as
sault was delivered at the outset unde
cover of naval gun on Mount Alice an
subsequently under that of field batterie!
1.-The infantry advanced steadily to
ward the Boer entrenched position 8
Brakfontein. and kept the enemy bust,
employed. While this division was bein
made the remainder of the infantry tol
of for the attack. who had bivouacke
Sunday night under Mount Alice, move
along at this foot of Zwartskop in the d
rection of outright.