Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-12-20
LOST OVER 1000 MEN.
GEN. METHuEN'S ARMY CUT TO
PIECES 3 The ROERS.
British RepnEsed with Heavy casuai-
ties on the Road to Kimberley High
land Brigade Alone Has 7o0wounaed,
Missing and X iIieG Gloom in London.

Late London advices are to the effect
that Gen. Methnen's casualties in Mon
days battle north pf Moddcr river ex-
ceeded LOCO The Highland brigade
alone lost fffy-two officers aud $50 men
iii killed, wounded and missing. The II
cinity or the MAI Office in London was
crowded with anxious inquirers ansi there
we're many affecting scenes when the
names appeared on the bulletin board.
Women in furs pressed forward with
women in old cloth jackets to mai,e sure
they were reading the well-knowE aaIne
Alright and rank aad class were toggot-
ten in common grief. Groups of peo-
pie wearing anxious looks upon their
faces daily discuss the gloomy situation
in South Africa, and crowds assemble at
the war office reading each bulletin as II
is posted, waiting for good news. Each
important battle seems 10 bring q worse
reverse for the British. and the papers
sorrowfully admit that Gen. Aiethnen's
check at Magersfonfein is the most seri-
Gus event the war has yet produced.
One newspaper correspondent Sims up
the gloomy situation IN the following Ian
guage: With Lord Methuen defeated,
with loss Of d great number OF his men
and in danger of being attacked at any
moment by superior forces, with Gen.
Gataere repulsed with less Of TOO men
and facing an admittedly impregnable
Boer position, with Mafeking short Of
rations and greatly harassed by bonn
bardment; with Kimberley and Lady
smith completely invested and hourly
peppered by Boer shells; with Sir Red
yers Butler, still unpreparcd to advance:
with an uprising Of diseontented Cape
Dutch smnilscat reign of terror III
Zulula nd, 1900 British soldiers captive
at Pretoria, the Boer forces flushed with
cleyerly earned victories and fighting
harder than ever, three British trans
ports grounded within the month-this
is anything but the cheerful picture in
South Africa which the British public
and the war Office have TO look upon,
when they were confident at the begin
ming of the war that the British would
eat their Christmas dinner III Pretoria.
All England was shocked by the news
of Gen. Methuen's defeat. Gen. Cat
acres reverse was considered very bad,
bEt at the time the universal expression
was "wait till Butler and Methuen de-
liver their blows" The fFagmentasy dis
patch which first arrived was sufficient
in itself to dash such hopes, but never
theless the optinists declared thar fur
ther accounts would tell of British sue
cess. The official dispatch shows mat
tiers even worse than the first report in
dicated.
The British casualties included the
Marques Of Winchester, major of the
Second battalion Coldstream Guards,
killed; Maj. Gen Wauchope, command
ing the Black Watch (IIighlandersl, kill
ed; Lieut.. Wauchope, wounded; Royal
Highlanders, Lieut. Col Goode killed,
FIVE officers wounded and three missing,
and Col Downham of the First battalion
Gordon Highlanders, who was mortally
wounded.
When the Highlanders met the murder
Gus point blank fire of the Beers about
200 were moved down. The Black
Watch regiment on reforming was able
to muster only 100 men. The Beers lost
heiiyily in the trenches and also in the
wire entanglements when they came into
the open in an attempt to make a flank
attack on the British. The terrific Brit
ish artillery fire provoked no response
except from the Roer rifles until nearly
don Highlanders formed to renew the
attack o.. the entrenched kopje. They
advanced with the utmost gallantry to
attack the Boers, close TO the place where
lay their dead and wounded comrades of
the Highland brigade. \
The Beers opened with a heavy shrap-
mel fire as the British advanced, and it
was found physically impossibla 10 take
the Boer trenches. The British got with
in 200 gards. but could not get nearer.
1t was hare that Col Downham fell. The
Boers had free recourse to barbed wire
ental,glements,
Tuesday morning both sides occupied
the positions they held before the battle.
The greatest bravery was displayed by
both officers and men. The wounded
include Col. A. e. Codrington and Capt.
Sterling, both Of the First battalion of
the Codstream Guards.