The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-20
BoER LINE OF FoRTIFICATIONs
ACROSS THE TUGELA RIVER
HAS BEEN BROKEN
DECIDED SUCCESS FOR BULLER
POSITION HELD BY THE BOER
FORCES ON MONTE CHRISTIE
HAS BEEN CAPTURED
BoERs EFFECTED A RETREAT


Vicinity of TugeIa and FlOcking
to Free State to Oppose Roberts.
LONDON, Feb. 2O-The Daily Mail has
the following dispatch. dated Monday,
from Pietermaritzburg:
'It is reported that Sir Redvers- Butler
has captured Hlangwane hill. Large mum
bers of Free Staters have left to meet
Lord Roberts force 1t is believed that
a number of Boer big guns have been
taken back across the border
The Chieveley correspondent of the
Daily Mail telegraphing yesterday says:
I'VE now occupy all the hills to the
right of Colenso on this side of the Tu-
gela, including Hlangwane, which the
Beers evacuated last night Sunday.
This capture Of Hlangwane hill is of
great strategical Importance, as the hill
commands the flank of the Boer defenses
at Colenso. A successful advance anG
the recapture Of the railway may be ex-
pected.''
BOERs EXPECT A BIG BATTLE.
A dispatch to the Daily Mail from Lou
renzo Marques, dated Monday. says:
According to advices from Pretoria,
the Beers are expecting big battle on
the Tugela They claim that seventy of
the Wiltshires were killed at Colesberg,
and that thirty wagons with forage and
provisions were captured, but no ammu
milton. They thus describe the fighting
at Kimberley:
The British came through Blaunbank
and attacked in two columns. While the
Beers were busily engaged with Lord
Roberts, Gen. French, with 1000 cavalry
and six guns, succeeded in breaking
through the Boer lines. The Beers did
not seriously oppose Gen. French's ad-
vance, but confined their efforts to pre-
venting the provisions getting through. In
this they succeeded, capturing 1900 head
of cattle, 100 wagons of provisions. and
100 men, I"
HORSES IN DEMAND.
The Standards correspondent at Mod
der River, under date of Sunday, Feb. IS,
wires as follows:
The magnificent success of the plan of
campaign of Lord Roberts must be as
cribed in great part, after full credit has
been given for careful and brilliant STRAIT
egy, to the extreme mobility of the new
ly organized forces employed, but this
mobility has to be paid for 1t involves
a great expenditure in horses Those of
the Beers, for instance, are nearly fin
ished.
If we are to retain our advantage there
must be an unstinted drawing upon ev-
cry possible source Of supply throughout
the empire Otherwise we shall soon be
without enough horses of the suitable
kind to furnish the necessary remounts.
The infantry under Lord Roberts have
done some marvellous marching, mostly
at night. Their pluck and endurance have
gone very far towards insuring the safe
ty and success of the cavalry operations"
CRONJE IN A TRAP.
LONDON, Feb 2O-A member of the
cabinet told H. w. Lucy tonight that the
war office had received a cablegram
stating that Gen. Cronje was hopelessly
surrounded. Mr.. Wyndham was beset
by anxious inquirers but would only re,
ply that the governments advices were
extremely satisfactory. The sole ex-
planation of the government withhold
Ing good news is that copfirmatio ton and
more details are awaited.
The situation as disclosed by correspon-
dents over the Free State border is tan
talizing to the public expectation. The
elementary fact is that the Beers are
trekking eastward toward Bloemfontein
with slow moving baggage trains, and
that they are pursued by Lord Kitchener
with Gen. Kelly-Kenny's division Gen
Macdonald, with the Highlanders, made
a forced march to Koodoers Rand ford,
and on Sunday pushed twenty miles
eastward Gen. French left Kimberley
Saturday, going east along the Modder
river. Lord Kitchener is trying to out.
march and to outfank the Beers, thus
checking their retreat If possible and
deiving them back into the hands of Mac
Donald and French.
KITCHENERSS PLANS
The war office message communicated
to Mr.. Lucy seems to indicate that Lord
Kitchener has either got ahead Of the
Beers or is about to realize his plan, and
the war office waits to announce de-
cisive result.
Meanwhile Commandant Delary, with
the Beers, from Colesberg, is hanging on
to the right flank of the British pursuing
columns, seeking to delay their move
ment and so to assist the Boer wagon
trains to escape
Students of topography think the Beers
will hardly risk a fight until they get
into the rough country north of Bloem.
fontein.
A Daily Mail correspondent, who was
with the British convoy attacked at Riet
Z river ford, wires:
ultimately the British abandoned the
convoy in order to continue the advance.
Thus 200 wagons and 600 tons of stores
will be able to carry them away"
BULLER'S WAY CLEARING.
Gen. Butler has achieved real sue,
cess seemingly in capturing the range Of
hills south of the Tugela. 1t makes
more feasible another attempt to relieve
Ladysmith.
The queen has sent direct message to
Lord Roberts congratulating him and hia
troops. Gen. French and Col Kekewich
have been acquainted with their promo>
tions.
DR.. Leyds, at Brussels, says that the
Free State troops who were besiegine
Ladysmith have withdrawn in order to