ADVANCING TO LADYSMITH.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 3956, 23 January 1900, Page 7

ADVANCING TO LADYSMITH.

GENERAL CLLRV’S COLUMN IN AC MON. T'.IiRTEEW UOUIso FIGHTING. DJEFICGI/I'MiS STILL AHEAD. LONDON, January 10. D' H'T.il Sir ii'cilvei ■> Buffer lias cabled t' i til l ' VVar Office an account of a. iu'ii- ( racted engar'oinciil; Fought in I he course of the march towards Ladysmith. Ten report stales that Lie.uUniaiitO'licrat COry, wilh pail; of Liuulcnaul - t lone cal Warren’s force, iv li i< ■l l is advancing irom TVichari’s Drift, luiil thii'tucii hours’ of hanl lighting with flu; enemy y ost onlay. By (ho Judicious iiat of artillery Hit; Ocucral fought hi-' way stcailily forward, capf iiriu,’: i-ji!}■;«> afl or ridge for a distance of 11 1 rcc mile-., and finally bivouacking 11)1011. (he ground captured from the enemy. Tho main position taken np hy flic Kiii'i'; , however, is still i.i front oi (lie Jii i I ish vaugiiai d . The casualties on Ihe British side are stand lied to havii hcen heavy, but- 1U(I wounded Irid Iwoii luought in h,v an early lionr in Ihe evening. Tho number killed has md, jet hcen ascertained. The Bril i.-Ji aid illcry is continuously shelling the Beer I reueln The latest report, in reference io Ma-jor-General f.yttellon’s column ;<■> to ils advance from I’utgici er’s Drift (live jndes be Io ;v TTichai't's Drift) shows 1 fiat he has occupied a kopje within two thousand yards of the Boers’ position at Braktonleiii. (.•no company of General Lyttelton's mounted riflemen, with a, balloon section. encountered a. heavy lire. The enemy's trendies were shelled and the gras? set .on lire. The garrison and inhabitant* of Ladysmith. can hear tho guns of tha advancing column, and are Jubilant at the prospect of an early relief. PROGRESS Oh' TUB RELIEVING AIJ MY. DISLODGING THE ENEMY. SATISFACTORY PROGRESS MADE. (Received January 22. 10 p.m.) LONDON, January 22. Further news with regard to the operations of the relieving army in Natal states that Sir Charles Warren, supported by field artillery, directed an attack on'a strong force of the enemy which occupied the northern ridge on Snioiihop. i Tho Boers replied with machine-gun ami riflo lire. Tho fight was kept up until dusk, tho British infantry firing at long range. Meanwhile a demonstration was made mi the cr.cmy’s. front, during which their trenches were shelled by tho Naval Brigade, with admirable effect, the Boer guns being silenced. In tho evening a, forward movement was made, the infantry occupying an excellent advanced position. On Sunday General Warren found that his column was again confronted by strong entrenchments. The bombardment was accordingly re-opened,, and eventually three more positions wero captured, the Lancashire Regiment and the Irish Brigade steadily advancing, in the face of the enemy’s', lire. General Buffer has cabled to the War Office that Warren's Brigade was engaged during the whole of 1 Sunday, chiefly with his left flank, which even-' tucdly swung forward a couple of miles over difficult ground. Though tho fighting has been all uphill, substantia), progress has been made.

DEVELOPING THE BRITISH ATTACK. BOERS LEAVING THEIR POSITIONS ARTILLERY FIRE SILENCED. (Received January 22, 11.20 p.m.) DURBAN, January 22. Tlio work of turning the main position of General Joubert’s army has successfully begun. The extreme right cf the enemy was to the east of Acton Homes, upon a ridge four miles north-west ■of Tric-hart’a drift. General Warren, with the principal column, in co-operation with General Glory, operated on Saturday in a locality near where the OHverstock-Ladysmith road crosses Tenter’s Spruit. During General Warren’s turning movements the Boers on the western slopes of Spionkop were engaged on their right and rear, and were driven to tho higher crests of tho hills, whore their defences arc semi-circular in form, and consist of stone Hangars. The York and Lancaster Regiments and (ho Lancashire- Fusiliers, while ad- ' aiming on tho left wing along uneven ■■puis, entered this semi-circle under a heavy fire front three directions. Taking advantage of all the available cover, they reached within 500 yards of tho enemy’s right wing. Tho burghers’ artillery lire was periodically silenced by massed batteries of British held gnus. During tho night tho enemy's right wing evacuated portion of their positions.