The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-04-24
BULLER AND WARREN.
Censure Blasts Their Mill
tary Reputation-Severe Press Crit
cisms-wepener Still Besieged-TheI
Foreign Legion at Pretoria

Pretoria. Tuesday, April 1.-THE lat
est official reports from the ORANGE
Free State are to the effect that Gen.
Dewitt is still surrounding Brabant's
forces, though the British are strongly
entrenched in Boer fashion, indicating
that they are ~colonials.
Commandment Fronemann reports
that he chased 400 troops across the
river in the direction Of Aliwal North,
capturing several prisoners.
1t is said that Bethulie Bridge has
been blown up.
PUBLIC CRY AGAINST BULLER
AND WARREN.
London, April 1S.-Lord Roberts crit
licisms of General Butler, General War
jren and Colonel T~horneycroft CONTINUED
topics of acute interest. All the after
noon papers at length on the
structures of the British commander
lin-chief in South Africa, taking the
same lines as the morning papers, prais-
ling Lord Roberts for his frankness and
Specializing upon what the publication
of the dispatches al the present mo-
ment portends. Some of them maintain
there is nothing left for General Butler
but to resign.
The ST. James Gazette is particul-
arly scathing. Referring to General
Buffers report, it says: Never in the
history of armies did it happen that
generals scrubbed their confessions Of
failure and defeat, of useless deaths of
men and Of discredit to the flag in a
manner which suggests a careful selec-
ton from the forced POPULARITY of the
funny man, h slangy chatter of the
Ihorsey woman and the gable Of the
smoking room late in the evening"
The Globe declares that a more pit
able record of indecision in plan and
confusion in execution we nave selo ON
read" and adds that what little r. pu-
ttation General Butler had left has been
lscattered to the winds.
Practically no developments have
been reported so far in today's South
African cables. A dispatch from War
trenton, dated Tuesday, April 18th,
says: Finding the Beers busy max
ing new trenches, We exploded lyddite
shells, following up those with MaximS.
The enemy's ambulance was afterwards
ION the spot"
WARREN ORDERED HOME.
1t is persistently stated in military
l~circles that Lieutenant General Sir
iCharles Warren, the commander of the
Fifth division of the South Africa field
force, has been ordered to return home.
It is said that a peremptory order for
General Warren's return was cabled to
South Africa this morning. The war
lO41ASS SNtAA4S ~ NV NAy
lon the subject.
CROFTON ON HALF PAY.
Colonel Crofton, who was in command
at Spion kop from the time General
lWoodgate was wounded until Colonel
IThorneycroft vas appointed to the pos
lition, and whose Telegraph messages
Ito General Warren caused General Bull
Ter to appoint Thorineycroft to the
command, was placed on half pay to-
day.
Private information received from
Shrewsbury today is to the effect that
General atacr is leaving South Africa
this week to resume command of a loca.
district.
THE SIEGE OF WEPENER.
MaSeru, April 17.-Colonel Dalgetty's
casualties since he has been besieged a
IWepener has been twenty killed an6
100 wounded. The Boer losses are re.
lported to have been considerably heav.
Ter. After the night attack on Apri
18th the dead were left on the field
where they still lie unburied.
There is a conflict of opinion among
THE leaders. Some want to attack again
lothers refuse to do so. Desultory can
lnon-firing continues. The Caledon il
rising, which alarms the Beers, whC
are now on both sides of the river
land might be cut off if the stream was
to become flooded.
Five Boer guns are believed to b.
disabled.