The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-19
General Methuen's forces and those of

General Methuen's forces and those o
the Beers.
Pretoria, Monday, December 11.-T
is unofficially that Molopo
west of Mafeking, was bombarded De.
cember 18th. Sharp fighting occurred
The Beers attacked a British post a.
Marketing during the night of Decembe1
10th. After severe fighting the Beers
were repufsed and retired to Suymans
fort.
NEWS FROM KIMBERLEY.
London, December 15.-The war Office
has a dispatch from Colonel Kekewich
dated Kimberley, Sunday, December
10th, saying: THE Beers have re-at-
tackled Kukuman and have again beer
repUlsed by loyalists and Bechuanas
The Kimberley forces made a demon
stration northward December 9th and
drew 500 Beers and three guns. Fight
ing ensued for several hours. The
British casualties were one killed and
seven wounded"
EFFECT OF THE NEWS IN LON
DON.
London, December 15-4:3O a. m.-The
news of General Buffers reverse was
received so late that the morning news
paper m today are confined to
perfunctory expressions of extreme re-
greet and disappointment and of the ne
cess1ty of calmness and redoubled eff
forts to retrieve the position. The Ia
test check is regarded as the most Sc
rlous event in Great Britain's military
history since the Indian mutiny.
Inc says: Genera Bull
ler's dispatch is deplorable reading. 1t
Is the now familiar story of concealed
Beers and of British troops marching
up blindfy almost to the very muzzIes
of the enemy's rifles. 1t cannot be
doubted that the moral effect will be
10 aggraVate our difficulties over the
whole field of operations. The coun-
try has discovered with and
surprise that subduing Boer farmers
is o the hardest work we have en-
tered upon since the Indian mutiny.
Their commandments have shown them
serves able to give our generals use
full u expensive lessons in modern
tactics"
The Times says: "Since the days of
the Indian mutiny the nation has not
Deen confronted with 81 painful and
anxious a situation. Plainly General
Buffers advance is paralyZed for the
moment as completely as Lord Me-
thuen's and General Gatacre's.'
The depression over the defeat of
Great Br1taln's trusted and idoliZed
commander is the greater, as during
the last forty-eight hours there had
been reports of the relief of Ladysmith.
Yesterday the war office allowed it to
be understood that the position of af-
fairs in Natal was entirely satisfac-
tory. The reaction is all the more pro-
bounced on this account.
The gloomy information came too
late to reach the service clubs and
only a few journalists and stragglers
were waiting at the war office. 1t has
hardly been ref lied until now, even
after the experience of the week., that
General Butler could fail.
Virtually nothing had been allowed
to leak through regarding his prepara-
tons, but the public waited patiently,
in the confident belief that he was tax
ing such time and precautions as
would ensure success.
No Independent reports Of the en-
gagement have yet been allowed to
come through, but General Buffers
own dispatch tells the sad tale in suf-
hc1ent outline to show that the Brit
1sh have been e%nIrapped again by the
aStute Beers. It was not anticipated
hat General Butler would make a
frontal attack. No criticisms of his
movements are made, however, since
apparently he suffered a repulse rath-
er than a defeat, and did not push the
attack home, but broke it off in the mid
die, so as to save a useless sacrifice of
life. 1t is expected that he will renew
the attack shortly.
Immediately on receiving the news,
the war office decided to mobilize still
another division and to replace the
losses of artillery. The necessary re-
Inducements will be hurried off as
speedily as possible. Fifteen trans
ports are due to arrive at Cape Town
between December 18th and January
9Th, with about $4,000 troops of all
arms, but unless General Butler is able
to renew the attack, which is exceed
ingly doubtful, the British generals
will be compelled, for another fortnight
or more, to remain practically on the
defensive.
The latest dispatches indicate the
continued bombardment of Ladysmith,
whose position is now perilous.
The list of casualties among the nom
commissioned officers and men in the
fight at Magersfontein, just issued,
shows SO killed, 253 wounded (21 Sc
verely) and rs missing. This, how
ever, is apparently not a complete list.