The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-19
WITH HEAVY LOSS IN ATTEMPT TO
RUSH "A BRUSH POSITION.
A BRITISH FORT DEMOLISHED.
Evidences of Effective Fire of British
in Fight On Wagon HfIl-warships to
Convoy Troops to South Africa.
Troops Lose Confidence In General
Methuen Heavy Firing at SPRING
field and Frere Camp-French Cannon
and Shells Supplied the Beers.

company Oi the 1OrhSnlTeS ana New
~Zealanders, but they were repulsed at
the point of the bayonet. The Beers
had twenty-one killed and about fifty
wounded. The hill commands a tract
of country east of the main position of
the Beers.
They advanced cautiously, directing
their fire at a small wall held by the
Yorkshires and compelling the latter
to keep close under cover. When the
Beers rushed the wall the Yorkshires
fixed bayonets and charged. Just at
that m Captain Maddocks, with
a mall party of New ~Zealanders, came
up and the combined force leaped over
the wall and charged straight for the
enemy, who fled, followed by a wither-
ing fire at close range. The Beers lit
orally tumbled over each other in their
hurry to escape. but the persistent fire
Of the British inflicted a heavy loss
Desultory firing continued for some
time, but the attack was an utter fail
ure, and the Beers retreated to the
shelter of the small kopjes at the base
of the hill.
A BRITISH FORT DEMOLISHED.
Pretoria, Saturday, January 13.-As a
result of the bombardment of Mafe-
king yesterday, the British fort at
Eastward was demolished and the Brit
ish retired. One Boer was wounded.
Adv1ces from the head lager at
Ladysmlth report that the attack on
that place January 9Th was disastrous
to the British and that Ladysmith ap-
pears to be in sore straits.
THE WAGON HILL BATTLEFIELD.
Ladysmith, Monday, January Spy
messenger to Weenen, January 16.)-A
representative of the Associated Press
visited Saturdays battlefield this
morning and saw large number of
Boer dead. The British guns seem to
have worked ravoc. One Boer was COM
pletely disemboweled, another had his
head shot clean off and a couple of
others were killed by the same shell,
evidently while eating their luncheon,
as half eaten hard boiled eggs lay be-
side them. Some Natal Dutchmen were
recognized among the dead.
A number of Boer bodies and car
casses of horses have been washed
down Intombi Spruit, which became a
raging torrent during a heavy thunder
storm. The British, while digging
graves, were fired on by Boer artillery
and several of them were hit. Soft
lnosed bullets and du1n-dum cartridges
have been found or wounded prisoners.
Volunteers carried the Boer dead off
the hill and handed the bodies over to
liz Sollli ddSo dl liz pottOIl. oNeI
ninety were thus carried off Wagon
hill alone.
wARSHIPS TO GO TO SOUTH
AFRICA.
London, January 16-The Associated
Press learns that while it is still I'M
certain that the entire special service
squadron is going to South Africa
when relieved at Gibraltar by1t chan
mel squadron, a portion of it will be
detailed tn CONVOY the new naval hrJ-
gade being formed for service at the
front in Cape Colony. This brigade,
consisting of 720 men, eight 4.1-inch
guns, twenty-four MaXims and ten r.
Founders, will be taken to Gibraltar by
the channel squadron when it sails
January Goth.
General French continues to shell the
Boer positions, but nothing decisive has
taken place. Arrivals from Stormberg
estimate there are $500 Beers there,
mostly revolted colonists and Free
StaterS.
CONFIDENCE IN GENERAL ME-
, THUEN LOST.
5 Evidence accumulates that General
Methuen'S blunder at Magersfontein
has lost him the confidence of his en-
tire force to such an extent that, it is
declared, it is doubtful if the troops
!. would follow him in another attack on
the Beers. The war office is under
+, stood to be in possession of a letter
written by General Wauchope the night
I before the battle, saying that would be
!, the last letter he would ever write, as
: he had been asked to perform an i'm
: possible task, and he had either to obey
orders or to surrender his sword. Ar
immediate change in the command OF
q the force may, therefore,, be expected
s 1t is anticipated in some quarters that
e Lieutenant General Tucker will sue
coed General Methuen.
e HEAVY FIRING AT SPRINGFIELD
London, January 17.-Dispatches
from Pietermaritzburg to both The
4 Times and The Daily Mail report very
heavy artillery firing in the direction
: of Springfield and Frere Monday. The
. Daily Mail dispatch says the Beers
[ probably are contesting General Bull.
ler's passage of the Tugela river
; Howitzers are evidently very busy.
:, The Exchange Telegraph Company:
u dispatch from the same place and date
says it probably means General Butler
is engaging the enemy, and that a ru'
NOR is current that a portion Of thu
British force is near Ladysmith.
r FRENCH CANNON FOR THE BOERs
I The Times, dispatch says: The Della.
: goa bay correspondent of The Nata
: Times asserts that six big Creusot gun:
and fifty tons of shells were landed
from the French steamer Gironde about
. the middle of last month under tbs
|. noses of two British warships and were
. dispatched to Pretoria, causing mucf
, rejoicing at the ease with which con
: traband Of wal and run the blockade
THE Swat Queen Mother, since th'
: death of King Bunu, has killed all tbs
=. chiefsSwho were ever in England o.
Cape Town, and is now plotting Will
: the Beers. The situation nay fairl!
be considered grave, and it would b
= we'll TO send regiments Of Gurkhas Z
: Swaziland Immediately"
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