New-York tribune., 1900-01-20
BULLER'S DIFFICULT TASK.
ENGLISH LEADERS RECOGNITION OF
THE DANGER.
copyright; 1900: By The New-York Tribune.I
[BY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE


[BT CABLE TO TRIBUNE.l
London, Jan. 90 1 a. m.-Sir Redvers Butler
after planning in detail the strategic combina-
ton which the British army is attempting
10 carry out, telegraphed the following message
70 a member Of his family on his last night in
camp at Frere: "I don't know whether this thing
can be done, but If it can mean to do it."
The enterprise upon which he had entered was
momentous and difficult anything in Eng
1ish history since Wellington's work at Water
loo, yet he could sum up his own deliberate
sense of danger and the risks OF the undertaking
and his own in1exible courage in few simple
words. Il is a sentence that deserves to be
remembered by men OF English blood. whatever
happens ON the Tugela.
The first glimpse offered of these great events
yesterday was General Buffers dispatch to the
War Office dated o'clock on Thursday even
ing II reported that Lord Dundonald had gone
afeld while Sir Charles Warren's division was
completing its passage of the Tugea, and that
after brisk skrmish with the enemy he had
occupied several kopjes to the west Of Acton
Homes. General Warren reinforced him with
detachment OF the 1st Dragons, and the posi-
ton remained in the possession Of the British
mounted troops. His losses were trivial-two
killed and two wounded-while twenty-one
Beers were killed and wounded and fifteen taken
prisoners. This affair was a fresh demonstration
of the increased mobility of the British forces
and an important tactical success.
Acton Homes is twenty-five miles west Of
Ladysmith and the scene of General
Whites reconnaissance in force on the day be-
fore Sir Redvers Butler sailed from England It
lay five miles to the north of the Boer defensive
position, of which spion Kop was supposed TO
be the centre. The apparent object of this
manGuvre was to secure command of the road
end Dewdrop TO Ladysmith
Whether the entire Boer position had been
turned or merely pierced at one point, depended
upon the extent of the westward movement of
the line Of defences
BOERs PREPARING TO RESIST.
Reuters and Central News dispatches dated
on Thursday night at General Buffers head
quarters reported that while General Warren's
division had remained in possession of the
kopjes commanding the ravine behind Spion Hill
General Lyttleton's brigade made a recon-
noissance toward the line Of kopjes four miles
north Of Potgieter's Drift and was almost in
toOch with the enemy. The howitzers had con-
linued TO smell the Boer positions hour after
hour' but there was no reply from the enemy's
guns Two balloon ascents had been made and
the Boer intrenchments had been thoroughly
surveyed The enemy was receiving reinforce
ments from Colenso and busiiy intrenching
The river falling but might rise rapidly
rs the weather was threatening
These dispatches created the impression that
the two armies would inevitably be Joined in
conflict yesterday. This was enough TO put the
rumor mongers and story speculators on their
nettle One story followed another in the city,
and in the course Of few hours Generals Butler
and Warren were reported wounded; Ladysmith
was relieved and the British columns were
overwhelmed with disaster. The afternoon
edition Of The Times" with the stock quota
tons. contained nothing TO justify these SEN
sational rumors. and it's only dispatch from
General Buffers camp described General War
ren's force as biyouacked two miles beyond the
revir and General Lyttletons brigade as haIting
two miles from the enemy's position, which
extended from koptes opposite to Potgieter's