The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-02-06
The Advance Would be Retarded BY
Large Number Of Wagons.
FROM VERY SLENDER MATERIAL.
Military Opinion In London Consinues
to Assume chat General Butler is
Again Throwing His Army
Against the Boer Works.
May Be MA king a
Wide Detour.

LONDON. Feb. 5.-4:s5 P. MA special
dispatch from Durham, Natal, dated to-
day. says:
There Is no definite news from Gem
eraI Butler. but it is reported that there
was heavy fighting yesterday.
LONDON, Feb. 6.-4 y. M.-Malitary
opinion in London continues to assume.
from very slender materials, that General
Butler Is again throwing his armyAasainst
William Henry Greene, whose distin-
suished career gives weight to his opin-
ion, thinks that General Butler. with
5000 men, is, making wiie detour
to the west and north, so as TO avoid
the roughest parts OF the country AS
General Butler must hive some thou-
sands of wagons, Sir William Greene
points out that the advance would neces-
sarily be slow No authentic word IS at
hand. save that the War Office reaftirm-
ed orally to newspaper inTuirersAat late
hour that it could not confirm the report
ed advance.
There the national situate rests.
1t is from the western field that mors
definite statements come. Large operations
are apparently about to begin
OVERWHELMING FoRCE.
General French. who has now returned
to kensburg from hts conference with
Lord Roberts, has sent what Is described
as an Overwhelming force of infantry to
seize Norvaspolnt. This is where the
railway, before it was destroyed, crossed
the Orange River and connected with the
Free State Trunk Line to Blasmfonrein
| Norvalspoint Is nineteen miles north OF
! Coiesberg and twenty-five miles from
L bes3f1rt1lrtprS nf RPns-
burg The Roers at Colesberg have been
| in danger of being surrounded by tha
larSeIy-reinforced and extending lines OF
the British. An occupation of S,orvafs-s
| point in force would presumably render
| Coesberg untenabe.
| rhe Boers are showing great activity
| in the Nasywuport and Colesberg district.
| Many of the guns hitherto 01cine; Lord
! Methuen are believed TO have gene to
| NorvtaIspoirr The British. therefore.
| may find formidable bodies OF Roers
| there.
The War Office announces that fifteen
transports will be dispatched bel1osn to-
| day and Monday. with $4,000 troops. In
cludIng the Fourth Cavalry brigade, mill
tia battaltons and three thousaEd Yeo-
/ manry
NO CUNF'IRAIATION.
| LONDON. Feb. 5.-The correspondent
L ;
| ly no confirmation has been received by
| the War Office OF the report that General
| Buller has reerossed the TugeIn river
| and is marching on Lady smith. On the
contrary. according to the information
| of the War Office. ut the present moment
There is every Indication that things are
| quiet MT the front. and that no immediate
movement Is anticipated.
( Regarding the dispatches front Lady.
smith saying that Buffers guns have been
! heard there, it is surmised that some
| practice may have been going on with
the new batteries which have just reached
the front.
BELIEF UNSFTAKE3N.
| The War Offices statement that it has
received no confirmation of the report
| that General BuTler has recrussed ths
Tusela river has failed to shake pubsfc
belief that operations OF tremendous i'm.
! portance are proceeding ut the Tugela.
! and 1t Is thought that either ths d MAI
| was prompted by desire to keep tha
| military movements as secret as poss bls
| unfit SOMETHING is accomplished. or tnat
| General EULER is keeping the home otif-
cia1s in the dark pending results.
| 1t IS obviously extremely difficult to.
extract the truth from the conac;icg
! statements surrounding Genera, Eulie-'s
/ movements. hut most ofthe espinm ensatpcs
agree that the aggregate OF the ies,ns
! tends to confirm the belief that move
1