The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-11
'BOBS" HARD HIT
Details of Disaster to British at
ROOdyal.
Methuen Was Fighting When
Last Heard From.

j
val, where the Beers cut Lord Roberts
line Of communications, the fourth bat
TALON of the Derbyshire regiment were
all killed, wounded or made prisoners,
except six enlisted men. Two officers
and fifteen men were killed and five
officers and Y men We're wounded, many
of them severely. The Beers returned
the wounded to the British. The officers
killed We're:
Lieutenant Colonel Baird Douglas
and Lieutenant Hawley.
The wounded include Colonel Wilkin-
son and Lieutenant Blanchard of the
Canadian infantry.
General Forestier-W Walkers dispatch
in full is as follows:
Cape Town. June -(Sunday.)-
The following telegram has been re-
ceived from Charles Knox:
'Kroonstad-The following casualties
reported from Roodval June Z, received
from Stonham. commanding the I'm
perial Yeomanry hospital, dated
RhenOster River, June 8, received here
by flag of truce June 10:
1.-The Fourth battalion of the Derby
shire regiment (the Sherwood Fores-
ters)-Killed: Lieut.. Col. Baird-Doug-
las and Lieut.. Hawley and fifteen of the
rank and file; wounded, Col. Wilkinson,
Cant Bailey. IieutenantS Hall Law
der and Blanchard and SO of the rank
and file; the Shropshire light infantry,
one; Cape Pioneer railroad regiment,
seven; Ammunition Park, Royal
Marines and Imperial Telegraphs, one
each; postoffice corps, one.
''Stonham reports that many were
severely wounded and the remaining
of the Fourth Derbyshire and details Of
prisoners except six of the rank and
file are in his camp. All the wounded
are in his camp, lately occupied by the
Fourth Derbyshire. Inquiries are being
made as to the names"
| 1t is inferred that the Beers captured
! over 500 men and as late as June 10
! held positions cutting off the British
forces north of Kroonstad from rein
| fOrcementS.
A dispatch from General Forester
| Walker says Gen. Methuen was fight
! ing within ten miles of Hebron June
! 8, as follows:
Cape Town, june. 1o---(sunday)---
/ Kelly-Kenny reports from BlOemfontein
! this morning that Methuen with the
greater part of his division was fighting
early in the morning of June 8, ten
| Vile was reported to be with the High
land brigade. Methuen left Liqdley June
| 5, with ample supplies for himself and
! Colville leaving Col. Pagett to hold
Lindley with a sufficient force and sup
| plies.
..Kelly-K Kenny has ordered Knox to
press on the enemy's outposts, believ-
ing the enemy's strength to be exag-
gerated.
All is quiet and there is no anxiety
as regards the district to the south.
Communications north of Kroonstad
have been cut since June g."
The news that the shutting off of
Lord Roberts communication with the
outer world was accompanied by such
a serious loss came like a bolt from a
comparatively clear sky. In London,
until the news came it was thought
that the destruction of the railroad was
accomplished by Free Staters who were
avoiding rather than annihilating the
British detachment stationed at the
point attacked. Nor are General For
estier- Walkers vague statements re-
garding Methuen and the situation at
Hebron looked upon as reaSSur1ng.
The Beers appear to be in sufficient
strength to completely separate all the
British forces north and south of. a
line stretching some fifty miles between
Roodval and Hebron. Methuen's
march upon the latter place seems
somewhat in the nature of move
ment for the relief of COlville. The
only British officer left at Roodval
appears to be the doctor in charge OF
the hospital, which is full of wounded
What has happened to the troops i'm
mediately north of ROodVa1 is still q
matter of conjecture
All in ALL today's dispatches reveal
that the situation is far more serious
than any one imagined.
The ministerial conference at Cape
nier Schreiner. only ten supporting
him, and Mr.. Schreiner has given no
{ tice of his intention to resign. Tit
question at issue is Mr.. SchreineTSS de
sire to Introduce Immediately bills pun
ishfne the colonial rebels and indenni
= fving the government for acts com
nlitted under martial law.
A Cape Town dispatch to the Time:
} 1T is impossible to say whether Mr.
Schreiner will manage to form Goa
5 lition ministry with the cooperation
of Mr.. Rose-Innes and possibly ever
Gordon Sp1igg or whether Sir ALFRED
2 Miner will entrust the task to Sprigg.
Reports from Maseru, Basutoland
5 June 9, say the Beers around Chicks
f burg refuse to surrender and sever
e fighting is expected though a dispatcl
, of June S.from Hammonia which is onl-
T a few miles from Ficksburg, says tn
e situation in the southeast corner OF tn
= Orange river colony is unchanged, tina
a R1Indle has received the Boer delegate
sent to negotiate peace terms and tina
il the negotiations are not known.
e LATEST FROM BULLER.
e London, June 11-1O:30 A. M.4The fol
i lowing report from Gen. Butler has bee
n issued by the war Office Headquarter
= in Natal June II. The force was con
5 centrated on the Klipe river. West antic
= ipated at that defile a force of the en-
/. envy about 5000 strong who had thin
e intended to occupy it and he retired a
=, soon as our heavy guns opened, Whic
y were very smartly brought into actio
by Major May of the Royal artillery an
Il Captain Jones. of the Royal navy.
f The South African light horse and tn
e Second cavalry brigade were smarti
: engaged while covering our left front
d Our casualties are about six killed an
seven wounded.
f SITUATION IN FREE STATE.
|, New York, June IA dispatch to tn
?. Tribune from London says:
: The Boer commanders in the Ere
State, commanded by Dewet and oil
It yer, probably muster about 5000 mer
0 Opposed to them there are about six di
e visions, exclusive of the troops linin
o the railway. Gen. Colville with tn
It Ninth division, is at Hebron; Genera
= Methuen, with the First, at Lindley
n Gen Chernside, with the Third, a
: kroonstad; Gen. Rumble and Gen. Bra
n bant with the Eighth and Colonial di
4 visions, at Ficksburg; Gen. Clements
alasa rI,x.-aIftk Ge.r,..l-..