Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-12-16
METHUEN BEATEN
Heavy Mortality List Without
Compensation Of Victory.
Zach Succeeding Battle Seems TO
Bring Worse Reverse for English
Last One "WillM Make British the
Butt of fEurope'-All Eyes Turned
Now on Butler.

London, Dec. 14.-General Methuen, a.
was expected, followed up his artillery
attack with a general assault on the
Boer position Monday, and his report
| shows that the anxiety Of the public re-
| garding the result, occasioned by the
| omnous silence of the war office, was
amply justified. The engagement was
| evidently of considerable magnitude and
the list of killed and wounded, headed by
Major General Wauchope. will be pro-
portiOnate without the compensation Of
victory.
General Forester Walker, telegra PHI
| ing from Cape Town at $3.50 p. nl., sends
the following dispatch from Lord Meth
uen. dated Modder river, Tuesday, Dec.
IL, 1880 p. M:
"As the Boers occupied their trenches
strongly this morning, retired in per-
feet order here. where l am in security.
| II have gathered from some Of the
prisoners, and from our men with the
ambulances who talked with the Beers.
that the enemy's losses We're terrible.
some corps being completely wiped out.
The Beers have been most kind to my
wounded"
Each important battle seems to bring
a worse reverse for the British and the
papers this morning sorrowfully admit
that Lord Methuen's check at Magers-
| fontein on Monday is the most serious
event the war has yet produced. The
Morning Post says;
| ha ho1 n q " of hutnil Ia tinn
appointed for us. Let US accept 1t
humbly and soberly. and be better and
stronger for the lesson 1t has taught
as. This last reverse will make lis a
fresh butt of Europe. There never was
a more apt occasion to prove to Europe
what we are worth"
The position Lord Methuen assaulted
Is thus described by a correspondent:
"Magcrsfontein range terminates on the
east with an abrupt saddle rock, some
$50 feet high. Boer entertainments run
around the whole front. The position
Is some two miles long, due east and
west. The western ends of the trenches
follow the contour of the kopjes, and
afford a retreat"
It is estimated here that General
Methuens forces amounted to 1900
men, and perhaps to more. No reliable
estimate of his losses has yet been re-
ceived. They are believed TO be at
least 4J0.
All the papers comment on the ex-
treme gravity of the situation. and upon
the momentous decision Lord Methuen
now has to take--whether TO remain at
Modtler river or to retire on Orange
river. The Times says
AT least $4,000 men must be sent out.
The entire available reserve must be
called up, and the militia and volunteers
turned to account. Efforts must bc
made to increase the local colonial
forces, and further offers of troops from
Canada and other colonies must be
sought and accepted
The Standard, which comments upon
the "seemingly astonishing numbers OF
the Boers," conjectures that a sub
stantial portion of the BOer command
oes have been recruited from the Cape
Dutch.
All eyes are now turned hopefully to
General Butler, who, taking into ac-
count the troops with General White at
Ladysmith has altogether 10000 men.
A dispatch from Modder river, dated
Dec. H. says: The British casualties
yesterday included the Marquis of
Winchester, major of the Second bat
TALON Coldstream guards, who was
killed. and Colonel Downham. of the
First battalion Gordon Highlanders
who was mortally wounded.
When the highlanders met the mur-
derous point-blank fire of the Beers
about 200 were moved down. The
Black Watch regiment, on reforming
was only able to muster 160 men. The
Beers also lost heavily in the trenches
and also in the wire entanglements
when they came into the open and at
tempted to make a flank attack on the
British.
The terrific British artillery fire pro-
voked no response except from the
Boer rifle until nearly o'clock in the
afternoon, when the Gordon Highland
ers formed up to renew the attack on
the entrenched kopje. They advanced
with the utmost gallantry to attack the
Beers, close to the place where lay their
dead and wounded comrades Of the
highland brigade.
The enemy opened with a heavy shrap.
mel fire as the British advanced, and II
was found physically impossible to take
the Boer trenches. The British got
within 200 yards, but could not get
nearer. twas here that Colonel Down.
ham fell.
The Beers had free recourse to barbed
wire entanglements, which offered grea,
obstacles even after the damage In
flicted 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 included Lieutenant Col.
onel A. f. Codrington and Captain Ster-
ling, both Of the First battalion Of the
Coldstream Guards.
A detachment of Beers, posted among
some thick bushes to the east, main.
tanned most destructive fire on oul
right. With the remarkable tact OF
taking cover, which the beers always
displayed, they were, generally speak
ing. virtually invisible. and. although
the enemy's artillery was practically
slenced, his rifle fire was so persistent
and concentrated as we'll as usually wei
aimed, that it was absolutely impossibl.
for the British infantry to take the po.
sition by assault.
At the first advance of the highlanders
the Boer shooting. probably owing to tn;
darkness, was somewhat high. Other.
wise the British losses would have bee,
still heavier.
Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew has beer
elected president Of the Washington
| al,,ppi nf ya1o