The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-23
BUTLER CROSSES TUGELA RIVER AND
FACES THE Beers.
ENEMY STRONGLY POSTED.
The Boer Position Shelied They Lie
Concealed in the Hills. Holding Their
Fire for the British Advance-An Or
G from Butler Indicating No Quar-
ter to the Boers Party Of British
Soldiers Ambushed-Sevcre Fighting
British Losses to Date.

London, January 1S.-The war office
has issued the following from Butler.
ISpearman's camp. dated January 18th:
lone field artillery. howftzer battery
and Lyttleton's brigade are across the
ITugela az Potgeiter's drift. The enc
|my's position is being bombarded by
US. Five miles higher up Warren has
|crossed the river by a pontoon eighty
five yards long. He hopes his force
will. By evening. have advanced five
miles from the river 10 his right front.
The enemy is busily entrenching."
From Roberts, at Cape Town, Janu-
AIRY 18th: "Catacre reports hat 800
men of all ranks nave been moved
from Busman's hook TO Hoperberg.
and the Forty-seventh field battery
and one company of mounted infantry
Sterkstroom to Bushman's heck.
otherwise there is NJ change"
Mount Alice. lea Potgieter's Drift,
Natal, Monday, January 15.-The for
ward movement for the relief of Lady
smith began on Wednesday,, January
10th, from Frere and Chievelrey. Lord
IDundonald's mounted brigade with the
Fifth brigade under General Hart,
lOCiii olllS III DbDAlls Tx Soll-
.naughts, the Inniskillings, and the Dor
der regiment proceed northwesterly to
Springfield. The position had previ-
Iously been thoroughly ~reconnoitered.
A few miles outside of Frere, Lord
IDundonald passed targets erected by
1.-THE Beers to represent a force advanc-
ing in skirmishing order. Evidently
the Beers had been firing at these from
THE adjacent hills. Lord Dundonald
inl1ShP6 on and 9C the main column
advanced it was noticed that SPRING
field was not occupied by the Beers and
that the Fifth brigade had taken pos
session. The British transport eX-
tended for several miles, and comprised
Isome 5000 vehicles.
The mounted brigade advanced rap
idly, not meeting with any opposition.
THE British scouts had infinitely
searched all suspicious country, but
There was no sign of the enecy. The
lcolumn advanced to Noun Alice, fac
ling the enemy's mountain fortress.
The Beers had been at Potgieter's
drift the previous day, but a body of
South African horse swan the stream
under fire and brought over the pont
from the Boer side.
The Beers were evidently susprised
lat the appearance of the British on
the scene. A long camp could be seen
ION Tugela heights, facing Mount
Alice, but the enemy quickly Struck
lcamp and cleared off into the noun
tains. A buggy was seen leaving for
the hills on the right, presumably with
General Jourbert or some other COM
mandant. General Butler took up his
Quarters in a pleasantly situate farm
house belonging to Martinus Prectorus,
who had disappeared.
On Friday a loud explosion was
heard. Subsequently it was found that
Tho Daa~- bod lactro,aJ n hr;lra ,,rJar
construction seven miles above Pot
igieter's drift.
General Butler has issued a spirited
Iappeal and Instructions to the forces,
beginning: w are going to the re-
lief of our comrades in Ladysniith.
There will be no turning back"
The order proceeds to advise the men
when they charge regarding the condi-
ltions under which they should receive
the surrender of any of the nemy. II
also warns them that the Beers are
Itreacherous in the use of the white
flag.
This order has been received with
Ienthusiasm in every camp.
The march was very trying, but the
troops are now encamped amid very
pleasant surroundings. Their health is
excellent and all are confident.
BRIT1SHERS AMBUSHED.
s. SopC SoIolly lloo IL.
IA patrol composed of sixteen men of
the New South Wales lancers and
South Australians was ambushed yes
lterday by the Beers and overwhelmed
latter a v fight. Eight Of the de-
ltachment escaped and have arrived in
camp. Today a patrol visited the scene
LOT the fight n found n dead Aus
l~tralian and one wounded. A number
lof lead Boer horses We're also found,
Showing that Australians made a
gallant fight before surrendering.
when the Australians encountered the
first body of Beers and found their re-
threat cut off, they galloped for a
NEARBY kopje hoping to beat off the
lBoers, but on arriving they found an
lother force of burghers there.
SEVERE FIGHTING REPOETS.
London, January ia spec:a, dis
lpatch from Durham dated wednesday
says: ''Advices from Potgieter's diff
dated yesterday Tuesday, say hat
iSir Charles Warren has arrived within
seventeen miles of Ladysmith, and
that British wounded are arriving al
lMooi river field hospital by every train
from the front, indicating that there
has already been severe fighting. Meth
Ter report has yet been confirmed.
Spearman's Farm, Natal, January
lis, 10 a. m.-General Lyttleton's. bri.
Igade, with a howitZer battery, crossed
1.-THE Tugela river at Potgieter's drift or
Tuesday, January 18th. The watel
lroSe above The waists of the men. This
IBoers fired two shots and then recalled
their forces to the trenches, the pas
Isage being uninterrupted. The British
advanced in skirmishing order, and tn
small kopjes on the SUBMITS were oc
Icupied by $50 O'Clock p. m. During
the night il rained heavily.
Yesterday "wednesday the Boo
trenches were vigorously shelled il
front of Mount Alice, while the Brit
liso remained in possession Of tn
Ikopjes n plain. Heavy mists envel
loped the hills, but the naval guns am
the howitzer battery made good prac
ltice. thoroughly searching the trenches
ion the Boer right a breach was mad
lin a Sandbag emplacement, where II j
supposed Boer guns had been placed
The cannonade was heavy and con
l%tinuous, and the Beers were observe
leaving h trenches in small parties
The hill facing the British position wa
Ishelled next.
General Warren has forced a passag