The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, January 24, 1900, Image 2
THE WAR IN AFRICA.
WARREN'S MOVE VERY
WEIGHTY.
Oo Hii 8UCC688 or Failure
Depend! Roberts* Plans.
Londoo, Jso 16, 4 30 t. or. ?Lord
Robert's euigmetio d announcement
"oo change io the situation," does
nothing to allay public anxiety or to
explain toe mystery ?orroondiog Qeu
Boiler's movement? oo the Togela
tad, although there is e diepoeitioo
to regard the dispatch as disposing
of Saturday's adverse romora, the
week baa opened io a at ate of sue
peooe almost equal to that of laat
Week, beoaoee It io recoguizad that
JbJIure in Oen Buller'e present at
tempt would seal the fate of Lady
ess tth.
Preeomaoly "no obaoge io the
Uiteatioo" refero to previous die
patches sent to toe war office, which
?ovo not yet been revealed to the
public Except the announcement
of the jelsure of Potgeieter'e drift
aod of tbe advance of Qeu YYarreo,
tnere has been oo oewa from the
Togela for u week A ray of hope
In in the fact that the aame eileoce
prevails from too Boer side Thus it
may, perbsps, be fsirly inferred that
Oen Boiler has oot yet met a aertooa
check
If toe announcement of Gen War
ren's movement be correct, it ie
?videot that Oen Boiler's foroee are
npread over a very wide front ?per
bepe 26 miles? and to the eveut of a
sodden fall of the river hie operatiooa
might be full of danger. It ie be
fleved that Oen Boiler ban oo good
survey msps of the district. This
will sdd to bis difficulties.
Sir Charles Warren'e advance
probably means an attempt to seize
Rleogwane bill, the main poet of tbe
Boers south of tbe Togela Upoo
the ancoeen or failure of these opera
tiona depeode tbe whole future of
tbe campaign Until tho reeult is
knows, Lord Roberts will bo unable
to oroide bow to dispose the two
divisions and tbe reeofbrcements now
suiting
The onwo from other points is of
no great importance. Boer aooooots
tell of soother sortie from Kimberiey
oo Jan 9, in tbe direction of Kam
fer'a dsn, with a briak exohaoge of
firing, bot no results A bssvy de?
tonetion wss hesrd oo Jso 8 wiibio
Kimberley
A dispatch to tbe Daily Mail from
Modder river, dsted Jso 10, gives s
rumor thst Kimberly wss being bom
borded
Baetarda Nek, mentioned in Lord
Roberta' dispatch ss the locality of s
rsconnt seance, is north west of Coles
berg.
Doubts sre beginoiog to be rsised
whether it will be possjbie to get
together anything like 10,000 yeo
tnanry Ooly a very smsll percent
nge of ihe applicants satisfy (be
etandard of riding and sbootiog. A
large number ot offioere from the
Egyptian army bsve just left Cairo
for Sooth Africa to rspisce those
killed snd wouoded
Boers Lost Heavily Attempt
tog to Take an Entrench?
ment.
Rensborg, Cap* Colony, Mondsy,
Jan 16?The Boers this morning
attempted to roe*; - hill held by a
Company of the Yorkshires and New
Zeelanders, but they were repulsed
at the point of tor bsyonet The
Boera had Ml men knled and about 60
wounded.
The hill command* a trsct of coun?
try rast of ihe main position of tbe
Boers
They advanced cautiously, direct
ing iheir fire at a small wall held by
tbe Yorkshires, ayid compelling the
latter tu keep close under cover.
When the Boers rushed the wall Ihe
Yorkshirea fixed bayonet* and charg
od. Just at the moment Capt Mad
dock*, with a .mill party of New Z <a
landers, came op aud the combined
force leaoed over the wall and
obaig>'d straight for the enemy, who
i\ \>.i followed by a witheiing fire at
dose rang"
The Boers li;eraily tumbWol over
eacn other in their huiry to escape,
but the persistent fire of the Kritiah
ii fiietsd a heavy lo?e
Desultory firing continued for some
time, but the attack was sn utter
fji'ure. and ihr Boers retrested to the
cover of the small kopjes at the base
of twS hill
AT MODDER K1VER
Moddor River, Tuesday, Jsn 16.?
There wss a brisk exebsnge of shells
this moroiog, the Boers returning our
fire for tbe first time in several days.
Tbe Brlitisb entrenchments are bo
ing continually strengthened aod ex
tended. The permanent isilway
bridge it almost completed
Heavy raioo have fallen in the bills
recently, end tbe fords of the licit
river nrn til impasssble.
OEN BULLER'8 ARMY CROSSING
TUOKLA RIVER.
Loadoo, Jso 18, 4 30 s. m ? Geo
Boiler's complete surprise of ths Ibers
oo Potgieter'e drift hill* ton da greatlv
to testore confidence io his tactics. It
is shown his foroes are ooooootrsted.
Ia Ospe Colony, Mothueo has made a
demonstration in forco, shelling tho
Boer works Qataore is skirmishing
around Moltsoo. Frenoh is shelliog
the Boers at Rtosberg Col Piomer is
mot tog to the relief of Mafeking from
Bochuaoaland, with less than 2.000
men Mafekiog is io a bad way ; tbe
seige is beiog pressed with determina
tion, and the Kaffirs are deserting
Planer, on Jan 11, was 100 miles
north of Ma'eking
London, Jan 18.?The Times pub
lisbes tbe following dispatch from
8paarmao's farm, dated Jan 17, 9 20
p m :
"The foree marched westward co
Jan 10. Lord Dondooald, by a dash*
iog movement occupied tbe hills above
Potgieter'e drift, 15 miles west of
Colenso, takiog the Boers completely
by surprise
"Tbe same eveoiog tbe infantry fol?
lowed. Gto Lyttletoo's brigade orossed
tbe river yesterday aod toaay shelled
the Boer trsoebes beyond with Howit
?ers
"Gen Warren's force is noworossiog
Triohardte drift, five miles above. He
is not opposed, althoogh the Boers are
boldiog a position Its miles from tbe
river *
A Pistsrmaritsborg dispateb to The
Msil late Wednesday evening, the
17tb, says arrivals from Esteoort report
there was fighiiog on tbe Tugela
todav.
Gen Lyttletoo, after crossing Potgie
ter's drift, seited ridges a mile beyond
aod effectively shelled tbe Boers.
Warren also lodged two miles beyond
the Togela toward Sproeo Kop
A Durban ditpatob says smailpaz is
reported to have broken oot amoog tbe
Boers
TO HELP K1MBERLY.
Modder river. Cape Colony, Jan i7
?There was a demonstration io
force, ander Gen Methoci:, yester?
day, a division being engaged, with
tbe objeot of asoertaioing tbe strength
and disposition of tbe Boer force and
also in order to try to draw the Boers
from Kimberley, where, lately, they
hsve been aotive. Tbe British dis
covered tbe Boers io great force and
beiog reenforced from tbe direction
of Jaconsdal
At 4 80 tbe artillery opened fire,
Tbe shells droppping in tbe Boer en?
trenchments with great precision
The attack was directed against tbe
Boer left The firing continued until
sunset mostly with artillery, although
the Guards, on the rigty, fired some
long range valleys.
The Boers reserved tboir fire until
the British were returning to csmp in
the darknese, when aiz shells follow?
ed them There were no casualties
among tbe British troops
London. Jan 19. 4 a m?Military
critic* in touch with the war office con?
sider that the eipeeted battle, along the
wide are south sod west of Lidysmiih.
eao hardly be delayed beyond today.
From Dorbao it is reported that fight?
ing has slready began.
Gsa Bailer's forces eogaged in tbe
flanking operation across the Tugela
are some 13,000 or 14.000 bayonets, i
1,200 eavalry aod 40 guns. Tbe I
disposition of bis other 15,000 or I
20,000 men is not known, althoogh the 1
assomption is (bat tbe whole army will 1
be io aetion wboo tbo boor for combin?
ed movement arrives I
Three weeks ago Geo Buller had <
80.000 men Considerable reenfores- i
roents who siooe have arrived giving
him probably 35,000 meo aod 80 gins
all told Estimates of bow maoy meo <
sod gone the Bjors havo to oppose btm i
are mere gaess work. Io oot replying
ti Geo Lyttletoo's shells they are using i
tbe taeties that proved so toeoessfui io I
the battles of Magersfooteio aod Colen?
so?lying low io their treoohes and I
thus hoping to oonoeal tbeir preoise 1
position ootil the infantry advance
Tbe Daily Chronicle's military I
' Xpert enee a ourtous analogy between
Gen Boiler's situation now aod on tbe i
eve of Magerefootein Now, an then,
tbo U)era aro making a stand, with I
tbeir backs to investing lines within a i
few otiles. An Lord Mdhucn. after i
oroseiog Modder river, bad to attack
the Spytfonteio and Magerafontein hills,
so Gen Buller, after parsing tbo Togela,
faoe? invisible - entrenchments in a
n u;h country
NO TURNING BACK
Gen Bailer's warning about tbe
misuse of the white flag by the Boers
in his proclamation to the troops is
considered a rather broad bint to
give no quarter Mis phrase "there
wi I be no turning back" is played
upon editoiially by the morning
paper** us presaging chterful annouce
robots ^
The absorbing interest f It in the
situation in Natal makes other
points in the theatre of war seem
microscopic Lord Methueu lies be
hind his works at Modder river, it
is estimated that bis forces will have
to be nearly or quite doubled before
he can lelieve Kimberley
British reenforcements are moving
toward Gen Fronch at Reitsburg
With these be is expected to ad?
vance (Jen Gatacre's men occupy
LopC!*burg, a slight advance
The war offices announces tblt
Mil week will be embarked 72 guns, j
3.710 men and 2,210 horses This is ,
tbe largest consignment of artillery |
ever sent abroad The war office
invites 500 volunteers for a sharp?
shooters' battalion of yeomamy.
The officials of the war t nice are
satieCed that tbe tide has turned and
that news of a more hopeful charac
ter from a Bntivh point of view will
hereafter be the rule instead of the
exceptiou That the British advance
in a northeasterly direction will be
fiercely resisted ia fully anticipated.
The Boer strength is'probably supe
rior to tbe British and the dispatches
show the burghers occupy strong
positions
There is some doubt as to whether
the Sproenkop occupied by Gen
Warren ia identical with Spioukon
If so the British aro within a few
miles of Acton Homes the scene of
esrlier conflicts between White's
forces and the invading Free States
whence there is a gocd road to Lady
smith
While Gen Warren's force was
crossing the Tugela river, the Boers
occupied a thickly wooded plantation
a mile north of the river aud sent
eeveral volleys into the advance
guard. Tbe British replied and the
artillery opened on a neighboring
kopje. As tbe British pushed across
the river tbe Boers found their posi?
tion uncomfortsble end retired to the
bills Immediately after tbe pontoon
bridge wss completed the whole Brit
isb force crossed
Meanwhile tbe uaval guns on
Swarlzkop bave been persistently
shelling tbe Boer entrenchments fac
ing tbe kopje's occupied by Little-*
ton's brigade
Ooe correspondent mentions Gen
Buller's wheeled transport of 5,000
vehicles which oooneot him with the
railroad, about 30 miles to the rear,
among these vehiolea are 30 traction
engines, which draw from ten to fifteeo
wagons eaob.
BRITISH LOSSES UP TO DATE
Loodon, January 19 ?Tbe British
losses io killed, wounded and captured
up to date are 7.987, officers and men.
REPORT FROM BULLER.
London, Jan 18, 9 37 p m ?Too
war effioe baa issued tbe following :
From Butler, Spearman's oamp,
Jao. 18.
"Ooe field artillery, Howitzer battery
aod Lyttletoo's btigade are across tho
Togela aod Potgieters drift. Tbe
enemy's positioo is beiog bombarded
by us
"Five miles higher up, Warren has
crossed tbo river by a pontoon 85 yards
long He hopes bis foroo will, by
evening, bave advanced five miles from
tbe river to his right front. Tbe enemy
is easily entrooobing."
From Roberto, Cape Town, Jan 18 :
"Gaiacre reports that 300 men of all
ranks have been moved from Bush?
man's Hoeke to Lopesberg and that
the Seventy fourth field battery and one
oompaoy of Mour.ted Infantry from
Sterkstroom to Bushman's Noeck.
Otherwise there is no ohaoge.''
The Expeoted Battle Not
Fougbt
Londoo. Jao 20, 4 30 a. m ?Every
boor that Geo Bullcr delays bis com
bioed attaok makes bis position
itrooger Transports oootioue to ar?
rive at Durban, and fresh troops are
beiog sent up the line to reenforoe
thoso in front of Coleoso It appears
that Geo Boiler's troops north of the
Tugela nomber at least 22 000 and
possibly 25,000 with 50 guns His
total foroes, formioga great|outer oorve
nootb aod west of Ltdysmitb, probably
cumber 40.000
While Geo Butler's forward opera
tion?, wbiob began oo Jao 10, devetop
rather leisurely, the Boers appear to
ho folly sware that tbey must meet a
strenuous asaault. Balloon observers
have roughly estimated that 10,000
Boera are u-ing spade aod pick io arti?
ficially streogtbening positions whiob
nature has rendered easy of defense
Military critics io tooob with tbe war
rflioe thick that news that geoeral
fighting has begun may be expeoted at
aoy boor.
It is oot thought that ooe day's
fighting will Battle the fate of Lady
smith, but rather that thcro will be two
or three days of continuous* fighting.
BOERS PREPARING
London, Jao 20.?A dispatoh to
Tbo Daily Telegraph datod Thursday
from Spearman's Camp, describes tbe
diffioultiea of tbe marob owiog to tbe
unwieloly baggage oolumn, including
all tho tents and sheep ever bad road*
io wet weather. Tbo correspondent
tbon goes on to say : ' Some ten thou?
sand Biers arrived in tho vicinity of
Potgieier'a drift on Thursday and
Friday of last week and bogan tbe
erootion of expensive and formidable
lines of tronohes, for their pcaitioo
apparently could only be turned from
the went by availing tho high ridges of
tho Sproen Kop.
"A balloonist today reported that no
guns were visible in tho onomy's works,
hut there was a large Boer oamp io tho
direo'ion of Brskfootslo, a brown
ridgo four miles from Potgiotor's drift
"Boers arrived m largo numbers
today ftom Colonso aod Ladysmith
They havo certainly run brurichos (f
the railwuv ft088. Modder ?pruif. 'in und
Mt Bu'waya. Niarly all tho Boers
have gono to attempt to cheek General
Warren's ndvaucc, hut ho mado no
sign today."
A dispatoh to Tho Daily Telegraph
from Spearman's farm or camp, as the
correspondents now describe it, dealing
wi'h Lord Duodonald'ti movement to
Went of Gen Warreu'a foroo, already
oabled, says: "Hid euoonss gives us
col.tn I of any easy entrano) to Lidy
smi:n. Our guns continue to bombard
the Boor lines. ?he Boors repiv but
feebiy General Warren h advancing
steadily.''
WELCOME SOUNDS IN LADY I
SMITH.
Ladysmith, Wednesday, Jan U,
via Spearman's Camp, Jan 19 ?
Everything is quiet. The position is
unchanged, and there is very little
bombarding
The welcome sound of the guns
of the relief column was heard yes?
terday from Colenso and Springfield.
The beat is intense, but there is no
increase of sickness.
BOER TRENCHES SHELLED AT
COLENSO.
London, Jan 20.?The Standard
publishes the following, dated Thins
day, from Sp?arman's farm : "It is
reported that the Boers opposite
Colenso, on finding that Gen Butler
had out manouvred them, crossed to
the south of the Tugeta on Monday
and set fire to all the bouses in the
village
"As the force from Chieveley ad?
vanced the Boers retired before them
to trenches on a bill in line with Co
lenso Our infantry advanced to the
attack in skirmishing order, followed
by supports and reserves, our caval?
ry scooting on the right close up the
river The Boer forces at Colenso
must have beon considerably weak
ened by the dispatch of largo reen
forcements westward to meet Gen
Butter's advance, and they now hur?
riedly evacuated the river trenches
and the kopjes opposite village and
scattered before our shrapnel By
evening none of the enemy was left
within rifle shot of Colenso The
British force then retired to Chieve?
ley "
A Thousaud Tongues
Could uot express the rapture of Annie E
Springer, of 1125 Howard fct., Philadelphia,
Pa., when she found that Dr. King's New Dis?
covery for Consumption had completely cured
her of a hacking oough that for many years
had made life a burden. All other remedies
and doctors could give her no help, but she
says of this Royal Cure?"it soon removed
the pain in my chest and I can now sleep
soundly, something I can scarcely remember
doing before. I feel like sounding its praises
throughout tho Universe." So will every one
who tries Dr. King's New Discoterv (or any
trouble of tin Thront, Chest ?-r lungs. Price
ISO and $1. Trial bottles free at J. I W.
DeLormt'd Drug Store; every bottle gua.*n
teed.
The Exclusion of Roberts
Will be Recommended.
Washington, Jan 17.?The special
committee of the house of represent?
atives to investigate the case of
Brigbam H. Roberts of Utah today
reached a final conclusion.
The committee was unauimious
and agreed upon a formal
statement of facts On the question
of procedure to be adopted the com?
mittee was divided. The majority,
consisting of all the members except
Littlefield of Maine and DeArmond
of Missouri favored exclusion at the
outset Messrs, Littlefield (Rep.)
and DeAimond (Dem ) will make a
minority report favorable to seating
Roberts on bis prims facie rights and
then expelling him The majority
were Tayler, Frear, Morris sod Mc
Pberson, Republicans, Lanbsm and
Miere, Democrats
^5 CUBAN BELIEF cures < il:?.
uralglSj and Toothache in
five minutes. Sour Stomach and
Summer Complaints. Price. 25c.
Sold by Hughsoo Lieon Co.
In her Indian empire England has
some 290,000,090 people Of these
49,000,000 are now afTeoted by the
famine and cmly 3,250,000 are receiv?
ing relief The viceroy, Lord Cutzon,
ant ounces that in tbis appalling disas?
ter India will have to strive and 6uf7er
alone, s "tho thoughts of every
Englishmen io the world are centred on
South Afrioa." Even so. It is a
commentary on imperialism In order
to gain new empire England is pouring
out hundreds of millions of treasure?
enough to feed the tens of millions who
starvo in India?and so intent is she
upon this great tack to whioh she has
eet herself that she must be oallous to
tbe cry of one sixth of the vast popula
tion ol her oldest empire, now perish
iug foi want of food She has assumed
great dunes which 6be cannot fultill
beeauge she wishes to assume new ones
clsowhcrc. Humane people on think
in'* of this will oooolude that England's
empire is already too large .for Eog<
laud's orcdit ?The State.
Work at Port Royal.
Wafthiogtoo, dan 19 ?By reason of
the growing imDortance, from a labor
standpoint, the naval station at Port
Royal, S 0 , ban been provided with
regularly orgaoiiod boards for tbo
employment and regulation ol" labor.
Tbe product of the world's gold
mines last year is put at $313,964,
468, of which ttiis country produced
$72.483,066; Australia, $78,082,171;
South Africa, $73,108,660; Russia,
: $24,072,884, the balance being di?
vided among a half dozen or more
countries
TO OUR FRIENDS.
MR. EDITOR:
You may have had us in mind when referring in a recent
issue of your paper to the peculiarity of merchants in regard
to advertising, in which you quoted them as saying that "in
good times it was not necessary to advertise, and in hard times
it did not pay/7 While we have always found that advertising
paid us, we must confess that for the past sixty days any in?
crease of business that we might secure by that means, could
not have been satisfactorily waited on, as our clerical force has
been taxed to its utmost capacity.
Now that the rush of cotton is over and we have an
opportunity to say a few words to our friends in the country,
we desire to acknowledge, through the columns of the Watch?
man and Southron, our grateful thanks to them for the liberal
patronage bestowed upon us, for which we can offer nothing in
return except our promise that their interests will be as care?
fully guarded by us in the future as they have been in the past.
It is particularly ^gratifying to us to acknowledge a very
libpral trade during the months of September and October from
our farming friends, to whom it was our pleasure to extend a
credit during the summer. It proves to us that they appreciate
our endeavor to be just and reasonable with them, when they
need assistance, as we have always tried to be?our motto
being
LIVE AND LET LIVE
Although we tried to anticipate this season's wants by
buying a heavier stock than ever before, our trade has so far
exceeded our expectations, that we have been obliged to re?
plenish frequently and freely every department of our store.
In Dry Goods
We bought a very heavy stock of staples, a fair percentage
of which we still have on hand and are selling at old prices,
Those
Tar Heel Blankets
Which you have been waiting for so loug have come at
last. , It was not our fault that they were not here sooner as
our contracts were made in May for September delivery, but
the mill has been so crowded with orders it was impossible to
deliver them sooner. These goods are made in
A Southern Mill.
From Sout?ern Wool,
By Southern Men
and there are none better. They are improving on the finish
every year. We are selling at the same price as last year; but
if we have to duplicate we will be obliged to charge an advance.
We only have about
FIFTY PAIRS, '
so don't put off buying, or you may get left.
SHOES.
Why the advance in cotton should have affected the price of
shoes, but strange to say they too have gone up. We don't
know whether it was judgment or luck, but our purchases for
Fall were nearly double our usual contracts. We are buying
now for Spring and paying 10 to 16 per cent more for the same
class of goods, but those oa hand will go at the old prices while
they last.
In our write-up about Shoes last Fall we had something spe?
cial to sav about
The H. 0. Godnian Line for Women and Children.
Our increased sales for these goods prove that we told the truth.
Bear in mind we are still the Sou: Agents for them and
Guarantee every Pair
THE L. M. REYNOLDS LINE OF MEN'S SHOES, sold
exclusively by us, are trade-winners. The prices range from
$1.75 to $3.50, and every pair warranted. If you want the
best 93.00 shoe buy a Reynolds.
CLOTHING.
This has certainly been our banner season in the clothing
business, and it* there are any of the men or boys in the county
who have not bought a suit, it has not been our fault ; but fear?
ing there still may be a lew unprovided, we are keeping up our
stock by telegraphing orders for shipment by express.
If you need an overcoat see us before buying, us we have
some great values.
In our Hat and Furnishing Goods De?
partment will be found some values that compare favora?
bly with the balance of our stock.
This announcement would not be complete without a
word about our
GROCERY STOCK.
This department is up to the usual standard, and that is
saying about all that is necessary for it. Our MILLBURNB
FLOUR, of which wc believe there is more soul in this county
than other brand, is pronounced by those who use it, unsur?
passed.
O'Oomiell & Co.