Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-01-26
ACROSS THE TUGELA.
sBuLLER's ARMY ADVANCES To.
WARD LADYsMITH.
The General Issues an Address to His
Men Saying There Could he No Turn
ing Back-The First Skir,nislh Is Won
by the British.

by the British.
Gen. Buffers successful effort to get
his army across the Tugela river evil
IDENTIFY was planned with care. The Brit
ish generals seem to have concealed the
exact nature of their movements from
their enemy, one brigade in the center
of the position crossing with the aid Of
artillery fire ut potgieter's ford, while
another, five miles to the left, crossed n
few hours later and secured u good po-
.sition on the cnemy's flank.
Whether or not, says q correspondent.
TIN Eoers have been anticipating such u
movement and practically preparing to
yield to Buller's advance remains to be
determined. 1t does not appear that they
made the show of resistance which they
had been expected to make, or that they
were OH the alert, as, presumably, they
would have been i'll case of IL stubborn
purpose to resist to the utmost the cross
ing Of the Tugcla. While this advance
calries the British forces past one more
obstacle on the way 10 Ladysmith it also
enables the Beers to put themselves in
IL position much stronger s~trategically. So
long as they held the Tugcla they were
forced to stretch out their line along the
river for many miles. Their force was
tl"s not only weakened, but exposed to
flank attacks. 1t seems likely that be-
fore giving up this position they had pre-
pared themselves to make Il much more
effective resistance under more favora-
bic conditions. BY concentrating at a
point nearer Ladysmith they would have
moi only the advantages of a choice of
positions in a familiar country, but Of
having their enemy in a place from which
it would b. extremely difficult to make
an orderly retreat. A watchful army
free to take it's choice of positions for re-
;sisting an invading force has a signal adj
vantage over nm advancing army which,
Whatever path it chooses, is bound down
To the necessity of reaching a definite
known objcctivc-in this case Ladysmith.
Thr Beers, apparently arc not likely to
lie outtlarked easily in this region. On
the other hand, should they succeed in
rcp"lsing Butler, they could make his po-
sition on their own side of a stream which
is unfordahlc saw at a few points ex-
trcn.cly awkward.
Another correspondent, says that Gen.
Butler himself has made his h%eadauar-
tiers in a farm house belonging to Mar
iiniis Prctarius. aud located supposedly
i'll the neighborhood of Spcarman's farm.
lilo issued an address to his men telling
them that they were going to relieve their
comrades at Ladysmith and that there
could he no turning back. 1t is not ex-
nctiy known the number of troops with
Butler, as about 5000 of his men remain
unaccounted for. However, it is belicv-
cd that his total force now mounts to
10000 men, with eight field batteries,
divided into three or four brigadcs.
Gen. Warren. with about 5000 men, is
reported to be well lodged five miles back
from the river at Sprocnkop. He has
thrown Il few shells at the Beers. but
has received no reply. the Beers being mp.
larently too busy intrenching and prepar-
ing 10 give Warren IL warm time when
he attempts the advance in the direction
of l%adysmith.
Gen. Lyttleton's force of probably TO-
ouD men and Il majority of the guns is
at Potgieter's drift %bombarding. the enc
my. Lord Dundonald's cavalry is sup
posed to be on a reconnaissance for the
purpose of cutting the Bocr ines of COM
munication, a task of great difficulty, as
it requires an advance as far as Blaan-
bank.
The first skirmish between the British
and the Beers, preliminary to the impend-
ing struggle north of the Tugela, was re-
por.ed Friday. The action resulted in g
Victory for the British