The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-02-14
SUMTER. S. G.. WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY II, 1906

guos waish we're needed 10 support q
trrtber advance His cab!egram leaves
Gen Bu!ier. on Tuesday night, sending
fresh brigade 30 relieve the tired
holders Of Vaal Kran'z
The descriptive writer's with Gen
Butler were allowed a ratter free hand
again 10 explaining the ugly position
which the British held aud the natural
obstacles which bad to be overcome.
So it is easy to infer that with Boer
rideman aod artillery defending them
these hills, ravines and jupgles have
not been overcome and thus the public
is prepared 10 advance for bad news.
LADYSMITH's HOPE BLIGHrED
Heliograms from Ladysmitb, dated
Monday, describe the effect Gen. Bul
ler's cauuonade bad on the worn garri.
eon Hope ran high that the long
period Of inactivity and tedium was
drawing to close The crash of guns
vas almost continuous for ten hours,
and at times it seemed as if as many as
twenty shells burst in "a minrte The
Beers. preparing always for the pcs
sibility Of defeat. we're driving herds
and sending long wagon trains toward
the Drakeusberg passes. Intense
darkness and silence followed, broken
only by frogs croakiug and the occa.
sional blaze of star shells, surrounding
the town With circle Of light to pre-.
vent the uuobserved approach of the
euemy. A series Of British mines,
laid for the Beers, exploded accident
ally. shaking and alarming the city aud
camp.
MACDONALD'S RETIREMENT.
Gen MacDooald's retirement puzzles
the military commenters. The theory
that fods acceptance is that it was
ordered by Lord Roberts aod that both
Gen Buffers and Gen MacDouald's
operations we're by the direction of
the commaoder.ip.c chief. 10 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 central advance.
Mr. Charles Williams. military
writer, WHO is understood to be 10
confidential relations with Lord Wolse-
ley, says that beyond doubt the most
authoritative opinion in London regards
it as probable that an eodeavor will be
made to force the lioe of the Orange
River before Wednesday next. possibly
by Monday.
A dispstob dated Frere Camp yester
day. probably written within the
advanced lines Wednesday, says: "The
forces of the enemy are on both our
fauks and contioue to render our
position extremely difficult to main
tain
This makes evident that Gen Butler,
after devoting Wednesday to bringing
more artillery and troops across the
Tugela, vas badly in need Of reinforce.
ments 1t le still more patent that it ls
impossible for him to advance uutil the
artillery has been enabled to take up
forward positions for the purpose of
subduipg the Boer guns on both fanks
Upoo the length of time occupied in
this operation depends the duration OF
Gen Buller's maintenance of the defeD.
sive
Almost all the critics now point out
that the mere pushing through to Lady
smith without securing decisive
victory on the way there would only
add dagger to what is already a critical
situation
Another Frere Camp dispatch says a
Boer prisoner asserts that the burgbers
expected Gen Butler to cross at Skiets
Drift aud that thousands Of Beers we're
being posted at Doorn Kloof to oppose
such passage, while on the captured
hill there we're only few hundred
Johannesburgbers This tonds to
increase the anxiety of those who
believe tbst Gen Butler has scarcely
begun the serious part of bis advance,
though encouragement is CLEANED from
the news that the heavy naval guns
after repeated attempts during which
the mules rolled down the hill, have
succeeded 10 reaching the summit OF
warts Kop, whence they are doing
excellent practice
Gen Hector MacDonald's retire
ment from Koodoorsbery has created
disappointment. But the operation
was apparently only intended as a
sortie and its success or failure could
scarcely have resulted in any
material effect on the campaign.
Military attaches will leave to
morrow Their destination ls not