The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-01-23

All day the roar OF musket~y FIRE con-
tinued. The British took three Boer DO
sitio1s on the mountain, and found shell
ter behind the powders.
Advance Of Warren Forces.
SDearman's Camp. Jan. 1880 a. m
Gen. Warren's engagement continues. Ee
has forced the enemy from three posi-
tions The Lancashire and irish brigades
are advancing steadily. The fire is very
| severe occasionally.
London. Jan. 22.-Gen. Butler cables 10
the war Office:
spearman's Camp. Jan 21-9 D. m
Gen. Warren has been engaged all
day. chiefly on his left. which ne has
swung forward about a couple of
miles The ground Is very difficult.
and as TIE fighting is all the tine up
hill. II Is difficult to say exactly how
much We have gained. but think we
are making substantial progress.
The war office has received the follow
ing from Gen. Butler, dated Spearman's
Camp, January q. 6:55 a m:
In order to relieve the pressure on
Gen. Warren and 20 ascertain the
strength Of the enemy in the position
In front of Potgieters Drift. Gen. Lyt-
ueton made a reconnaissance in force
yesterday. This kept the enemy in
their trenches in full strength all day
"Our casualties-Third Battalion.
Kings Royal Rifles. two killed.
twelve wounded: two missing"
Beers on a Lepg Ridge.
The Times has the following, dated Sun
day evening, from Spearman's Camp:
'All yesterday and to-day Gen Warren
has been attacking the Beers. Their po-
sition is iOng ridge, four miles north
west OF Trichards Drift, ascending from
the river. Al dawn yesterday Saturday
our guns occupied kopje on the east of
the range.
The enemy's defenses were chiefly
stone sangars extending forward and
right along the spur, making the position
~tiii-NiiCuidE Al II y IlpCh N1tH. mart
brigade advanced on the left. along
rocky, uneven spur. into the semi-circle.
under heavy fire from three directions.
Taking advantage Of all possible cover.
the troops advanced TO point within 500
yards of the enemy's right wing, but they
did not advance beyond the edge of the
cover. There they remained until dark
and bivouacked.
''In addition TO Maxim -NOrdenfeldts the
enemy fired shrapnel captured at Colenso.
Their fire was intermittent. and was al
ways temporarily silenced by our massei
batteries. At night the enemy's right wing
evacuated its position"
The war office has posted this dispatch
from Gen. Butler, dated January p, 10 a.
m: The following were wounded in the
action near Ventor's spruit yesterday:
Many Officers Wounded.
"Oficers-Staf Col B. Hamilton and
Mai. c. McGregor; Second Lancashire Fu-
siliers, Capt r. g. Blunt, and Second
Lieuts. NJ. q. CroftOn and E. J. NJ. Bar
rett; First Border Rifles Capt. c. D.
Vaughn and Second Lieut. Murier: First
York and Lancashires, Second Lieut.. A.
II. Keirreys Second Dublin Fusiliers.
Capt c. A. Hensley (since dead and Mai
F. English; Second Gordons. Second Lieut..
p. ID. Stewart, and 279 non-commissioned
officers and men,"
The War Office has received the foIIov-
ing from Lord Roberts. dated Cane Town
January q: Gen. French reports dem
onstration with cavalry and two guns to-
ward Hebron on Friday, but that other
wise his situation is unchanged"
A dispatch TO the Daily News from
Potsieters Drift. dated Friday. January
l9 says: The spirits of the troops are
greatly raised by the conviction that
zen. Butler now has a thorough grasp
or the situation. As the force has left
the railway, transport difficulties are be-
ing experienced. The rivers are often
Hooded, and what were a short time aro
lrlckllng streams are now deep torrents.
The scenes at the drifts cannot be
cdSIly forgotten one sees a perfect pan
demonlum Of OX-wagons. Sometimes thir
" oxen are yoked TO a single wagon. and
the drivers make veritable babel of
noise, shouting in Dutch. English. and
Hulu. They brandish their long whips
ana occasionally an upset stops a whole
train.
Nothing seen of Traction Engines.
AT another fpoint or time half ragi.
ment VIII drag cart and its mules I'm
the river bank by main force. The trac-
tion engines looked promising al first
but since Shieveley / have seen nothing
of them
The Durham correspondent of tho Stapd-
ard says: 1T is reported that ten voIun-
teer stretcheT-bearers on their arrival ar
the front walked deliberately across into
the Boer lines The same thing han
pened at the battle of COlenso. II is
presumed that they were spies who had
succeeded in enrolling themselves in the
ambulance corps.
1T is asserted that the Beers desecrated
the convent church at Newcastle in an in
describable manner"
The justiiiable severity of the censor
ship at the present moment prevents the
special correspondents from giving much
additional information 10 supplement Gen. /
Buffers latest dispatch. The success of
the movement depends almost entirely
upon how far he proves able 10 out-na-
neuver the Beers, whose available forces
are doubtless larger than his own. The
chief difficulty lies i'm the ability of the
Beers 10 transport men, stores, and am
quickly. and 10 intrench new po- |
sitions. Secrecy regarding Gen. Buffers |
progress, therefore. as essential. and the |
public here is quite content to wait pa
tiently.
Avoiding Infantry Charges.
From the information which the censor |
has allowed TO pass II is as yet impossible |
to form a correct notion Of the British |
tactics On thing. however. is quite clear. !
The British commanders have profted by |
experience and are now av voiding infantry /
charges, giving preference TO the more |
jUdcious use OF artillery. The general |
idea is that Sir Redvers Butler, with |
some 5000 men and eighteen fed guns isl
holding the northern bank Of the Tugela /
at Potgieter's Drift, while Sir Charles
Warren with about u 0lD men thirty Il