The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1900-02-09
THE WAR IN
SOUTH AFRICA
Butler Recrosses the Tugela and
Hopes to Relieve White.

again advanced and will. make . final.
desperate effort to reach General White
and his beleaguered garrison before the
latter is compelled to surrender to tho
Beers, who are reported TO be constantly
strengthening their positions.
The war Office is silent as regards
General Butler. but there is every reason
70 believe he is continuing his move.
msnt upon Ladysmith. Those who are
in q position to know confirm his re-
ported recrossing OF the Tugela river
and believe he was engaged FEidny.
The message from Ladysmith Thurs.
day. saying the Boer forces were leav-
Ing gain and that the besleging force
was considerably diminished, tonds 20
confirm it,
Warren's troops ON "Wednesday were
resting south of the Tugela. while Con.
eral Iyttleton's brigade held its posi-
ton on the north bank.
General Joubert has gone to the Boer
camp on tho Upper Tugela, an apparent
indication that he expects another At
tack on his right.
Major Bathurst. who was woandeh
at the battle of Colenso. has arrived at
Southamp pton on board the Servia. he
SAYS there are 10000 Boers at the Tu.
gela river, but that General Butler can
get through if he is prepared to sacrifice
5000 or 1000 men.
General Charles Tucker, who came
from Ind dia to command the seventh
division, has gone up the Modder river.
The reported activity OF Colonel
Piumer's foroe near Crocodile Poot is o
made by him to push through to Mafs.
king.
Burghcr Casualties.
A dispatoh from I,adysnith. uudated.
via Spearman's Camp, FsB q, snyst
Native deserters report the follow.
ing field coropsts killed in last weeks
fighting: Lombard Of Waterbury,;
Grobelair of Bremersdorp; Oppetman
Of Pretoria; Daniel Erasmus OF Maya.
liersburg, and one FREQ State coropet.
The British artillery broke seven Boer
proximately 1000; though this informa.
ton is not confirmed officially"
Commandant Olivier OF the Orange
Free State. in a speech to the Beers at
Lady Grey, said that his men were al
most surrounded at Stormberg and un.
less recruits were forthcoming he would
be compelled to abandon the position.
1t is reported that in the recent eight
at Ladysmith the Beers lest /, 100 killed
and GOD wounded.
Many colonists who fought at Storm.
farms and refused to return to active
service. though threatened with death.
Among those are some conspicuous
burghers, who originally invited the
Free Staters t. invade Oape Colony.
Very little news Of the situation In
South Africa has boon given out in
London during the past "a hours. Much
work is III progress on the southern
frontier Of the Free State, but the de-
foilc n % haip ha1I h,N
can be reported. This is the impres.
sion made by such dispatches as arc
allowed to come through from, Stork.
stroem and French's camp, near Coles.
berg.
Tho report that the Boer losses at
Spion Kop Of Wednesday last.exceeded
1000 dead. although unconfrr,ed, has
created favorable impression and very
few are disposed TO discredit it.
Field Marshal Lord Roberts has noti.
fed the war office that 40 Highlanders
who were previously reported killed as
Magersfontein are prisoners at Pretoria
Desperate Fighting.
A special dispatch from Durham, Ma.
tal, dated Feb. 8. says:
There Is no definite news from Gen.
oral Butler, but 1t Is reported that there
was heavy fighting yesterday"
IL was just one week today that Gen.
eral Butler announced that he would be
in Ladysmith in q week. He has not
kept his word.
The war office statement that It has
received no confirmation of the report
that General Butler has recrossed the
Tugela river has failed tc shake public
belief that operations Of tremend Gus i'm.
portence are proceeding at the Tusela
and 1t Is thought that either the denial
was prompted by desire TO keep tho
military movements as secret as posi-.
bic until something is accom- plished, or
that General Butler is keeping the home
officials In the dark pending results
1t is obviously extremely difficuls to
extract the truth from the conflicting
statements shrouding General Buller's
movement. but the commentators aRreo
that the aggregate Of tho items tend to
confirm the belief that movements of
importance are in progress.
1t is true that the correspon dents st
General Buller's headquarters convey
the impression that his main force In
still south of the Tugsla. but Ii 10 easily
conceivable that the dispatches are all
censored.
Napolcon:c Campaign.
No news at all has been received from
the armies CO. operating in Cape Colony
and there is much speculation In Ian.
don as to the plans OF Lord Roberts and
the mysterious movements of Lord
Kitchener. The general idea 10 that
they are preparing some Napoieonio
campaign that will bring the war TO
speedy finish.
Dispatches from Spearman's Camp,
dated Friday, Saturday and SUNDAY,
nre published in London this morning.
On Friday heiios graphic CON IL Sssiiss.z
tion with Ladysmith was resumed, mes.
sages passing freely; tho Beers were
busy shelling the town, and burial par.
ties Of Beers were burying their dead at
Spion Kop. though nine days had
elapsed since the battle.
On Saturday tho bonn ba rd m emf ~