Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-01-23
.BULLER'S GUNS ARE HEARD
Relief for Ladysmith Apparently
Near at Hand.
BRITISH LINE ADVANCE
Some Heavy Fighting il Expected
Before the Two Armies Make
Juncture.

1eI force Is steadily WORKING nOfluNuIu
Heavy fighting occurred yesterday. The
Beers are retreating.
London, Jan 20-Telegrams from the
front indicate that the northward march
Of the relief column moving towards La
dysmith is proceeding steadily. The au-
thOrities here seem satisfied that notWltn-
standing Gen. Buffers forces are within
sight OF Ladysmith, the besieged place
is safe at present from serious attack.
No news of real Importance was made
public up to 2:30 o'clock this afternoon,
and there was nothing to show that the
general engagement, so frequently ru~
mored, has yet commenced. though, OBJ
viOusly. news OF such q battle is monlen-
tar.ly expected.
There is every indication that a#blg
fight for the western roads beading to
LadySmithl will take place today
writes the London Leaders military CRIT
ic III the issue Of today saturday,
though it may have begun yesterday:
All the artillery of Gen. Warren ana
Rildyard were not across the Deifts yes
tcrday morning, and the ammunition
train and most OF the heavier guns were
probably then still south Of the Iugela
These indications. as we'll as Gen w ar
ren's longer mar, h. point TO the serious
e1tCtt beng made To-Day.
The war critic of the Morning POST
says: Sir Charles Warren's intention
is to turn the right flank of the Beers
presumably those facing Gen. Lyttleton,
but whether he proposes to attack tnal
flank as he would by descending the val
ley of Blaaubank spur, or to march right
round it by the valley of Sand river. can
hardly yes be determined. The hight
ing when it comes. may be expected TO
be heavy and continuous and the losses
may be severe Far from their base
81 Chievely. with the river behind them
and the enemy in large numbers be
tween them and Ladysmith, the positions
of the British forces IS not an easy one
Risky and Audacious.
The whole movement is considered as
risky as it is audaciOus but 1t Is neces-
sary. II it proves successful the position
of the enemy will be a serious one 1t
will be attacked in front, on the flank and
in the rear. If the plan fails the position
of the British force will be equally bad.
War One Hundred Days ODD.
Yesterday was the one hundredth day
of the war.
With Gatacre and French there is no
change Kimberley reports. All well.
but anxious for news. Mafeking the
same.
Lord Methuen made another reconnoiS-
sanco on the new Boer laager but by the
time his forces arrived on the scene the
Beers had disappeared.
Dispatch from Lord Roberts.
London. Jan. 20.-4:25 p. m.-Thc only
war office dispatch made public up to
this hour today is that brief report from
Field Marshal Lord Roberts. under to-
days date. saying in substance that Gen.
French has extended his line to the east.
further threatening the Boer lines of
communication. Otherwise there is no
change in the situation.
Lord Dundonald's Career.
Lord Dundonald, who is the first of
Gen. Buffers leaders to do anything
noteworthy. is considered keen soldier
He commanded the Second Life guards
for some time, resigning last year. When
the war broke out he took with him TO
the front a Maxim and a number of vol
unteerS. Upon landing he was speedily
given the leadership of an irregular body
of cavalry.
Lord Dundonald is between 10 and 80
years of age. He was at Elton with Ar
thur Balfour, Lord Rosebery. and other
leading men. Today he is the head of
the CoChrane family and the twelfth
earl. He is the grandson of that famous
but unfortunate seaman, Admiral COch-
rane, and evidently inherited some of his
ancestors fondness for mechanical in
ventions. few years ago he invented Il
new gun carriage. which was taken up
by the military authorities The war
office has just ordered a lot Of motor tri-
cycles for dispatch riding at the front.
Report from Boer Comm a nder.
The Boer accounts of the passage of
the Tugela river are given III the two
following dispatches from Commandant
Niljoen's camp on the upper Tugela. via
Lourenco Marquee. dated January IS:
Jan. 16-Buller's second move was 4
reconnaissance in force with an armored
train and q large body, supported by
cannon, toward Colenso last night A
heavy bombardment ensued and thereup-
on the British retired, having wounded
one OF our men. No reply was made.
This move was feint to cover extensive
side of the Tugela have been warned by
the British to leave their kraals, as the
fight will commence shortly"
The second dispatch runs thus:
Jan 1.-THE night was unbrollen,
save for slight rife encounters between
break the enemy was located as before.
He had not brought a single gun across
the river. But from the ridges of Swartz-
kop battery and a half of siege guns
opened on our position at > a. m. The
bomba rdment was probably the most
frightful ever witnessed on land. Ere
quently five heavy naval guns fired stimuli
taneously at one schanze Gntrench-
men0."
People Leaving Co1esberg.
Rensburg. Cape Colony, Friday, Jan.
19AA gentleman who has escaped from
Colesberg reports that the Dutch inhab
itants who are sympathizers WITH the
Beers are proceeding to the Orange Ere"
State in anticipation of the evacuation
of the town Mr.. Nanderwalt, member
of the Cape assembly, has already gone.
The Boer force there is estimated to
number from 5000 to 1000 men, besides a
strong force at Norvalspont. The Brit
ish shells did much execution eastward
of the town The Boer loss up to date,
is probably 200 men.
Carefully compiled figures, from Re
publican sources. some of which have
been investigated ard found to be cor
rect. show the Roer losses up to date
are, approximately, 6425 men, including
1000 casualties during the siege of Lady
smith.
Grandson of Dom Paul Captured.
Spearmans Camp, Natal, Jan. 90
Ills a. m.-The firing of field guns was
heard early this morning from the left
Evidently Gen. Warren has commenced
the bombardment of the Boer trenches
on rFahanmyana mOuntaiD There was