The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1899-12-15
BRITISH DEFEAT.
Gen. Methuen COnfesses the Beers
Won at Magersfontein.
Is Now Holding His Position and
Entrenching HimscIf-BOrrs Are
Evidently mistaken by Recent
Fighting-England Shocked.

E1ShClng-EInSland Shocked.
New York, Dec. IA dispatch re-
ceived from Berlin says Prince Her
bert Bismarck stated that he had re-
ceived a private dispatch to the eff
feet that Ladysmith had capitulated
to the Beers.
London, Dec. 14.-Gen. Metlluen's
report from Modder River shows that
he met with serious check Monday.
and suffered great losses. The dis
patch is dated tuesday, December u,
and says:
Our art1llcry shelIed very strong
| position held by the enemy in & long
high kopie from 4 until dusk Sunday
1t rained hard last night. The High
land brigade attacked a daybrcal on
| Monday the south end of the k0pje.
The attack was properly timed, but
! fOiled. The guards were ordered to
protect the Highlands right and rear.
| The cavalry and mounted infantry,
with a hOwitzer artillery battery at
! tackled the enemy on the left and the
guards on the right, supported by
| field artillery and hOwitzer artillery.
| They shelled the position from day
break and at 1:15 L sent the GordOns
to support the Highland brigade. The
! troops held 1ncir own in front of the
enemy's entertainments until dusk, the
position extending, including the kOp-
| ie, for a distance of six miles toweard
the Modder river. Gen. Wauchope was
killed in action yesterday.
To-day l am holding my position
and entrenching myself. L had to face
at least $4,000 men. Our loss was
great"
Gen. Methuen, as expected, followed
up his artillery attack with a gener-
al assault on the Boer positions Mon
day, and his report shows that the
anxiety of the public regarding the
result occasioned by the ominous 81
lence of the war office was amply JUS
! titled.
The engagement was evidently of
considerable magnitude, and the list
of killed and wounded will be proper
tionate, without the compensation
|
f, indeed, the affair does not turn out
to re more criOuS defeat than Gen.
| Methuen admits. The Highlands, it is
believed, must have stormed the BOer
position more than once, while the
| fact that the guards were ordered to
support the Highlanders' rear, looks
as though the Beers may even have
|
London, Dec 14.-Each important
battle seems to bring a worse reverse
for the British and the papers Thurs
day morning sorrowfully admit that
Lord Methuen's check at MagGsfOn-
TEN is the most serious event the war
as yet produced.
The Morning Post says: eve have
had our day of humiliation appointed
for US. Let us accept it humbly and
sOberly and be better and stronger
for the lesson it has taught us. This
last reverse will make us a fresh butt
apt occasion to prove to Europe what
we are worth"
The position Lord Methuen assault
ed is thus described by a correspond
emit:
"Magersfontein range terminates
on the east with an abrupt saddle
rock, some $50 feet high. Boer en-
trenchments 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
retreat"
1t is estimated that Lord Methu-
ems forces amounted to 1900 men
and perhaps more. No reliable est.
mate of his losses has yet been receiv-
ed They are believed to have been al
least $50.
All eyes are now turned hopefully
to Gen. Butler, who, taking into ac
count the troops with Gen. White il
Ladysmith, has altogether 10000 men
The Standard says: 'At this mo
ment there must be few men in he1
majesty's dominions who have as great
weight of care upon them as Gen
Butler carries on his shoulders"
A dispatch from Boer sources say
that Kimberly remained quiet during
the battle at MagersfOntein.
In the battle hundreds of the Cor
don Highland brigade were shot
: while the living fed for shelter. They
were allowed to pass one line O
trenches before the Beers fired. Gen
Wauchope is among the killed. TIL,
marquis of Winchester is also among
the slain.