The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-13
WHIPPED.
Methuen Gets Another Drub-
bing at MOdder River.
Reports That He Sustained a
Serious Check
WITH GREAT LOSSES.
Fighting Began Early on Sun
day Morning.
Battle Was Still In Progress at
Noon Monday.
WITH GREAT LOSSES

London, Dec 13.-Gen. Methuen's re
port from Modder River shows that he
met with a serious check Monday and
suffered great losses.
BOER ACCOUNT.
Pretoria, Dec. IL, (Monday)-An Off
cial report says:
"A battle at Modder River began yes
terday with cannon firing, heavy fight
ing proceeding from $3.50 o'clock in the
morning until $50 o'clock with cannon,
Maxims and rifles. A bombardment
began at 4:3O o'clock and the fighting
stilI continues.
"A balloon has just arisen above the
British positions, where it remained
ten minutes and descended. There
We're heavy rains during the night"
At 9 o'clock this morning another re-
port was received from Nodder River.
dispatch rider brought word that
all the Boer positions have been main
tanned and that Al British prisoners had
been taken. At $50 O'Clock it was re-
ported that the heavy cannon fire had
somewhat abated. The British are con-
stantly using their balloon.
The fighting was still going on at
noon.
ADVANCE ON COLENsO.
London. Dec. 13.-A dispatch from
Frere Camp, dated Tuesday, Dec. u,
says:
This morning a union brigade con-
sisting of English, Scottish, Irish and
Welsh F7usiliers, under Gen. Barton
with several naval guns, advanced and
took up a strong position three miles
from COlenso, meeting with no oppOsi-
ton
METHUEN'S DISPATCH.
London, Dec. 13.-The war office has
received the following dispatch from
General AIethuen, dated Tuesday, De-
cember y:
Our artillery shelIed a very strong
position held by the enemy in a long.
high kOpje from four until dusk, Sun
day. 1t rained hard last night The
Highland brigade attacked at daybreak
on Monday the south end Of the kOpje.
The attack was properly timed but fail
ed. The guards We're ordered to protect
the Highlands right and rear The cav
airy and mounted infantry, with a how
itzer artillery battery attacked the en-
emy on the left and the guards on the
right supported by field artillery and
HOWitzer artillery. They Shelled the
position from daybreak, and at 1:15
sent the CfOrdons to support the High
land brigade. The troops held their own
in front of the enemy'S entertainments
until dusk the position extending, in
Guiding the kopje, for a distance of SIX
miles toward the Modder river. Today
I am holding my position and entrench-
ing myself I had to face at least II, 900
/ men. Our loss was great
CUT HIS WAY OUT.
London. Dec. 13.-The war office pub
fishes the following dispatch from Gen
eral Butler:
Dispatch from General White. dated
Decem Der II, says: Last night Colonel
Metcalfe and 500 of the Second Rifle bri-
gade SORTED to capture a BOer EIOwitzer
on a hill They reached the crest with
out being discovered, drove off the en-
en1y and then destroyed the HoWitzer
with gun cotton
When returning, Metcalfe found his
retreat barred by the Beers, but he
forced his way through, using the bay
onet freely. The BOer losses were con
/ siderable The British losses We're:
Lieutenant Ferguson and eleven men
I killed, Captain Paley. Second Lieuten-
ant Davenport, Second Lieutenant
Bond, and fOruy-One men wounded; six
men captured who had remained be-
hind in charge of the wounded
MAKES BRITONS TIRED.
London, Dec. 13.-General AIethuen,
as expected, followed up his artillery
attack with a general assault on the
BOer positions Monday and his report
shows that the anxiety of the public
regarding the result OccasiOned by the
: Ominous silence Of the war office, was
amply justified
The engagement was evidently of
considerable magnitude and the list of
the killed and wounded will be proper
tiOnate without the compensation which
a victory would have brought, if in
deed, the affair does not turn out to
! be a more serious defeat than General
Methuen admits. The Highlanders, it
is believed, must have stOrmed the BOer
position more than once. while the fact
that the guards were ordered to sup
port the Hfghlanders' rear. looks as
though the Beers may even have out
+ hanked their attackers.
One report says that General Cronja
: attacked the British The only com
penSatiOn the British have been able to
discover in the disheartening story is
General AIethuens statement that he
maintains his position close to the
& Beers. arOusing hope that he viii re
/ trieve the situation
/ 1t is apparent that the bombardment
the Beers grip on their position and it
seems certain that they merely with
drew their guns and rifle men under
cover. while General Methuen INDUCED
in the usual artillery preliminarias
Monday, and that when the British
guns were obliged to cease firing owing
to the danger Of hitting the advancing
troops, the Beers speedily re-occupied
their trenches and over -Whelmed the
Highlanders with a terrible fire. prob
ably accompanying this by an attack
/ on the British right flank and rear.
/ Alarm is beginning to be expressed in
/ many quarters as to the situation of
| General Methuen, as the Westminster
I Gazette says;
If England ever needed a victory. it
is now; and il is to Butler. the soldier.
strong. cool headed and reticent. that
/ the country looks for this victory
The other papers are abusing the gov