Show WILL BE NO TURNING BACIo IBuller is Now Marching to the Reliefof f l the Beleaguered 1 City of + v k i k I I t I4 r 4 < I ii iI < Laaysmitn0 > i J > < I i h t I j A I i J 4 41 r < He Reports One Battery of Field Artillery One I I Howitzer Battery and Lyttletons Brigade Have Crossed the Tugela at Potgieters DriftTne Boer Position is Being Bombarded c I f London Jan isAt 037 this evening even-Ing the War office Issued the following follow-ing From Buller Spearmans Camp January 18th One battery field artillery hdwltzer battery and Lyttletons brigade arc across the Tugela at PolgieUns drift The enemys position is being bombarded bom-barded by us Five miles higher up Warren has crossed the river by a pontoon eighty five yards 10ngHc hopes his force will by evening have advanced five miles from the river to his right front The enemy is busily Intrenching1 From Roberts Capetown January ISth Gatacie reports that 300 men of all ranks have been moved from Bushmans Hoeck to Hopersberg and the Seventyfourth field battery and one company of mounted Infantry from Sterkstroem to Bushmans Hoeck Otherwise there is no change LANCERS AMBUSHED A dispatch from Rensberg Cape Colony dated Wednesday says A patrol composed of sixteen men of the New South Wales Lancers and South Australians was ambushed yesterday by the Boers and overwhelmed after a severe fight Eight o1 the detachment detach-ment escaped and have arrived In I camp The remainder were killed or captured This morning a patrol visited l heI eJ1k9Gth flgjit us10lJ t2IM Australian and one Bounded man A I number of dead Boer horses also were found showing that the Australians I made a gallant fight before surrendering I surrender-ing I It appears that whon the Australians Austra-lians encountered the first body of IBO I-BO I and found their retreat cut oK they galloped for a nearby kopje hopIng I hop-Ing to heat off the Boers but on arriving arriv-ing they found another force of burghers bur-ghers concealed DUNDONALDS ADVANCE Advices from Mount Alice near Potgleters drift Natal dated Monday Mon-day Jan 15th says I The forward movement of the relief I of Ladysmlth began on Wednesday January 10th from Frere and Chleve hey Lord Dundonalds mounted brigade bri-gade with the Fifth brigade under Gen Hart comprising the Dubllns the Connaughts the Innlskllllngs and the Border regiment proceeded westerly wester-ly I to Springfield The position had previously been thoroughly reconnoitered recon-noitered A few miles outside of Frere Lord Dundonald passed targets erected by the Boers to represent a force advancing In I skirmishing order Evidently the Boers had been firing at these from the adjacent hills SPRINGFIELD OCCUPIED I Lord Dundonald pushed on and as the main column advanced It was I notified that Springfield was not occupied occu-pied by Boers and that the Fifth brigade bri-gade had taken possession The British I I Brit-ish transport extended for several miles and comprised some five thousand thou-sand vehicles The mounted brigade advanced rapidly not meeting with any opposition The British scouts had minutely searched all the suspicious I suspi-cious country but there was no sign of the enemy MOUNT ALICE IS REACHED The column advanced to Mount Alice facing the enemys mountain fortress The Boers had been at Potglcters drift the previous day but a body of South African horse swam the stream under tire and brought over the pont from the Boers side The Boers were evidently surprised at the appearance appear-ance of the British A camp could be Seen on the Tugela heigh facing Mount Alice but the enemy quickly j struck camp and cleared off Into the mountains A buggy was seen leaving for the hills on the right presumably I with Gen Joubert or some other commander com-mander BOERS DESTROY A BRIDGE I Gen Bullet took up his quarters In a pleasantly situated farmhouse On Friday a loud explosion was heard Subsequently It wile found the Boera had desttoyed a bridge under construction con-struction seven miles above Potgle lers drift Gen Buller has Issued a spirited ap penl I and Instructions to the forces beginning We are going to the relief re-lief of our comrades in Ladysmlth Lucre win oe no tipping DUCK The order proceeds to advise them the-m n when they charge regarding the conditions under which they should receive the surrender of any of the enemy It also warns them that the Boors are treacherous In the use of the white flag This order has been received re-ceived with enthusiasm The march was very trying but the troops are now encamped amid very pleasant surroundings Their health Is excellent I excel-lent and all are confident IS LADYSMITH RELIEVED I Capetown Says Persistent R ports are Afloat to that Effect London Jan l1A Capetown special I dispatch dated yesterday says It Is persistently reported there that Lady smith has been relieved At midnight the War office announced an-nounced that it hud no further nows loot publication Wilful questioned with regard to the ruinorod British vie I toiy nnd the relief of Ladysinlth the officials replied that they had received I no Information to bear out either Ma ture of the rumor and were inclined to think that serious fighting much precede the relief of the own The rumors from Capetown that Ladysmith is I already relieved are apparently ap-parently ahead oC the facts In any case Lord Roberts whose report was dispatched this morning was not aware of It and his dates preclude the possibility that the troops mentioned In his dispatch have so soon reached the beleaguered town Though there are some discrepancies In the telegrams tele-grams the whole tenor of the news tends to Gen Bullers advance having been begun with good prospects of success suc-cess but it is generally recognized that with an enemy so resourceful as I the BoelS have proven themselves to bo it Is idle to Indulge In overconfidence overconfi-dence The officials of the War office here are satisfied that the tide has turned and that news oC a more hopeful character char-acter from a British point of view will hereafter be the rule instead of exception ex-ception That the British advance in a northeasterly direction will be fiercely fierce-ly resisted Is fully anticipated The Boer strength Is probably superior to I the British and the dispatches show the burgher occupy strong positions There is a doubt as to whether the I Sproenkop occupied by Gen Warren Is i Identical with Spionkop 1C no the British are within a few miles of Acton Ac-ton Homes the scene of the earlier i conflicts between Gen Whites forces and the Invading Free StatOrs whence here is a t cod road direct to Lady nflh g th jt > J aifcco tl WhfieGen Warrens force was tossIng toss-ing the Tugela river the Boers occupied I occu-pied a thicklywooded plantation a mile north of the river and sent several I sev-eral volleys into the advance guard The British replied and the artillery opened on a neighboring kopje As tho British pushed across the river the Boors found their position uncomfortable I uncomfort-able and retired to the hills Immediately Imme-diately after the pontoon bridge was completed the whole British force crossed It Is thought probable that a combined forward movement has since developed In the meanwhile the naval guns on Schwartskop have been persistently shelling the Boer Intrenchments facing fac-ing the kopjes occupied by Lyttletons brigade SEVERE FIGHTING REPORTED Unconfirmed Reports of Battle Near Ladysmith London Jan 1A special dispatch from Durban dated Wednesday says Advices from Potgieters drift dated yesterday Tuesday say that Sir Charles Warren has arrived within seventeen miles of Ladysmlth and that I British wounded are arriving at Mooi 1 I river Held hospital by every train from the front indicating that there has I already been severe fighting Neither report has yet been confirmed Advices from Spearmans farm Natal Na-tal dated January ISth 10 am say Gen Lyttletons brigade with a howitzer how-itzer battery crossed tho Tugela river at Potgletcrs drift on Tuesday Jan above the uary 16th The water rose waists of the men The Boers fired two shots and then recalled their forces to the trenches the passage being be-ing uninterrupted The British advanced ad-vanced In skirmishing order and the small kopjes on the summits were occupied oc-cupied hy 630 p m During the night J it rained heavily Yesterday Wednesday the Boer trenches were vigorously shelled in front of Mount Alice while the British remained In possession of the kopjes and plain Heavy mists enveloped the hills but the naval guns and the howitzers how-itzers batter made good practice thoroughly searching the trenches On the Boer right a breach was made In a sandbag emplacement where it Is supposed sup-posed Boers guns had been placed The cannonade was heavy and continuous contin-uous and the Boers were observed leaving the trenches in small parties The hill facing the British position was shelled next Gen Warren has forced a passage of the Tugela seven miles west SterksLroem reports that the Boers blew up three culverts on the Dor drecht line five miles beyond an outpost out-post of the poUcts camp The commando com-mando at Dordrecht numbers a thousand thou-sand FIGHTING NOW ON Battle Along Arc South and West of Ladysmith Begun London Jan 10 Military critics In affiliation with the War office consider that the expected battle along the wide arc south and west of Ladysmlth can hardly be delayed beyond today From II I DurbanJt Is reported that fighting has already begun I Gen Bullers forces engaged In the flanking operation across the Tugela are some J3000 or MpOO bayonets 1200 horses and forty guns The disposition disposi-tion of his other 15000 or 20000 men Is not known although the assumption Is I that the whole army will be Inaction I when the hours for combined movement move-ment arrive Three weeks ago Gen Bullor had 0000 men Considerable ro InfnrcoincntK have since reached him giving him probably I 350M mon and eighty guns all told GUESSING ON BOER FORCE Estimates of hov many men and gun the I Boer have to opposc him arc more guesswork In not replying v to Gen Lyttletons shell fire they arn < i using the tnctlps that proved so sue cesstul In the battles de Magersfon t teln and Colenso lying low In their trenches and thus hoping to conceal r advance their precise position until the infantry k INVISIBLE STile INTRENCHMENTS The Daily ChVonlcles military expert ex-pert sees a curious analogy between Gen Bullers situation now and tho eve Magersfontein Now a then the Boers are making a stand with f their backs to investing lines within few miles As Lord Mcthuen after crossing Modder river had to attack the Spyfonteln and Magersfontein hills s Gen Buller after passing tlc Tugcla faces Invisible I IntrenchmeuiJs in a rough country One correspondent mentions Gen 1 < Bulls wheeled transport of 5000 vehicles hides which connect him with the railroad about thirty miles to tho reav 111 Among these vehicles are thirty trac tlon engines which draw from ten to fifteen wagons each I TO GIVE NO QUARTER Gen Bullers warning a to the misuse mis-use of the white flag by the Boers in his proclamation to the troops Is considered f con-sidered < rather broad hint to give no I quarter His phrase There will be fi no turning back Is played upon edi t torlally by the morning papers as pre aving cheerful announcements The absorbing interest l felt In the sit > UMOJ1J ml 1 InenotbJIeints 1n4 the theater of war seem microscopic wi METHUEN AT MODDER RIVER PPEr I Lord Methucn lies behind his works at Modder river I Is estimated that r I his forces will have to be nearly or quite doubled before he can relieve I KImberley British reinforcements arc moving toward Gen French at tens burg With these he expected to ad r ance Gen Gatacres men occupy Loperburg a slight advance ARTILLERY FOR FRONT The War office announces that next week will be embarked seventytwo guns 3710 men and 210 horses This Is I the largest consignment of artillery ever sent abroad The War office invites In-vites COO volunteers for n sharpshooters I sharpshoot-ers battalion of yeomanry Sir William MacCormac in the Lancet cet says that of the 309 wounded in sS IJ the hospital visited by him only eight j had been hit by shells t LETTER FROM KIPLING Mr Kipling has written the following follow-ing characteristic letter to the British Guiana Branch of the Navy league In 1 recognition of 3 contribution to the war fund Bravo Brltfsh Gulna Seeing what they had to contend with lately in the sugar line they have done uncommonly < un-commonly well Please convey to tem my best thanks first n vicepresident of the league second as perpetrator of the absented beggar and third asa as-a fellowcontributor to the big jackpot n pot which we are boiling up on Thom ass behalf Have you seen Brazil and Trinidad come into the game f AFRIKANDER DISLOYALTY The Capetown correspondent or the Times discussing Afrikander dlsloy the sympathy oC alty says 4r believe ever Dutchman In South Africa la I with 1 the two Republics and that n t general rising is still quite possible l However there Is nothing to Implicate the Bond party as n whole In an ofllt chilly organized conspiracy against the i Imperial Government although the I Bond leaders have winked at or pan d > rcd to srilition In order to preserve the popularity populari The British failures and the appearance ap-pearance Britsh Boers on British territory terri-tory have fomented rebellion but even now n decisive British victory would prevent its further spread j CONDEMNS DUTCH PRESS This correspondent testifies t the1 value of the services rendered by Mr Schrelner the Cape Premier In an em barrassinir posl lon He speaks less balrssn leader highly of Mr Hofmcyer the real let 11 severely condemns of the Bond party and cn demns the Dutch press of the colon which he says Is doing UK utmost while keeping on the windy side of tim wIlle to > promote rebellion and to envenom j antagonism venom racial u I The British losses in KIIICQ wounulU and captured up to date arc < S officers offi-cers and men j i DEPENDS TR CABINET I White Ridley Objects to Sir Matthew Ridle Objccs I Criticism London Jan ISSlr Matthew White Ridley the Home Secretary speaking I at Blackpool this afternoon said On I colleagues and myself I behalf of my coleagcs ant mysclt I would behaI say that wo all share tho full SI responsibility for the Cabinet like the regponsjblt nation has been united from the beginning begin-ning nnton There Is no doubt that when the for the Cabinet to proper time comes or prper tme the Justification will t Justify Its course jUSllfCLtlOn be sufficiently ample is the most pleasure What gives mo pleo3reJ te I Icaa demonstration of the country no IC8 than the Government that having J quarrel forced upon UH we must bring I succenspi issue i to It IB n not the business of the press t the actions of our gallant Gn Ss in the feld et There are non Q 0116 them who docs not possess the full con 1II fidoncc of the country and the Government 1 L Govern-ment 1 |