The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-30
BRITISH WIN BIG BATTLE.
BoERs DRIVEN FROM MODDER RIVER
AFTER TEN HOURS OF FIGHTINo.

AFTER TEN HOURS OF FIGHTIN8.
Gen. Methuen Calls It tho Hardest and
Most Trying Fight In tho Annals of the
British Army-Force OF 5000 Doors
Driven Back-Hcavy Lose Probable on
Both sidss-British Fight All Day with
out Food or wator-Boers Report .
sort,e From Kimberley - Rotterdam
Ruu,or That Labyrinth Has Falie..
Special cubt Dsspdtehs, 10 THx suS.
LONDON. Nov. 80. Not q single item OF
offlcal news has reached here from South
Africa since the receipt OF the official
| dispatches. which arrived Wednesday
morning. OF which. OF course Gen. Lord
Methuen's meagre account OF the battle
| at Modder River forms tho sole topic Of COM
ment in the press and by the public. II IL
| universally assumed that the casualty list.
| when II comes in. will DO terribly heavy, the
| whole tenor OF Gen. Methuen's despatch point
| ing to large British losses.
| The despatch Ia dated Cape Town. Nov %.
| IL AS p. NJ. and is IA follows:
| Gen. Lord Methuen sends the following
| from the Modder River to-day: RECON- offered
| at 5 A. NJ. the enemy's position on the Modder.
| They were found to be strongly entrenched and
concealed. with no means OF outfanklng them.
| as tho river was full.
| Action commenced at s: 80 A. NJ, The Grena-
diers on the right and the Ninth Brigade on
the left attacked tho position. supported by
artillery. They found confronting them the
whole Boer force OF 5000 men with two large
| guns and four Krupps. The Naval Brigade
rendered great assistance from the railway.
After desperate fighting for ten hours
| without food or water In the burning sun We
| drove the enemy out
| Gen. Methuen adds: 1t was one OF the
| hardest and most trying fights in the annals OF
the British army. l speak In tcrms OF the
highest praise OF all engaged especially the
| two batteries OF artillery.
Gen. Pole-Carew was successful In getting
| a small party across the river. calamity assisted
| by 800 sappers.
What the critics fail to understand IL on
| what side o. the Modder River did the Beers
| have their position. Some assume that the
| statements that II was impossible to
| outhank them must mean that the
| Beers were on the north side OF the
river. but tho statement that the action was
| commenced by the mounted infantry and
cavalry, Us well as the artillery. at 30 a. ". IL
considered 10 provo that the Beers must
| have been south OF the river: otherwise. tho
cavalry would not have INN ediately taken part
| In the fighting The fact that Gen. Pole -Carew
had the assistance OF 300 sappers in getting n
small party across the river indicates pontoon-
ing OF 'he cohs''ue''on vi s"ohe o'"ef A'uu VI
military bridge.
AZ REGARDS 'ne nctua' result OF Tue
oa''e' mo h"r""' fo"' u'i',ury cr"r'
who' mas peeh gehtra'y proved
mas keen ioresign'' says uoes not
seem 100 rhuch 20 presume lha' was
won oy inc br"Ish' thouRh 'he desrateh
refrains scrupulously from referring to n vic
tory The enemy was forced to withdraw
from n's poS''on W"'cn ,'nS n'"h 'a'''ns
"acA " tue "''anoe W '"o ,''oi,o' ,h.' VI '"o
hunuuon'hen' VI '"o "i,ot' .eau "'otr"''
| Iine ''t'c assume '""t ."e'o WIS
.',uke a"u ,"a' '"o D0e'n "' we ou'se' "" r,
ue''nu'ns .he sou'"e'h app,o"onen w W. "e
Iorher % '"o fnoi' lnaus'o.o .'"vo o'n' o'e-
arrow was e'ossIns WIN ,"o n.'r y, s,pp.rr'
"n'en uou,u nrs"t,. 'ne mppe '"a ~, '"o or'uke
was III ''o "a.o, W '"o ' '''''''
were undouo.eay pon,ooh'ne'
'on'p'a'n' IN 's'"H'-s '" w "oH,' "Sa'"s'
inc enip"ymsn' " 20 nun, sa''o'' ~. pureN
soldiers WORK 80 .sr rom 'ne eoas, me com
pIa'ht u Daseo on tue Hrouhu 'hn' 'he navy can :
nov ahotu 10 'ose MN ""o'h d" 'aAee N' long "
MAKE ana replace mere are also 'ouH com
p'a'u's '"a' ,no'' a',"'.' anu avail, ""V
not peen iurn'shea 10 zen hethuen,
argued 'nat AT inc star. OF
MS inhrch ne u'u not nave su'nc'ch'
So'". 50
sa'heu. anu tna' orancn mus No" oe ~ over
"oIkeo as 10 oe Prae'iea'N worn ou',
mo I"e', co'nu. h,'hs on "'n' h'Ih"en
uepa'ch sa's"oeh' he'nu'"o"'y SAFES 'h". 'he
enemy was mauo I" pu'' n's postoh' 'ur
troops must hare ne'n lop esn 1 10
pursue out u 'ne noefs No'e INV" a.toSN
.'e fN''' "',"s "' ~, '''''
losses hus' nave Yen. se'ef',
Inc paper nroceeIs 70 "rkuv 'na' W" i"er'
E'hor"' p"s"'h ',"''u oSu'""7'" '''' ~
fremont oe'ne W mo 'HS'W"'". =,
ihe INES r"r'esp"nucn' WI" "cn' MO
'huen' 'e'enr"pi,ns ""ue' "e'e v, NV - SAY
'ha' ,he poel ~,re' " was a" arc en''
mateu ut my k'''eu anu s'NY s,r'ous'
wouhueu' o!het "ouh""u "eio earr'eu on tht
hc.n He "u', ,,'"' 70 ENVIRONMENTS ''' .'''','u
10 '" "oius oa'',: zen h"'nueh ~ not "s'"I
',"neu fa'.onS' f'''" ''o' - ''''"'""'''''
ana oouent'
ESfouuhI' NOV. ~ 'pe'u'eu !" Ia"s"'s
|