Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-14
CORPS WIPED OUT.
Battle at Magersfontein Fear
fully Bloody.
THE BRITISH HAD TO RETIRE.
Burghers Held Their Position, From
which the English Were Unable to Dis
lodge Them--Ths Loss of tho British
Was Extremely Heavy.

LONDON, Dec. 14.-General Forestier-
Walker, telegraphing from Cape Town,
sent a dispatch from Lord Methuen
dated Modder River, Deo. 10, which
contains the following:
"As the Beers occupied their trenches
strongly this morning retired in per-
feet order here. where am in security.
II have gathered from some of the
prisoners and from our men with the
ambulances, who talked with the Beers,
that the enemy's losses were terrible.
some corps being completely wiped ont.
The Beers have been most kind to my
wounded"
A dispatch from General Methuen.
aated Dec. 12, contained the following:
"Our artillery shelled very strong
position held by the enemy in long,
high kopje, from until dusk, Sunday.
1t rained hard last night. The High
land brigade attacked at daybreak on
Monday the south end Of the kopie.
The attack was properly timed, but
failed. The guards were ordered to
protect the Highlands right and rear.
"The cavalry and mounted infantry,
with howitzer artillery battery, at
tackled the enemy on the right and the
guards on the left, supported by field ar
tillery Bnd howitzer artillery. They
shelled the position from daybreak and
at l:l5 l sent the Gordons to support
the Highland brigade. The troops held
their own in front of the enemy's en-.
trenchments until dusk, the positions
extending, including the kopie, Tor u
distance Of six miles toward the Modder
river. Today am holding my position
and entrenching myself. had to face
at least $4,000 men. Our loss was
great"
The war office received dispatch
from General Forester Walker, dnted
Cape Town, Tuesday, Dec. 10, contain
ing the following:
"Methuen wires that General Wau-
chope was killed in action yesterday"
Major General Andrew II. Wauchope.
o. b., y. NJ. c., entered the army in
1855, was promoted colonel in 1888,
served in tho Ashanti war in 1878. in
the Egyptian wnr IN 1882, in the Soudan
expedition of lt34, and in the Nile ex.
pedition of lSS4.85. He was in com.
mand of the First brigade Of the Egyp-
tiau expeditionary force in 1893. Gen.
eral Wauchope had been wounded four
times, three times severely.
A dispatch from Orange RIVER con-
tanned the following: "Three hundred
and wounded men have arrived here
from the Modder river"
LONDON, Dec. l4.-Julian Ralph, de-
scribing the battle ut Magersfontein in
special dispatch to The Dairy Mail
said:
"The Beers were entrenohed at Ma.
gersfontein, four miles north Of Modder
river. At dawn Monday the Highland
ers, advancing across the veldt, were
suddenly subjected to murderous fire
from the trenches about 200 yards in
front. The greater part of the fearful
loss Of the day was thus suffered IN o
single minute.
"Startled and overwhelmed, the bri.
gade retired quickly. but soon rallied
and retained their position. This was
on the left.
"On the right tho Guards brigade ad.
vaneed across the veldt against other
trenches and fought an invisible foe for
10 hours.
"At IL in the morning the Gordon
Highlanders were sent forward. The
Beers allowed them to pass one line Of
tieuCion ulu tiicI Guuliiueu tHcLu. WS
raked the Boer trenches with artillery
Il "oughout the day. The fighting only
ceased with nightfall."
FRERE CAMP. Natal, Tuesday, Dec.
tho Beers are still shelling Ladysmlth.
The heot is terrific.
MoDDER RIVER. Tuesday, Dec. 49,
Inc British casualties included the
Marquis Of Winchester. major Of the
Second battalion Coldstream Guards,
who was killed, and Colonel Down
ham sof the First battalion Gordon
Highlanders, who was mortally
wounded.
When the Highlanders met the inur.
derous pointblank fire Of the Beers,
about 200 were mown down. The
Black Watch regiment, on reinforcing,
was able to muster only 100 men. The
Beers lost heavily in the trenches and
also in the wire entanglements when
they came into the open in an attempt
to make flank attack on the British.