The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-16
THE ADVANCE is BEGUN
BY BULLER'S COLUMN FOR THE RELIEF
OF LADYSMITH.
Beers AT C0LENS0 FLANKED
General Buffers Forces at Springfield,
Beyond the BoerF Fortified Line About
CoIenso More Boer Fortifications
by General Roberts-Much sickness
Among the Troops at Ladysmith.
The Boer Strength.

~
Among the Troops at L~adysmith.
The Boer strength.
London, January 12.-The wal office
this morning received the following dis
patch from General Butler, dated
Springfield, Thursday, January 18th,
at 800 p. m:
- occupied the south bank of the
Tugaa river at Potgieters drift this
morning and seized Pont. The river
is in flood. The enemy is strongly en-
trenched about four and a half miles
to the north"
The war office that the
British casualties at Ladysmith, Janu-
airy 9Th, among the rank and file were
135 killed and 242 wounded. Among the
officers there We're 13 killed and q
wounded. Among the latter was Lieu
tenant Colonel William Dick-C unyng-
ham, V. c., commander of the second
battalion of the Gordon Highlanders
since 1897, who has since succumbed to
his wounds. He was immensely popu-
lar everywhere.
General Buffers second attempt to
cross the Tugela obviously is of a flank
ing character, but whether it Is intend
ed to push the advanc home, or wheth-
er his operations are only a feint to
cover an attack in force on the Boer
position at Hlangawana mountain re-
mains to be seen.
Springfield, from whence General
Buffers dispatch was sent, is sixteen
mills west of Frere. The last news from
Springfield was that it was held by the
Johannesburg corps under General Ben.
Vijoen, and that the Beers had big
guns in position at Potgieter's drift,
apparently six or eight miles north of
Springfield and across the big Tugela.
The possession of the drift and the
pont is regarded as of greater import
ance.
1t is reported here that General Pull
er submitted his plan of campaign 20
Lord Roberts Immediately after the
latter landed and that General Roberts
sanctioned it
There is a belief in some quarters
that General Hector Mcdonald will
succeed Lord Methuen in command Of
the British forces at Modder river.
Lady Methuen has issued an absolute
contradiction of the rumors that Lord
Methuen is i'll or that he was injured
by the falling of his horse at the battle
Of MagerSfontein.
The Gazette today proclaims the pro-
80 - SAS >NtO NoNLCA SAN
United Kingdom or the carrying coast
wise of a variety of acids capable OF
being converted into military stores.
BULLER'S ADVANCE.
London, January 49,, 4 a. m.-General
Buffers twenty-eight words ANNOUNCE
ing his forward movement of Thursday
is interpreted as meaning that he has
passed around the western enc of the
Boer lines at Colenso and is now sever
- al MI c,.,,
teen miles of General Whites o~utposts
at L~adysmith. The Beers. a few days
ago, had forces with guns at Spring
: field, where General Butler dates his
dispatch. These commands have been
obviously dislodged, either by fighting
OF by maneuvers, the Beers retirins
J across the Tugela as General Butler
; advanced.
From General Buffers dispatch,
coupled with the fact that unofficial
, intelligence from the seat of val has
virtually ceased since Monday, the de-
: duction is drawn that important oper-
atoms are in progress, as he cannot
move far without going against the
/ Boer entertainments.
MUCH SICKNESS AT LADYSMITH.
The death lists from entric fever and
d~ysentery at Ladysmith, averaging
from eight to ten daily, are considered
more serious h the 420 casualties of
Saturdays fight, as they indicate the
frightfu1 u~nsanitary condition of the
: beleaguered town. A letter from Lady
smith, dated December 7th says that
wen then ninety out Of $40 men in the
battalion of which the writer was a
member, were sick with dysentery or
entric fever, and, according to a dis
patch to The Daily Chronicle, dated
January Sth, the patients and attend
ants in Tomb camp, where the hospita,
is then numbered $500.
1t is officially announced that the
Earl of Ava has died of his Wounds.
The Daily Telegraph has the follow.
ing dispatch, dated january 9th from
Frere camp: "a heavy storm has beer
raging all night and there is every pros.
pect that it will continue. The roads
are impossible, and the rivers anG
spruits are full. There has been ne
firing at Ladysmith or Colenso. The
trenches must be filled with water"
THE BOER'S STRENGTH.
The morning Post 1.-The Boel
strength, originally $4,000 men, is nov
heavily augmented by Cape Colonist:
and the enemy's fighting forces may
be estimated at o $1,000 men and 2N
guns"