The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-16
Also Some Yeomanry and other De-
tails, Making Total of 555
Men and Is Omcers.
IS KILLED AND WOUNDED
REMAINDER OF GEN. CLEMENTs's
FORCE AT COMMANDO MEX.
Beers Also Suffered Severely, Jou-
Escape Of Part Of De VETS Force.

1-
mored disaster TO the British troops In
South Africa were confirmed by Lord
Kitchener to-day in dispatch to the War
Office. He reports that $50 men and eight
cen officers are missing, probably having
been captured by the Beers. In the fight
ing on Dec Is General Clements lost five
ofscers and nine men killed. six officers and
nfty-five men wounded Lord Kitchener's
dispatch, which is dated Pretoria, Dec. IA.
reads:
elements brought in his force to Com
mando Mex unopposed. The casualties
were, regret to say, heavy. The Killed
were fve officers and nine OF other ranks;
the missing eighteen officers and 555 Of
other ranks. These latter were four COM
panies of the Northumberland Fusiliers,
who were stationed on the hill, and some
yeomanry and other details sent up 70 sup
port them. Names and nature of wounds
are being telegraphed from Cape Town.
Broadwood's brigade took no part In the
engagement. The Beers suffered severely.
Knox drove De Wet north to the Tha-
banchu-Ladybrand line, which was held by
our troops De Vets forces. about 1900
strong, made several attempts 10 get
through during the day, assisted by force
Of Beers operating from the north. These
attacks were driven back, though some of
the Beers from the south were able TO get
through the line"
Wiring later on Dec. IA Lord Kitchener
reports that while passing the lines in the
neighborhood of Thabanchu De Vets force
lost considerably. The South African Light
Horse and Thornycroft's mounted infantry
captured dfteen-pounder, taken at De-
wetsdorp; pompon. several wagons with
ammunition. twenty-five prisoners aid
some horses and mules. A portion of the
enemy has not been able to pass north.
BoERS ALSO SUFFERED.
Under date of Dec. 10 Lord Kitchener re-
ports to the War Office from Pretoria as
follows:
Clements has come to see me- He says
the four Companies OF the Northumber-
lands held out on the hill as long as their
ammunition lasted The Boer force attack
ing the hill was two thousand strong, while
another force of one thousand attacked
Clements's camp. BY 6:20 a. m. the hill was
carried. Reinforcements of one company
of the Yorkshires failed to reach them.
ClemeHts's retirement was carried out with
regularity, but as many native drivers
boited, considerable amount OF transpor-
tation lost All the ammunition not
taken away was destroyed. He reports that
all behaved very well.
''Broadwood has gone to Rustenberg and
supports OliDhant's Mex, which has been
reinforced flag of truce which has come
Joubert's son was killed and further re-
ports their losses very heavy"
General Kitchener's dispatches confirm
yesterdays most pessimistic fears and
demonstrates that the catastrophe Is
among the worst of the war The matter
was brought up In the House of Commons
to-day. but the secretary Of war, William
St. John Broderick, had no information to
add. except that the wounded numbered
six officers and fifty-fve men.
The astounding and utterly unexpected
reverse OF the British at the MagaIiesberg.
the news of which was broken to the
nation exactly one year after General Bull
ler's defeat at Colenso, effectually disposes
OF any hope that the war in South Africa
Is nearly ended and completely abated the
myth that the operations there were mere
ly OF a guerrilla nature. AS Mr. Lloyd
George GiberaD said in the House of Com
mons to-day. This is one of the most
severe reverses suffered by the British
and IL is quite evident the war will drag
on for months to come. De Wet is making
England the laughing stock of the world
We have 10000 men in the field yet we
are unable to protect ourselves from dis
aster at the hands of small commanders
drawn from pastoral population"
CRUEL COINCIDENCE.
The extent OF the reverse and the dis
grace OF such a large body of men sur
rendering to a small contingent OF Beers
has created feeling of shame and as
tonishment which finds free vent With
somewhat cruel coincidence the Northum-
berlands are known as the Fighting
Fifth" The Second Battalion, to which
the captured companies belong was one
OF the heaviest sufferers at Stormberg
year ago. The regiment has often been
pronounce by home and foreign critics TO
be one OF the finest in the British army
All the forebodings and criticisms which
Colenso gave rise to a year ago have been
resurrected by the disaster at the Maya
iiesberg. The War Office has nothing 10
do but grin and bear it, and trust To
time. Until General Kitcheners forces are
transformed into mounted infantry and
the mounted police get to work Mr.. Brod-
erick sees little hope OF Improvement In
the military situation. But whoever was
responsible for the surrender at the Maga-
nesberg Is likely 10 suffer. for the new
War Office officials are determined to make
examples of generals or any other officers
guilty OF such gross mIsmanagemeht or
worse, which, IL would seem, must have
occurred at this last defeat
This stern attitude on the part OF the
government, however by no means de-
creases the scorn and Ignominy with which
certain of the Liberal members of ParlIa-
ment. who are avowedly pleased by the
Boer successes. are regarded by the major
part of the community. AT a pro-Boer
meeting Friday at which Leonard Court
nav presided General Kitchener's name