Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1900-02-14
THE BRITISH ADVANCE.
Gen. Butler Moves Once More to the
Relief of Ladysmith-Story
of the Fighting.

London, Feb. 8.-The British col
umns are putting themselves in motion
in all parts of the South African war
field. A combined attack upon the
Beers appears to be in progress. Gen.
Butler has gained footing on the
plateau north of the Tugela, after two
days hard fighting. On the far west
ern border Lord Methuen has begun
a turning movement against the Boer
right, while Gen. Mcdonald threatens
the Boer flank, thus relieving the pres.
sure on Lord Methuen's front. Lord
Roberts, who, according to an inform
ant in close touch with the war office,
is in the middle of the theater of war
has begun the march on Bloemfontein,
The Beers have taken the Initiative
against Gen. Gatacre, attacking two
of his positions at Sterkstroom.
| London, Feb. s.-The Standard has
the following from Spearman's Camp,
dated February z: 81
1.-THE force under Gen. Butler is again al
vancing to the relief Of Ladysmith, and
| after two days of severe fighting it NAV
| fairly be said to have made good first ster
on the road to the besieged town. The
movement was begun at an early hour on
Monday morning by way of Potgieter's
| drift. The Eleventh brigade, forming a
part Of the Fifth division under Gen. War.
rem, made a feint attack upon the kopjes
Immediately on our front. The assault
| was delivered at the outset under cover OF
naval guns on Mount Alice, and suisse
| quently under that of field batteries The
infantry advanced steadily toward the
| Boer intrenched position at Brakfontein
! and kept the enemy busily employed. While
| this diversion was being made the remain
der of the infantry told off for the attac
! who had bivouacked Sunday night under
Mount Alice, moved along at the foot OF
Zwart's kop, in the direction of our right.
A pontoon bridge was thrown across the
| Tugela by the engineers under the fire OF
the enemy. The first battalion to move
across in the forenoon was the Durham
light infantry, of Gen. Lyttletons brigade
They advanced against Vaal Krantz, which
lies on the most direct road to Ladysmith,
and after two hours splendid work they
got within charging distance Of the Beers
1.-The first of the kopjes was carried by
them at the point of the bayonet, by the ut
most gallantry. Almost simultaneously
the battalion rifle brigade cleared the sec
ond kopje. and after moving across the long
ridge they bivouacked on the spot.
THE feint attack at Potgieter's having
served its purpose in preventing the con-
centration Of the enemy at the critical
point, the Eleventh brigade fell back to the
river. In the course of the operation both
the infantry and the artillery had been SUBJ
jected to a severe shell fire.
TUESDAY. at four in the afternoon, the
enemy, encouraged doubtless byAtheir sue
cess at Spion kop, endeavored to recapture
the position taken by US at~Vaal Krantz.
They were beaten back. however, with
1s-f
been magnifcently done. The shell and
maxim fire poured in by the Beers has
been extremely severe. but our losses are,
comparatively speaking, small. The Dur
ham light infantry took few prisoners in
the course of their charge.
THE enemy, as usual, fought with the
utmost stubborness. The British maneuver-
ing and the accuracy Of aim on the
part of the British artillery during the
fighting on Monday were beyond praise.
There is not the slightest likelihood that
the Beers will succeed in dislOdging us from
the positions we have gained, and the pros
poets Of the relief Of Ladysmith are de-
cidely hopeful.
1T is said that the Beers suffered very
heavily, their ambulances were hard at
work. The Boer position consisted of a
line of kopjes, strongly intrenched, extend
ing three miles from Spion kop and curving
sharply at the eastern end to the south,
about opposite warts kop, which is a
steep hill south Of the Tuge!a that the Brit
ish occupied before the seizure of Potgiet-
er's drift.
1.-THE war balloon has proved a most USE
full adjunct, making ascents daily and get
ting information as to the Boer positions.
The Beers directed heavy shrapnel fire,
in the endeavor to destroy the balloon APP
paratus."
Boer Head Lager, Ladysmith, Feb.
6.-Since yesterday the British, with
naval and other guns, have lombard
ed our positions on the Upper Tugela.
The troops crossed the river at the
pont and at Molen drift. with the OBJ
]ect of storming our positions. At
the former, Gen. Burger beat them
back and they recrossed in great con-
fusion.
The fighting continues at Molen
drift with the Standerton and johann
nesburg commands. There were no
casualties on our side.
Further reports of the fighting at
the Upper Tugela river show that the
British lost heavily at Pont drift, but
took an important position on. a. small
kopje. on the Molen drift side. Four
Beers were killed. The British loss is
unknown. They are still in possession
of the kopje, and the big guns have
ceased firing.
Miss Anthony to Retire.