The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-15

horse artillery, left here on the evening
of January Sunday and crossed the Free
State border on Tuesday.
simultaneously other movements we're
made. A column under Col Pitcher went
from Belmont TO the south Of Gen. Bah
ington's route. while portion OF the gar
risons OF Klokfontein and Honey Nest
kloot, under Mai Byrne. advanced toward
Jacobsdahl.
MOer Farmhuses Empty.
Gen. Babington penetrated twelve miles
and his scouts twenty. They saw no signs
of armed Beers. The farmhouses were
found empty, the occupants having had
news of the advance and gone further In
to the interior. The British bivouackcd at
Romdon. They burned three farm
houses, the property OF Lubbe. one OF the
Boer leaders. Yesterday they swept
around southwark. returning here today.
Nothing was accomplished except recon.
noissances
Col. Pitcher came into touch with Gen.
Darlington and then returned to Belmont.
Maj Byrne reconnoitered the hills about
four miles from Jacobsdahl and saw 700
Beers.
says All VIII Go Well.
LONDON, Jan. 15.-The special corre-
spondent OF the Daily Telegraph at Freere
camp. IN dispatch dated January 10. aft
er describing the situation as already
known. says:
Possibly you may not hear from me
for the next two days or so. but. believe
me. all will go we'll"
BOer Loss Depressing.
The Standard publishes the following
from Ladysmith. dated Thursday, Janu-
airy II, by heliograph, via Weenan:
'The Beers are fortifying positions north
and west of Ladysmith, doubtless with
a view to securing safe line of retreat
should their opposition to Gen. Buffers
advance fail. They still surround Lady,
smith in large numbers. and may be con-
templating another attack.
''It is known, however. that they are
greatly depressed by their heavy losses.
Prior to Saturday they were perfectly con-
fident Of their ability to defeat the garri-
son and to take possession Of the town.
Both stubbornly Contest.
A special dispatch from the Hoofdt laag-
er at Ladysmith. dated January Q. via
Lourenzo Marquee, describing the assault
on January 6 upon Ladysmith, says:
1.-THE British made no attempt to hold
the first line of breastworks, but made
an exceedingly stubborn resistance at the
next row. Every inch was stubbornly
contested and conspicuous bravery was
displayed on both sides.
After 10 o'clock the British artillery fire
slackened and a terrible individual con-
test ensued among the rifemen for the
possession of Platt-Rand ridge. At noon
a heavy thunderstorm interrupted the bat
tie, lasting two hours
Hand-tO-Hand Encounter.
ALTHOUGH the burghers succeeded in
ultimately gaining possession of most of
the British positions on the western side
of the Platt-Rand, they were finally
obliged to retire from most of the ground
they occupied. The British were most
strongly intrenched, their redoubts being
still fully loopholed and the combat was
SO close that rifles were frequently fired
at arms length. 1t was hand-to-hand
encounter with the men on both sides
lighting like demons, and the horror and
bewilderment of the scene could scarcely
be paralieled.
''The operations were continued the next
day Sunday on a smaller scale, but 1t is
reported that, as a result of one of the
forlorn hopes, one gun and two ammuni-
tion wagons were captured.
Gen. Warren's Advance.
A dispatch to the Daily Mail, dated JAM
uary IL. from Pietermaritzburg, says:
'Sir Charles Warren marched with H.
900 men eastward from Freere by way Of
Weenan. His scouts found no sign of the
enemy at Groeblers kloof. and Colenso
was ascertained to be deserted.
There are rumors that the Beers are
preparing to leave Natal, discouraged by
their failure to reduce Ladysmith All
the colontals and irregulars have been
placed under Gen. Warren command
De villiers Killed
among the Free Staters killed in the
attack on Ladysmith on January was
Commandant de Villiers, who but for his
well-known friendliness to England
would have been commander -in-chief of
the Free State forces"