The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-23
ARE GATHERING IN GREAT FORCE
IN THE PATH OF COLUMN d.
RECTED BY METHUEN
BRITISH GENERAL is POSTED
PREPARING FOR PROBABLE As-
sAULT, AND ANXIOUS FOR JUST
SUCH A MOVE
BIUNDER OF COL. LONG

Forces of Gen. BuIIer-Hoxv son
of Gen. Roberts Lost Hfs 49,
cape or Winston Churchill Yer
1ned In Dispatch From HtmseIe
NEW YORK. Dec. 22.-(speciaI,-A
special from London SAYS:
me Times has cable from its corra-
epohoena at Cape Town to the efreo+
that Gen. Methuen is in communico+to,,
win all necessary points, and that be Nv
pects the Beers to attack Gen. Matbnan
ANXIOUS Tor just such a move ae he
O-1Sioers ne would have advantages IN de-
o-i'e not possible were he In movsroer,.
'o"ard the Boer strongholds
from the front state that The
Doe'S are gathering In great force and
something definite is about - ~
/ 1hey VIII probably attack at an
| early date" al an
METHUEN SEEMS SAFE
| LONDON, Dec. PA dtsno4.,
ape IoWn, dated Sunday be- - I'm I'm
or o-.aC zen Methuens primary obiaot -
| Slo9Sins the MOdder river onnao-e 40 49,
. naae Oeen to establish searchIiab+ -,
| 1to--as non with Kimberley, which is he
r'o4S 80 70 De still on full rations IT,
| IN,
| oIher hand, in spite of their ,,s,,oI eiIo
| tlcs' 1t is Considered posstb1o 80 tec
Doels nave been compelled To ASSUME ~ ~
0tIenslVe, the comma nder having arTo,,r.
t oo LOT the disposition of the forces ara
anticipating difficulty in mainfai,ir,o. H.
- 80 supplies in the present posttione
dnsire e. II Is said there is a growing
9eslre among the Free Staters to ret,IrT,
.ioiile' e' "hch Is testified to on many
siueS ana may tend to precfpitate an az.
'IOi Oh the part Of the Boer comnap5s
In spite OF the delay Of Gen. MetbTTe1
- - 0uN diicllg' ne IS regarded as largely
.ne master OF the situation, and his in
otellcHeu a.sn:III position IS believed to be un-
dssallaole. In the event of the Rors a.
lacking Kimberley. Gen. MetbI,en v-o,+Ia
pe enabled to make a counter move 1-itt,
ms artillery and cavalry. Consequently
Such movement on the part of the
boers, 1t is said, Is not contemplate4 -
Is apparent therefore. that to make hasta
slowly Is the truest policy at nrese,1+ ~,
aceerdahce with Gen. Methuen's dictum
tne army should not advance faster thsn
the sloWest OK wagons
ALL IN THE DARK
Belated sou-h African dispatches throw
no light upon the present sitlfatfon at +ba
seat OF war There is ne confi,r,a tfo,, aS
the report that Ladysmith could hold o1,t
several weeks longer and it is feara1
tlat thls was circulated by the Beers for
their own purposes.
Itis hoped tnat Mr.. Winston Churchiu.
having arrived safely at Delagoa nav
VIII soon be heard from regarding con-
oltions il: the Trausvaai, as he must have
obtained important Information
a cape Town dispatch dated Sunday
Dec. II. reports that Commandant Died
l1cks, of the Boer forces. was killed in a
recent engagement, but no details are
| given.
Advices from Naauwpoort describe
| everything, as quiet there and the only
fresh news from Arundel concerns the
+! weather, which is exceedingly hot.
| The Daily Telegraph has a special from
| Chteveley, dated Dec. IS which tells how
| Lieut. Roberts, son Of Lord Roberts, fell
| at Tugela river It says
! THE horses OF the Fourteenth and
! SiNty-sixth batteries had been killed.
! and Lieut.. Roberts, Capt. Schofeld and
! Capt. COngreve. OF the Rifles. ATTEMPTED.
with gunner volunteers. 20 drag out the
! guns. Capt. SctOfield succeeded, helped
| by a corporal and some men Lieut. Rob
! erts was hft by shell. Capt. Congreye
| was struck and wcurded slightly. After
! a while Capt. CougreVe. Capt Foster and
| Maj Baptie brought Lieut. Roberts into
| tho open from little ravine, where ne
! lay hidden from the ereny's terrible fire
| Fourteen gunners sixteen men of the.
with Col. Bullock When the retirement
was ordered these men, with isola;e ed
parties of Devonshires and Scots Fusi-
! leers, together with some Cf the Queens,
v cut off and captured. Many fought
urtil late in the afternoon. a part of the
| IrishmeE running the gauntlet of the
Roer Mansers from hiding places along
| the river bank
RESISTED CAPTURE.
aba ndoned guns. On eSpying Col Bull
lock. Capt. Congrave and the others in
the ravine. they called upon the British
to surrender. Col Bullock declined, and
threatened to shoot although his party
had only fourteen rifles. The Beers re-
tired from the guns, and a parlCy en-
sued Then 100 Beers rode Up to within
q few rods Of the party but Col. Bullock
swore he would not be made a prisoner,
whereupon a Beer kuOcked him down
with his rife, but afterward the enemy
gave the wounded water and cordials,
Then, having taken all their aims, am
munition and field glasses. they let them
return by our ambulauces. Col. Bullock,
Col. Hunt, Maj. Walter and Capt. Good
win were taken prisoners. The Scots
Fusileers lost nearly two companies cap
tured.'
A dispatch to the Daily Mail from
Chieveley dated Dec. H. estimates the
/. .l5O, including $50 missing. 1t announces
that "a portion of the British troops
have returned to Frere."
A correspondent of the Assos lated Press
at Modder river. under date of Dec II,
describing the changes in the art of war.
fare, says:
at would be almost impossible to take
such position as Magersfontein by as
sault. The modern battle, owing TO the
length Of rifle range, will last six days
where formerly it would only have lasted
q few hours.
1.-The Boer trenches, which are rather
like underground dwellings than trenches,
always promise a safe means of re-
treat They are very wide and deep, and
are casemated at intervals. allowing the
concentration of defenders at any given
point, without danger TO themselves
1.-The British here are anxious that the
Beers should attack them, and the be-
lief is prevalent that treahcery IS largeS
ly responsible for the underestimate plac|
ed upon the Boer forces by the cavalry'A
scouts
COL. LONGS MISTAKE.
The Chieveley correspondent Of the