Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1900-01-15
In ENEMY'S
COUNTRY
General Wood For First Time
Establishes a Post In
Orange Free State.
WARREN ACROSS THE TUGELA
Butler Has Completed Arrange
ments For Relief of Lady
smith.

London, Jan. ia special dispatch
from Cape Town, dated Friday, Jan
uary 18th, evening, announces thai
General Warren has crossed the Tu-
gela river.
Orange River, Friday.-General
Wood, for the first time in the cam
paign. established post in the ene-
my's country. With force all armed
he took position January 9Th, at Zeut
pens Drift, on the north side oi
Orange river, in the Free State.
London. Jan. 15-The Standards
correspondent at Ladysmith is the
first to get through from the beleagur.
ed town an unofficial account of the
battle of January 9Th, but unfortunate
ly the most important portions of the
message, describing the earlier stages
of the engagement, has not yet been
received. The assault on the western
end of General Whites southern posi-
tion was, it seems, continued with the
utmost stubbornness until darkness
came on, and the Devonshire regiment
in final charge, cleared the Beers
from Wagon Hill at the point of the
bayonet. The British positions are
being strengthened all around, but up
to the present the Beers have no fresh
movement against them.
London, Jan. 15-Up to the present
the reported crossing of the Tugela
river, by General Warren's division
remains but rumor. Nevertheless the
whole tenor of such news as has dri6-
bled from South Africa during the last
forty-eight hours. indicates that a
combined forward movement of the
comprehensive character is proceed
ing. A column is proceeding via
Weenen to Helpmaaker, to cut off the
Beers. Advices from Pietermaritz--
burg, dated January 18th, say that
since their defeat January 9Th, the
Beers have been removing their guns
from positions south of Ladysmith.
The same dispatch confirms the re-
port that the Thirteenth Hussars
reached Groblersl1loof without meet
ing the Beers. AS the trenches at
Groblerskloof were perhaps the
strongest position held by the Bur
ghers, their vacation has considerably
astonished the British. Merchants
at Pietermaritzburg have received
messages from Ladysmith saying:
Bring up jam, ETC." Indicating their
Ladysmith agents had anticipated
the immediate opening of communica-
tion, while Ladysmith also telegraphed
the belief prevalent there January
18th, that the Beers were moving and
concentrating their forces elsewhere.
AS corroborative of British activity
in the direction for a relief of Lady
smith, dispatch has been received
at London, from Gen. Butler, to the
effect that he expected all dispositions
for a syncronous movement of the
various columns against the besiegers,
to be completed this morning, Under
these circumstances it is considered
quite probable that the advance on
the beleaguered town has commenced
and. fighting is progressing. Opti-
mists go so far as to say it is expected
that Ladysmith will be relieved to-
night if all goes well. Military men
are divided in the opinion whether
Butler is at Springfield, or personally
directing the flank movement from
Weenen. Oficials are inclined to
credit the report that the British had
crossed the Tugela river in that direc-
tion, although there is no confrma-
tion of the report and altogether there
is a more hopeful feeling in official
circles. General Frenchs forces sue
oeeded in dragging a fifteen FOUNDER
to the summit of steep Rocky Coles
kop, a thousand feet above the sur
rounding plain, and routed the Boer
camp three miles away from Strom-
burg. Three hundred Beers, escort
ing party of reapers garnered all
the crops within two miles of the col
onial camp at Birds river, the British
force being too weak to interfere.
A dispatch from Pretoria says that
the federal forces have recommended
bombardment of Mafeking, January
18th.
London, Jan. ia telegram from
Newport, Wales, says that Rutherford
Harris, formerly a resident director
in South Africa. of the British South
Africa company, received a cablegram
to the effect that General Butler had
suffered another reverse.
Durham, Natal. Jan. 14-All foreign
military attaches arrived here this
morning. They will proceed on Mon
day to Cape Town where they will join
Lord Roberts.