The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-06-12
AND ISOLATED ROBERTS
Sunday Methucn Was Fighting South
of Heilbron.
THE BOERs HAVE DRIVEN IN A WEDGE
They Have Separated the English Forces North
and South of Line Stretching Some
Fifty Miles Between Rood.
eval and Heihrnn.
eyal and HeiIbron.
(By the Associated Press.)

London June 11.-Licutenant General
Sir Frederick Forresticr- Walker, in COM
mand of the lines of communication in
South Africa, reports that in the disas
ter to the troops June 7th at Roodeval,
where the Beers cut Lord Roberts line
of communications, the Fourth battalion
of the Derbyshre regiment were all
killed, wounded or made prisoners, except
six enlisted men. Two officers and fiji
teen men were killed and five officers and
y men wounded, many of them severely
The Beers returned the wounded to the
British. The officers killed were Lieu
tenant Colonel BairdDouglas and Lieu
tenant Hawley The wounded include Col
onel Wilkinson and Lieutenant Blanchard,
CT the Canadian infantry.
General Forester Walkers dispatch in
full is as follows:
Cape Town, June 10.-tSunday. 1.-The
following telegram has been received
from Charles Knox:
'Kroonstad-The following casualties,
reported from Roodeval, June 7th, rcccv-
ed from Stonham, commanding the I'm
perial Yeomanry Hospital, dated Rhenos-
ter River June Sth, received here by flag
OF truce. June 10th: The Fourth battalion
of the Derbyshire regiment (The Sher-
wood I'oresters) )-killed, Lieutenant-Colo-
mel Baird Douglas and Lieutenant Hawle%
and 10 OF the rank and file; wounded.
Colonel Wilkinson, Captain Bailey, Lieu
tenants Hall. Lawder and Blanchard. and
fifty-nine of the rank and file; the Shrop-
shire Light Infantry, one; Cape Pioneer
Railway regiment, seven; Ammunition
Park, Royal Marines and Imperial Tele-
graphs, one each; Postoffice corps, one.
'Stonham reports that many were Sc
vcrely wounded and the remaining of the
Fourth Dcrbyshire and details of pris-
oners, except six eff the rank and file,
are in his camp. All the wounded are
in his camp lately occupied by the
Fourth Derbyshire. Enquiries are being
made as to the names
1t is inferred that the Beers captured
over 500 men and as late as June 10th
held positions cutting off the British
forces north of Kroonstad from reinforce
mentS.
Another dispatch from General Fores-
tier Walker says General Methuen was
fighting within ten miles of Heilbron
June 9Th as follows:
Cape Town, June 10.-(Sunday.)- )-Kel-
ly-Kenny reports from Bloemfontein this
morning that Methuen with the greater
part of his division was fighting early
in the morning of June Sth ten miles
south of Heilbron, where Colville was
reported to be with the Highland brig
ade. Methuen left Lindley June 9Th with
ample supplies for himself and Colville,
leaving Paget to hold Lindley with
sufficient force and supplies.
kelly Kenny has ordered Knox to
press in the enemy's outpost believing
the enemy's strength to be exaggerated.
''All is quiet and there is no anxiety
as regards the district to the south. Com
munications north of Kroonstad have
been cut since June 9Th
The news that the shutting off of Lord
Roberts communication with the outer
world was accompanied by such Sc
rious loss came like bolt from a COM
paratively clear sky. In London, until
the news came, it was thought that the
destruction of the railroad was accom-
plished by Free Staters, who were avoid
ing rather than annihilating the British
detachments stationed at the point at
tackled. Nor are General Forester Walk
er's vague statements regarding Methuen
and the situation at Heilbron looked upon
as reassuring. The Beers appear to be
in sufficient strength to completely sep
arate all the British forces north and
south of line stretching some fifty
miles between Roodeva and Heilbron
Methuen's march upon the latter place
seems somewhat in the nature of move
ment for the relief of Colvile. The only
British officer left at Roodeval appears
to be the doctor in charge of the hos
pital which is full of wounded.
Reports from Maseru, Basutoland, June
9th, say the Beers around Ficksburg. re-
fuse to surrender and severe fighting is
expected, though a dispatch of June Sth
from HammCnia. which is only a few
miles from Ficksburg, says the situation
in the Southeast corner of the Orange
River Colony is unchanged; that General
Rundle has received the Boer delegates
sent to negotiate peace terms and that
the result of the negotiations is not
known.