The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-18
GEN. BULLER'S SURPRISE
His Troops Occupy tho Hills Be-
yond Potgeiters Drift.
THE FORCES ARE CONCENTRATED.

General Methuen Has Made Demon.
stration In Cape Colony, Smelling
Boer works-Gatacre skirmishin1
at Molteno and French at Rensberg
London, Jan. 18.-General Butler
completely surprised the Beers and oc-
cupied the hills beyond Potgeiters
Drift. 15 miles west of Colenso, on
Wednesday, Jan. 10. This intelligence
is contained in a dispatch to The
Times, dated yesterday. He followed
up the movement by Smelling the Boer
trenches.
Tho other morning papers are out
with extra editions confirming The
Times dispatch. The Daily Telegraph's
correspondent, under yesterdays date,
says: II am permitted to wire from
Spearmans Farm that General Lyttleton
yesterday afternoon ferried and forded
Potgeiters Drift and seized with little
opposition line of low ridges mile
from there. During the night how
itzer battery was carried across. To-
day. from Mount Alice, near Swartz
Kop, naval guns and howitzers eff
fectively shelled the Boer position,
which is strong. General Warren also
today crossed the Tugela, six miles
farther to the west, near Wagon Drift,
with all arms, in the face of hot and
heavy fire from boer cannon and rifles.
He has effected most satisfactory
Judgment two miles further on toward
Sproen Kop."
This news completely disposes Of the
statement that Sir Charles Warren's
force went in the direction of Weenen,
and 1t tends greatly to restore con-
fidence in General Buffers tactics. The
supposition that he had divided his
forces into three columns had given
cause for anxiety. It Is now seen that
such view was erroneous, as General
Buffers forces are concentrated.
In Cape Colony General Methuen has
made a demonstration In force, she'll
ing the Boer works. General Gatarce
Is diminishing around Molteno, and
General French has been throwing
few shells at the Beers at Rensberg.
Colonel Plumer is moving to the re-
lief Of Mafeking from Bechuanaland.
He is now in command Of less than g.
900 men. Mafeking is in bad way;
the siege is being pressed with de-
termination, and the Kaffirs are de-
sorting beca sc of pinched rations and
the necessity I, : eating horse meat.
The Standard publishes vivid &C.
count Of the assault upon Ladysmith
on Jan. 6, showing that the garrison
was surprised and that several times
the situation was critical. Out Of a
detachment of 80 Gordon Highlanders
who surrendered every man was
wounded, says the correspondent.
Curiously enough, this is the first men
ton of the capture Of Highlanders.
The Boer repulse at Ladysmith was
the heaviest counterstroke of the war.
The government is relaxing its eff
forts to send out reinforcements. 1t is
quite undecided as to when the Eighth
division will be shipped. The war Of
fee declines the offer Of third bat
talon Of Northamptonshire militia,
saying that no more militia will be
sent abroad. 1t seems probable that
only 5000, instead Of 10000, yeOmanry
will be modified.
The war office sent for Lord Strath-
coma yesterday and he had long In
terview with the officials, particularly
General Sir Evelyn Wood. The de-
tails of his force have been arranged
and cabled to Canada.
J. J. Van Aliens offer to give a field
l. 49, % nid OF nj
wagons, rs cots and 20 transport ami
mails. with all the appliances, has been
accepted by the war Office. The sec
ton will be called the American Sec
ton of the hospital to which it is at
tached.
The ministers are gathering for a
cabinet council, which will probably be
held tomorrow.
The correspondent of The Times at
Lorenzo Marques, telegraphing yester-
day, says:
IAN old British resident in the Boer
republic. who has Just been expelled,
informs me that 10 per cent of the
Free State commands are British or
British born, who have been compelled
to 20 to the front. The Beers are so
disappointed and disheartened that he
predicts that single big reverse
would be followed by a wholesale dis
persal of the Free Staters, who are
disguised with the Transvaalers.
"They have no money and no food
stuffs, except unground wheat and
mealIes, in the Free State, and the
payment of official salaries has been
suspended. In consequence of defec-
tive transport, the men at the front
often 60 for days without food. Rifle
ammunition is running short, and
what was condemned by General Jou-
bert at the beginning of the war as
dangerous is now being used.
"A correspondent of The Standard
and Diggers' News says that the Beers
in Natal are quarrelsome, cantanker-
GUS and overweary of waiting and of
the hardships of camp life, and that
they criticize their generals.
Information from Pretoria says the
Boer government refuses to accept the
claim for licenses made by absentee
outlanders. 1t is difficult to trust to
the efficiency Of Portuguese control
over goods passing through here to the
Transvaal. There is little doubt that
goods are smuggled over the border,
but 1t Is impossible to say whether
these are Contraband, owing to the
fact that the Boer agents command I'M
limited money and that the Portuguese