The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-07
THE WAR IN AFRICA.
Butler Advances But
Loses Many Men.

Loses many Mell.
London. March / 4 Is g. m Gen
Buffers distinct success in storming
Peters hill brings the rescue Of
Ladysmith near, but tine war Office
intimated late last evening that an
immediate announcement of relief
need not be expected The going
to and fro at midnight of officials
and messengers suggested that I'M
portant news had been received
As bis message reveals, Gen
BuHer's successful attack came after
the hard fighting on Friday, and it
was imorovised and its execution
begun during the armistice of Sun
day In proposing the srmis.lce, the
British commander stipulated that
both sides should be free 70 move,
but neither should do any shooting
He was therefore within his p:i7i
leges in Immediately beginning to
transfer GlS troops
Gen Buller's tidings come weight
ed with his long list of casualties.
His losses in the four attempts to get
Gen White out aggregate 1000
Ladysmith ie in desperate straits
Charles Williams. the military expert,
says he learns On very high authorl
ty, presumably that of Lord Woiseiey,
that ..Gen Whites force is almost at
it's last gasp I"
.:Tbis is not so much" says Mr.
Williams, con account of any lack of
provisions or of ammunition, neither
of which is yet exhausted as because
of the poisonous nature of Kip river
water and the evil effects of the heat
Even those vino have escaped fever
dyeeptery and diarrhoea are in a
state of low vitality They can Sill
maintain trenches. and would pro
baoly hold their own against last
desperate assault, bot they csu
initiate nothing Gen Butler now
knows that, as units the regiments
will be of no use to him for n1cnths
'.The water of Kip river is net
available for drinking aud TO boil it
is impossible. because of the scarcity
of fuel 1t is thick with putrid
animal matter Tea made of ii has
suspended fibre. something like beef
tea It is caused by the sewerage
from the Boer camps
Mr. Williams adds that when news
ike this passes under the thumb of
the censor it more than Offsets what
ever jolly news may be photographed
from Ladysmith.
There is no authoritative indication
as yet of what Lord Roberts will do
next 1t seems likely that a branch
railway will be bull, across the veidt
to lessen the difficulties of trauspor,
Col Girouard, VINO bull, the Soudan
railway. is with Lord Roberts The
strain on the Western railway is seen
from the fact that the population OF
Kimberley, two weeks after the re-
lief, continues or reduced ratloas.
Lord Roberts troops thus far have
been only partially fed
1t is quite clear 10 technical heads
that those who talk .! an Immediate
and rapid advance fer into the Free
State do not realize the transport
conditions The Bqers. as it now
appears. have bull, railway from
Harrismith to Krocmstadt to facilitate
the movement of their troops be.
tween Natal and the Free State.
Mafeking was holding out on Feb
Is At tha, time the Beers were
showing unusual activity and firing
iDhamabie shells.
The Beers who hold positions
south OF the Orange river have been
weakened
Lieut. Baren,zep, writing on behalf
of himself and of other Scandinavian
prisoners, afirms that there are no
mercenaries in the Boer army and
no volunteers who receive penny
for their services.