Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-02-17
GENERAL BULLER
HAS FAILED AGAIN
Report From Boer Head laage'
Says the British Have
Fallen Back.
NO DETAILS GIVEN BY THE B0ERS
Brief Dispatch Declares Molenf
Drift Position Was Abandoned
and That the British
Were Driven Back,


accepts as true the Boer telegram that
General Butler has failed again. TheS
statements were passed by the British
censor at Aden and are read in the
light of Mr.. Balfour's announcement
i'm the commons that General Butler il
not now pressing his advance.
Winston Churchill wires that Naa
Krantz was impracticable for the
gains which were needed TO support
further advance. His cablegram leaves
General Butler on Tuesday night send
ing fresh brigade to relieve the tirec
holders Of Naal Krantz.
The descriptive writer's with Genera
Butler were allowed q rather free hand
again i'm explaining the ugly position
which the British held and the nat
ural obstacles which were to be over
come. IT said that the Boer riiemer
and military defending these hills, ia
vines and jungles have not been over.
come, and thus the public is prepared
in advance for bad news.
IIeliograms from Ladysmith, dated
Monday, describe the effect General
Buffers cannonade had on the worn
garrison. Hope ran high that the long
period of inactivity and tedium was
drawing to a close. The crash of guns
was almost continuous for ten hours
and at times it seemed as if as many
as twenty shells burst in minute.
The Beers, preparing always for the
possibility of defeat, were driving
herds and sending wagon trains
toward the Drakensburg passes. In
tense darkness and silence followed,
broken only by frogs croaking and
the occasional blaze of star shells, sur
rounding the town with a circle OF
light to prevent the unobserVed APP
proach of the enemy. A series OF Brit
ish mines. laid for the Beers, exploded
accidentally, shaking and alarming
tho city and camp.
General MacDonald's retirement
puzzles the military commanders.
The theory that finds acceptance is
that il was ordered by Lord Roberts
and that both General Buffers and
Neneral MacDonald's operations were
by the direction Of the commander-in-
chief i'm order to occupy the Beers at
widely separated points so they would
be unable to transfer any portion OF
their forces TO oppose the projected
military writer who is understood to
be in confidential relations with Lord
Wellesley, says that beyond doubt the
most authoritative opinion in London
regards it as probable that an en-
deavor will be made TO force the line
of the Orange river before Wednesday
next, possibly by Monday.
Henry w. Lucy says that the health
Of Sir Alfred Miner, governor OF Cape
Colony, is suffering from the pro-
longed strain and his friends fear he
will break down.
Lord SaliSbury's son, Lord Edward
Cecil. is responsible for Mafeking be-
ing SO well provisioned. At the out
break of the war he learned the
amount of amy stores about to be sent
to Mafc<ing and on his own initiative
pledged his private means and had the
stores quadrupled. lie is now in Mafe
king end one of its boldest defenders
Boer Headquarters, Ladysmith, Feb
7.-The British who were in posses
sion of the kopie at Molen's drifi
abandoned il after bOmbardment by
| Boer cannon this morning ana re
| tired across the river TO their former
position. \ desultory cannonadc was
proceeding at the TugeIa river this
morning. Otherwise ii is quiet.
Head Lager, Ladysmith, Feb. T.
| An armored train yesterday made :
! sortie from Chieveley toward ColcnS'
and landed 1000 British troops on the
right Of the Boer position. The Boer
| Immediately crossed the river ant
made an attack with rifles and artil
| lery. forcing the withdrawal of boil
train and troops 10 Chievelcy. Fight
ing on the upper Tugela river LASTED
until $3.50 Tuesday evening. Particu
lars are lacking. Firing at Colenst
and along the upper Tugela has beer
proceeding since ) o'clock this morn
| ing.
Pretoria, Feb. 5.-Colonel Plumer'
force on February attacked the Boe
position near BamonSta. After heay,
| fighting. including an endeavor Il
take the place by storm, the British
were repulscd
Officials Astoundc6.
London, Feb. 9.-Up to o'clock thi
evening the war office evidently hat
heard nothing of General Buffers re
treat, as described in the dispatcI
from the Boer head laager. Whel
shown the dispatch officials appearet
utterly dumfounded.
|