Connecticut western news., 1900-01-04
c0L0NIALS WIN A FIGHT
Pitchers Column Advances to
 Douglas From Belmont.
FREES MBTHUENso COMMUNICATION
Also Meaaces CronJe's Right Flank. A Waiting Game at Ladysmith. The Probable Campaign of Gem eraI Butler.

Also Menaces CronJe's Right Flank.
 A Waiting Game at Ladysmith.
 The Probable Campaign of Gem
 eraI Butler.
 London, Jan. 3.-Colonel Pitcher is an other British officer who has adopted Boer tactics and has gained a small but strategically important success.
 It has been known for some time that there war a considerable Boer force at Douglas, a small village on the Vaal riv- CT 50 miles west of the Modder river. A portion of this force advanced to Sunny side, 25 miles from Graspan, and was in a position to threaten General Methuen's line of communication.
 Colonel Pitcher, with the Australian mounted infantry, completely defeated the Boers and captured 10 prisoners at very slight loss.
 Pitcher then pushed on to Douglas, which he occupied.
 In this position he is on the extreme of Cronje's right flank and with the mo- bile force at his command is apt to prove a source of considerable annoyance to that general, especially as it Is reported that Methuen's mounted troops are al- ready in communication with him.
 From the reports of the fighting there Is one prominent, dominant fact-that mounted infantry, this time colonials, can fight the Boers in their own way and on their own ground with good chance of success
 Aside from this encounter, however, there appears to have been no other move.
 The official report from General French shows that the fight at Colesberg was a stiff one.
 His night march from Rensburg with cavalry, mounted infantry and infantry, and his seizing the heights overlooking Colesberg to the west of the town took the Boers by surprise, as it was a march only possible for very mobile column.
 Waiting Game at Ladysmith.
 Generals Butler and Joubert are en- gagged in a great game of war before La dysmith, like two experienced chess play CTS, neither making any decisive moves, but trying to find out the others inten- tion.
 Butler is anxious to ascertain the force left by the Boers on Hlangwana noun tain and the exact locations of the guns in the Colenso position.
 Joubert, thinking this exclusive atten- tion to the left center of his position sus- picious, has strengthened the right.
 It would be unwise to refuse to face the facts. and notwithstanding the optimistic dispatches from some of the correspond ents on the Tugela river about the eager ness of the troops to engage the Boers and preparations completed for the ad- vance, the fact is Butler has before him a task of the utmost difficulty. With a force which lacks mobility and is dependent upon one line of railway and wit tran ha hac fO cross the Tugela and march to Lady smith in the face of an enemy much supe- rior in mobility and little inferior in num- bers and inspired by success. He has either to turn the hostile in trenchments or to take the bull by the horns and deliver a fresh frontal assault It is not obvious how slow moving in fantry are to get round fast moving mounted infantry such as the Boers. Details of French's Victory. The Daily Mail has the following dis patch, dated Rensburg, Jan. I, giving an account of General French's victory: Yesterday afternoon a big force of | cavalry and infantry, with ten guns, un' der the personal command of General | French, moving by detour, occupied some | hills three miles from Colesberg, where | the Boers were in strength, confident in | the natural aid afforded them by the hills | around.
 "The enemy's position extended six miles around the entire village. At day. break our artillery opened the battle. The | Boers were taken by surprise, but replied vigorously. An artillery duel was main tained for two hours. Then Boer Hotch kiss collapsed and was abandoned. We captured it. A Boer big gun was silenced but this and the other Boer guns were withdrawn to the northward, whither we are harassing the Boer retreat by a dam aging shell fire.
 | "Colesberg is in our hands, and the few remaining loyalists are jubilant. We have captured many wagons and a con siderable quantity of stores. | Our losses were quite slight, but tho Boers must have suffered heavily. They may stop at Achtertang or cross the riv CT altogether at Norvafs Pont, where | the bridge is still intact"