New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-14
METHUEN REPULSED.
Continued from first page

-,,,er,s side Just before daybreaK the high
." -,,.oa within two hundred yards Of the
,.,.rorcbn,ents. at the foot of hill IN
DUO IT, tbat the Beers in the vicinity.
,r,,,sh were still marching in quarter COL
avn IN close order when they met a Terrible
a. from, the tanks, and were forced to retire
with heavy loss
ruo +roons reformed under the shelter Of some
,.,.r Ground and calamity held their position.
tho Gordons arrived. and the troops
-.odrsuv worked their way until within three
.,,rdred wards Of the Boer positions displaying
-, rraatest gallantry. In the mean while
sa,aI gun at the Modder River. the howitzer
..+,er,es and the Horse Artillery opened ter
.,eo FIRE. enhadng the trenches and searching
norton Of the Boer position. The Boer
-. we're entirely silent. In the mean while
-. Boers. on the open ground directly in front.
..,,ed with the object OF making a flank at
...r Rut this was frustrated by the Guards
and artillery.
The Beers recommended Smelling in the even
Inc hut no damage was done. The British slept
~ their position. It is expected that there will
he a renewal Of the fighting tomorrow. The
losses on both sides were very heavy.
,,odser River, Dec. 12-The British casualties
Included the Marques of Winchester. major OF
Tho % Battalion Of the Coldstream Guards, who
was killed. and Colonel Downham. of the lst
,,o..a,ion Of the Gordon Highlanders. who was
MORALLY wounded.
When the Highlanders met the numerous
noin, blank fire Of the Beers about two hundred
were moved down The Black Watch Regiment
an reforming. was only able to muster one hun
dred men, The Beers also lost heavily In the
trenches and in the wire arrangements
when they came into the open in an attempt 10
make a flank attack the British
The terrific British artillery fire provoked no
RESPONSE. except from the Boer rifles. until
nearly 4 o'clock in the afternoon. when the
Gordon Highlanders formed up TO renew the
attack on the intrenched kopje. They advanced
with the utmost gallantry TO attack the Beers
close to the place where lay their dead ana
wounded comrades OF the Highland Brigade.
The enemy opened with heavy shrapnel IRE
as the British advanced. and 1t was 1ound
nhvsicaliy impossible TO take the Boer trenches
The British got within two hundred yards put
could not get nearer. 1t was here that Colonel
Downham fell
The Beers had had free recourse to baroed
wire entanglements which offered great OBJ
stacles even after the damage inflicted by the
British artillery fire.
This morning Tuesday) both sides occupied
the positions they held before the battle. The
greatest bravery was displayed by both officers
and men, The wounded include Lieutenant
Colonel A. E. Codrington and Captain Sterling,
both of the 1st Battalion of the Coldstream
Guards
A detachment Of Beers posted among some
thick bushes TO the east maintained most de-
structive fire on our right With the remarkable
talent for taking cover which the Boer always
displays, they were. generally speaking, virtu-
ally invisible; and, although the enemyS artl-
lery was practically silenced his rife fire was
80 persistent and concentrated. we'll as un-
usually well aimed. that it was absolutely i'm
possible for the British infantry to take the
position by assault.
At the first advance of the Hghanders the
Boer shooting. probably owing TO the darkness,
was somewhat high, otherwise the British losses
would have been still heavier.
London, Dec 14-Julian Ralph, describing the
battle at Magersfontein, in a special dispatch to
The Daily Mali says
The Beers were intrenched at Magersfontein,
four miles north of Modder River AT dawn
Monday the Highlanders. advancing across the
veldt we're suddenly subjected to a murderous
fire from the trenches about two hundred yards
I'm front The greater part of the fearful loss OF
The dav was thus suffered in a single minute.
startled and overwhelmed. the brigade retired
quickly, but soon rallied and retained theh posi-
ton This was on the left: ,.,
on the right the Guards brigade advanced
across the veldt against other trenches ana
fought an invisible foe for fifteen hours.
AL il in the morning the Gordon HlghiahueIs
we're sent forward The Beers allowed them 10
pass one line of trenches, and then ennlaoeo
them. We raked the Boer trencnes win a.
tillery throughout the Day Inc Hsh'i"e ''
ceased with nightfall.
The snec,al correspondent of The Daily Mail
al Modder River, describing the lghung' says
The Boer trenches extended far beyond tne
kopje into the open plain. ihoSe on IL, nv p aar
were hidden bv screens of leaves Ihose neal
the kopie were guarded by douole lIn liz! %
barbed wire. Evidently they feaIeu Jul - -, &.
= irg and bayonet attack. we raked the so Pc
and trenches with an intense WEI, un ,'Y, o1d a
Of thirty guns. including naVa! gun S aiiH
howitzer battery. both using lyddite ! believe
they effected severe damage The BoeT prr n"ne
ers report that one lyddite shell feil a,mum .
,o-+, - III, Ave ~ whom escaped unhurt'
Other shells burst in the enemy's lager cau'-
Ing its complete DESTRUCTION .oroa than we
The Beers are in still larger Tor hering ms
found Them al Modder River 0ulnuito oIas are
by almost three 10 one. The ai,5,tary coun
apparently dominating in their miii'aiS '0''
ellis, although in a minority.
It rs estimated here that LORD Metnuen 80
forces amounted to eleven thousand men, "-l ~,
perhsps 70 more No trustworthy estimate Oh
b,s losesv h. ,,e, been received. They are De-