The National tribune., 1900-01-18
BOER=BRITISH WAR.
Recent Events as Revealed by
Dispatches-Situation in Eng
land.

! The British public during last week was
in state of fret and vituperation against
the Government, which the newspapers
encouraged by editorial utterances and the
| publications Of letters from the troops
in South Africa. The satisfaction felt
at the stunning repulse given the Beers In
| their attack on Ladysmith was but tenn
porary. Silence following the first brief
descriptions of the fighting was construed
as usual as indicative of worse news to
came when the War Office dared to let il
| out, and was marked by calls by the news
papers for information and followed by
demands that inaction on the part OF the
main British columns cease and for a
further increase of the military. The
critics, newspaper and otherwise, ranged
up and down the entire field of war trans
actions, finding fault, especially with
the lack of transports for tile troops who are
ready TO depart, and with the concealment
Of news by the War Office and censors;
averring that the reports of correspondents
are being mutilated by censors. and entire
letters suppressed. Correspondents letters
have arrived chopped up and remembered.
There was a report published in this
country, which the English administration
officials dinied, that Methuen had been
ordered home. Lord Methuen's case is a
sad one. Always man of rather frail
Observation-Disclosures clever boxer and an
all-round sportSman-his constitution, it
is said, began to show signs of breaking
down almost Immediately after he took
command of his division. 1t is said that
three days after the battle of Belmont Lord
Wolseley suggested that he be relieved,
suggestion. Lord Methuen, in addition
to other eccentricities, had quarreled with
a number Of officers under him. Three Of
them-Col. Arthur Paget, Col. Cough, and
Capt. Campbell-he ordered home. They
have arrived in London. Col. Cough
is seeking vindication by court-martial.
When Cough attempted to discuss the plan
Of the Magersfontein attack Methuen order
ed him under arrest.
The papers do not hesitate to print the
facts about tho battle of Magersfontein,
which are just reaching London through
the mails, all OF which go to show, in the
language Of an officer, that the attack
was that of a madman."
Letters from men serving in the Modder
River column tell Of the Generalization
of the troops. A Highland Brigade man
said: "There is not the slightest doubt
that Methuen has lost the confidence of
every man in the Highland Brigade. 1
am not going too far in saying that they
are afraid to trust their lives with him"
HOW LORD wAUCHoPE DIED.
The death of Lord Wauchope, command
the many sad results OF the Magersfontein
battle.
Lord Wauchope, it is now well known,
realized the futility of the assault as planned
by Methuen. He argued strongly and ex-
postulated bitterly against it. Methuen,
however, persisted. and the two quarreled
over the matter the night before the battle
which proved so disastrous TO the British
forces. 4 member of the Black Watch, in
a letter just received, gives the details of
the charge which led Wauchepe to his
death
The letter reads: TT was one of the darkest
nights we ever saw. The rain fell in tor
rents, and we went on and forward, falling,
stumbling, and slipping over rocks and ant
were going. After We had been taken by
surprise our right half battalion charged,
but the men were mown down like grain
before a reaper. Gen. Wauchope was
shot at the beginning Of the charge. When
he saw the mistake that had happened he
shouted: Rally round me, Black Watch.
It's not my fault Then he fell, literally
riddled with bullets"
Dozens of other letters are printed, all in
the same tone. 1t was stated, and denied,
that Lord Meihuen was suffering from a
fall from his horse.
A prominent Englishman, formerly
an officer in South Africa, gave it as his
opinion that the strategy displayed in OPP
posing the British advances was not that
of the Beers themselves, but of French and
German officers opposing them; and that
the English were at a disadvantage due to
conditions OF the atmosphere and the lay
of the country, of the latter of which they
are mostly ignorant.
LOSSES AT LADYSMITH.
On Jan. 10 Gen. Butler sent the following
to the War Office:
Natives here assert that the Boer loss
in one commando alone was $50 killed