The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-12

Black Watch Into q Oeath Trap At
Moddsr RtvOr-Has Lost Conf
dence Of His Men.
CHICAGO. Jan. IA special cable to
the Chicago TAbune from London says;
Lieutenant General Lord Methuen,
commanding the column advancing to
the relief Of Kimberley, is to be relieved
of his command within two weeks.
Later he viii be sent TO Cape Town
and eventually ordered home. When
be reaches England he will be retired.
These facts have been confirmed by
an official Of the war ONCE.
Lord Methuen's case is sad one.
Always a man Of rather fraiI physique
although, a clever boxer and an ALL
around sportsman-his constitution be-
gan to show signs of breaking down al
most Immediately after ne took COM
mand of his division.
Three days after the battle of Bel
mont General wolsley suggested to the
officials OF the war office that Methuen
be relieved. His advice was not needed.
The wisdom Of tine aged but keen COM
mander-in- ehief Of the British army is
now realized to the fullest extent by
the war officials who scoffed OF his sug-
gestion.
Friends of Lord Methuen insist he Is
only broken in health; that the strain
Of many campaigns has shattered his
naturally nervous system.
Those who know the circumstances
and the situation on Modder river
equally well, and who are willing to
state facts plainly. say that Methuen's
mind is unbalanced.
Constant proof of this has been COM
ing to the notice of the officials Of the
war office for two weeks past. The
commander Of the Modder river forces
has bombarded the government with
some Of the most remarkable messages
ever received from a general in action.
One received a few days ago, is fair
sample Of the rest It contained just
three words:
Darkness after dawn"
1t is stated by those acquainted with
the inner workings and plan Of cam
paign adopted by the war ONCE that
Lord Kitchener, the hero of omdur-
man, who With Lord Roberts arrived at
Cape Town to-day, will proceed imme-
dlately to Modder river. He may not
take active field command of the troops
but will put the column in working or
der again and then assign some one
else, probably General cobville, to take
Methuen's place. il
Lord Methuen, in addition to his other
eccentricities, has quarreled with a
number Of officers under him. Three
Of them, Colonel Arthur Paget, Colonel
Cough and Captain Campbell. he or
dered homo. They arrived in London
to-day. Colonel Cough is seeking a
vlndlcaHon by court martial. When
Cough attempted to discuss the plan of
the Magersfontein attack Methuen or
dered him under arrest
The London press is considerably
suppresslng the true state Of affairs so
far as Methuen's aiiment IS concerned,
but the papers do not hesitate to print
the hard facts about the battle Of Ma
gerstonteIru which are Just reaching
acknowledgement the mails. all Of which
60 to show, in the language Of an Off
nov That tithe attack was that Of a
mailman"
The death Of Lord Wauchope, COM
mander Of the Black Watch, was one OF
the many sad results Of that engage
ment. Lord wauchope, 1t Is now we'll
known, realized the futility Of the as
sauIt as planned by Methuen. BE ar
gued strongly and expostulated bitterly
against 1t. Methuen, however, persists
ed, and the two Quarreled over the
matter the night before the battle
which proved SO disastrous to the Brit
ish forces.
A member Of the Black Watch, In a
letter just received, gives the details Of
the charge which led wauchope to his
death
He quotes the generals dying words
words showing how fully he realized
the situation even in the hour of his
death. The letter reads:
ut was ere of the darkest nights we
ever saw. The rain fell in torrentsand
we went on and forward, stumbling
and slipping over rocks and ant hills.
1t was impossible to see where we were
going. After we had been taken by
surprise our right battalion charged,
but the men were moved down like
grain before a reaper, General Wauc-
hope was shot at the beginning of the
charge. When he saw the mistake that
had happened he shouted:
orally round me, Black Watch. It's
not my fault
Then he fell. literally rlddled with
bullets"
Letters from men serving in the Mod
der river column tell OF the demoralI-
cation Of the troops since the comman-
der's Interpretation. This man says:
There is not the slightest doubt that
Methuen has lost the confidence of
every man in the Highland brigade.
am not going too far in saying that
they are afraid to trust their lives with
him."
Corporal Bovan, in describing the
fatefuI battle. says;
When the enemy opened Are Lord