The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-20
REPUDIICAN. wAfGToN.
FORTY THOUSAND MIN
Are Now Pushing Forward to tho
asss Relief Of Ladysmith.
A PROLONGED BATTLE EXPECTED.

Two OF Three Days of Continuous
Fighting - Boers Have Gone te
London. Jan. 20.-Every hour that
General Butler delays his combined at.
tack makes his position stronger
Transports continue to arrive at Dur.
ban, and fresh troops are being sent
up the line to reinforce those In front
Of Colenso. 1t appears that General
Buffers troops north Of the Tugela
number at least $4,000, and possibly
$4,000, with so guns. His total forces
forming great outer curve south and
west of Ladysmith, probably number
10000.
While General Buffers forward
operations, which began on Jan. 10,
develop rather leisurely, the Beers ap-
pear to be fully aware that they must
meet strenuous assault. Balloon OBJ
servers have roughly estimated that
there are 5000 Beers using spade and
pick in artificially strengthening po-
sitions which nature has rendered
easy Of defense.
Military critics in touch with tho
war office think that news that general
fighting has begun may be expected at
any hour. It is not thought that one
days fighting will settle the fate Of
Ladysmith, but rather that there will
be two or three days Of continuous
fighting.
A dispatch to The Daily Telegraph
from Spearmans Camp describes the
difficulties of the march, owing to the
unwieldly baggage column, including
all the tents and sheep, over bad roads
in wet weather. The correspondent
then goes on to say:
Some 10000 Beers arrived in the
vicinity of Potgeiters Drift on Thurs
day and Friday of last week and be-
gan the erection of extensive and for
midable lines of trenches, for their
position apparently could only be
turned from the west by assailing the
high ridges of the Sproen Kop. A
balloonist on Thursday last reported
that no guns were visible in the en-
emy's works, but there was large
Boer camp in the direction of Brakfon-
tein, a brown ridge four miles from
Potgeiters Drift. Beers arrived In
large numbers Thursday from Colenso
and Ladysmith. They have certainly
run branches of the railway from Mod
der Spruit around Mount Bulwaya.
Nearly all the Beers have gone to at
tempt to check General Warren's adj
vance"
Another dispatch from Spearmans
Camp, dealing with Lord Dundonald's
movement to the west Of General
Warren's force, already cabled, says:
"His success gives lis control Of an
easy entrance to Ladysmith. Our
guns continue to lombard the Boer
lines, the Beers replying but feebly.
General Warren is advancing steadily"
The Standard publishes the following
from Spearmans Camp, dated Thurs
day: 1T is reported that the Beers
opposite Colenso, on finding that Gen.
eral Butler had outmaneuvered them,
crossed to the south of the Tugela on
Monday and set fire to all the houses
in the village. AS the force from
Chieveley advanced the Beers retired
before them to trenches on a hill in
line with Colenso. Our infantry adj
vanced to the attack in diminishing
order, followed by supports and re-
serves, our cavalry scouting on the
right close up to the river. The Boer
forces at Colenso must have been con-
weakened by the dispatch of
large achievements westward to meet
General Buffers advance, and they
now hurriedly evacuated the river
trenches and the kopies opposite the
village and scattered before our
shrapnel. BY evening none of the
enemy was left within rifle shot Of
Colenso. The British force retired to
Chieveley."
The Daily Mail publishes the follow
ing dispatches, dated Thursday, from
Spearmans Camp:
General Buffers order instructs the
men to heed the white flag Of the Beers
only when they lay down their arms.
1t also instructs them to beware Of
false bugle calls"
at is reported here that Lord Dun
donald has smashed Boer convoy.
General Butler is said to be within IL
miles of Ladysmith and General War
rem to be about six miles to the rear"
The Boer accounts of the passage Of
the Tugela river are given in the fol-
lowing dispatches from Cammandant
Viljeons camp on the upper Tugela,
via Lorenzo Marques, Jan. 18:
"Buller's second move was a recon-
nalssance in force with an armored
train and large body. supported by
cannon, toward Colenso Monday night.
A heavy bombardment ensued, and
thereupon the British returned, having
wounded one Of our men. No reply
was made. This move was feint to
cover extensive movements up the
river. Kaffirs on this side of the Tu-
gela have been warned by the British
to leave their kraals, as the fight will
commence shortly"
The second dispatch, dated Jan. II,
runs thus:
"The night was unbroken, save for
slight rife encounters between out
posts, which led to nothing. At day
break the enemy was located as be-
fore. He had not brought a single
gun across the river. But from the
ridges Of Swartz Kop battery and a
half Of siege guns opened our position
at s a. nj. The bombardment was
probably the most frightful ever wit
messed on land. Frequently five naval
guns fired simultaneously at one en-
The rumor on the London Stock Fx-
change that General Warren had been
killed is discredited. Not a word in
has been received.
Virginia Celebrates Lees Birthday.
Richmond, Va, Jan. 20.-The ami
versary Of General Robert q. Lees
which Is state holiday, was
dhsnrVad hare Yasterdau hu the clos.