The sun., 1900-01-13
GENERAL bULLER
MAKES IN ADVANCE
The South Bank of the TugeIa
River is Now Oc.
a cupied.
B0ERS WELL ENTRENCHED
copjectures In London as to Whether
the Advance Precludes a De-
cisive Movement or is
Meant Merely as
a Feint.
WELL ENTREyCHED

London. Jan. 1.-THE war Office has
received the following dispatch from Gen.
eral Butler, dated Springfield, Jan. II,
9:20 p. m:
II occupied the south bank OF the Tu-
geia river at potsietars Drift this morn
ing and seized Pont. The river is in
food. The enemy Is strongly intrenched
about 4ia miles 10 the north"
Apart from the definite news that Gen
eral Butler has begun a second attempt
20 cross the Tugela river, the only official
news is the list of'casualties among the
British officers in the fight at Ladysmith
Saturday, Jan. u, showing - killed and
q wounded. Among the latter was Lieu
tenant Colonel William Henry Dick
Cunyngham, V. e., commander OF the
Second battalion Of the Gordon highland
ers since 1897, who has since succumbed
10 his wounds. He was very popular ev-
erywherc, and his death will cause wide
spread sorrow.
The war Office announces that the Brit.
Ish casualties at Ladysmiih Jan, G
among the rank and file were 135 killed
and 242 wounded.
General Buffers movement obviously
Is OF flanking character, but whether it
is intended 10 push the advance home or
whether his operations are only n feint 10
cover an attack in force on the Boer po-
sition at Hlangwana mountain remains
20 he seen.
Was Held by Beers.
Springfield, from where General Bull
ler's dispatch was sent. is 16 miles west
OF Frere. The last news from Spring
field was that il was held by the johann
nesburg corps, under General Ben Vii.
joen, and that the Beers had big guns in
position at POtgieters Drift. apparently
six or eight miles north OF Springfield
and across the big TugelG. The posses
sion OF the Drift and the Pont is regard
ed as Of great Importance.
Il Is reported here that General Butler
submitted his plan Of campaign TO Field
Marshal Lord Roberts Immediately after
the latter landed and that Roberts sane
toned H.
Lady Methuen has issued m absolute
contradiction Of tho rumors that Lord
Methuen IL III or that he was injured by
the falling OF his horse at the battle Of
Magersfontein.
There was an interesting ceremony at
Guildhall when 500 OF the City Of Lon
don Imperial volunteers received their
kits and the freedom az the city. The
large crowds in the vicinity cheered the
arriving volunteers, each Of whom re-
ceived a parchment certificate OF the free
dom, inclosed in n neat blue case. The
ceremonial admitting the officers was
more elaborate. II took place in the
presence OF the lord mayor, Mr.. A. ].
Newton, councillors and the Duke Of
Cambridge.
The Battle at Modder River.
The Times correspondent at Modder
river has written graphic account OF
the long fierce battle that takes its
name from that stream. For the whole
OF the day" he writes. the guards bri-
gade lay ON the open veldt in heat that
was practically 10 degrees in the shade
at midday. Meanwhile the left flank
had not been idle, and after the general
had personally led them TO the summit of
slight rise that commanded the only
possible means of crossing the river
the dam that had been built To turn the
Modder river into an ornamental water
for the picnics OF the Kimberley excur-
sionists-they moved IN echelon toward
the edge OF the river bank on the enemy's
extreme left.
THAT II could even be attempted to
cross the river sliding sideways through
the rush OF water over the paddles along
n rickety iron bar. one. by one. clinging to
the short supports in full view OF the
opposite shore. was an act of reckless
heroism against which even the wary
Cronje had not provided. That, how
ever, is what was actually done, and it
would be difficult 10 find a parallel for
the stubborn pluck Of the men who nc
companied Colonel Barter across the 300
yards Of dam and weir. One by one some
400 Of them crossed. Then a dctach-
ment OF the Royal engineers, showing
how well they could take their part in
the forefront o; the fighting line, follow
ed them, aftr; thnt some more OF the
Yorkshire LigIc infantry. Little by little
eral of the w est houses on the right
disIod.eS' dlsh brsgn' wI mnicn 'neS were never
Akg pie Ordeal.
TO fghBes % hours is an ordeal
that in anI klnd OF warfare would be a
terrible strain, but out on the treeless.
sageless veldt, with the thermometer at
the degree above mentioned. the e1haus-
tion suffered by our men was so great
that In hundreds of cases men and Off
GERS alike slept as they lay in the scrub,
careless OF the she'll md rife FIRE that
surged over them. 10 provide them
with food was impossible; to bring n wa
ter cart on TO the field. as the Coldstream
GftfNjls found by bitter experience, was
OF tempting men 10 expose themselves
TO death. rushing for the water at all haz-
ards and leaving the cover, such as il
was, afforded by the nine or ten inch
growth Of mimosa scrub.
EARLY in the afternoon the general
was shot through the thigh. and for some
time the two brigades, In the absence of
orders. were compelled to act independ.
emily Of each other. the only comnuul-
cation being warning to the Nlnth BIZ.
gade not to FIRE upon the TiEgt, of which
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