The Bemidji pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Beltrami County, Minn.) 1896-1917, 1900-08-09
BRITISH REFUSED.
Most Serious Event of the south
African War. @

Zen. Methucn, dated Tuesday, Dec. L.:
Our artillery shelled very strong
position held by the enemy in long,
high kopje, from o'clock until dusk
] Sunday. It rained har last night. The
| Highland brigade attacked at day
| break Oh Monday the south end OF the
! kopje, but failed. The Guards were
ordered to protect the Highlanders'
right and rear. The cavalry and
mounted infantry, with hoWitZer ar
tillery battery. attacked the enemy on
the left and the Guars on the right,
supported by field artillery and Eowit-
ger artillery. They shelled the position
from daybreak, and at 1:15 sent the
Gordons to support the Highland brig
ade. The troops held their own in
front of the enemy's intrenchments un-
til dusk, the position extending, includ-
ing the kopje. for distance Of six
miles toward Modder river. To-day I
am holding my position and intrench-
ing myself. / had to face at least 12,-
600 men. Our loss was great"
British Forces Retire.
London. Dec 10 Gen. Forester
Walker, telegraphing from Cape Town
at $3.50 p. m. yesterday, sends the fol-
lowing dispatch from Lord Methuen,
dated Modder River, Tuesday, Dec. u,
7:30 D. M: VI
las the Beers occupied their trenches
strongly this morning retired in per-
feet order here, where ! am in secur-
ity.
II have gathered from some Of the
prisoners and from our men with the
ambulances who talked with the Beers
that the enemy'S losses were terrible,
some companies being completely
wiped out. The Beers have been most
kind to my wounded 7
rHighlanders Moved Down.
MoGder River. Dec. Is. The British.
casualties include the marquis Of Win
chester, major of the Second battalion
v Coldstream Guards, who was killed,
an dCol. Downham, of the First bat
talon Gordon Highlanders, who was
MORALLY wounded. III
When the Highlanders met the muir
derous point blank fire Of the Beers
about two hundred We're moved down.
The Black Watch regiment, on re
forming, was able to muster only 100
men. The Beers lost heavily in the
trenches and also in the wire entan-
clements when they came into the open
in an attempt to make a flank attack
on the British. lt,sse
The terrific British artillery fire pro-
voked no response except from the
Beers rifles until near o'clock in the
afternoon, when the Gordon High
landers formed to renew the attack Oh
the intrenched kopje. They advanced
with the utmost gallantry to attack
the Beers, close to the place where lay
their dead and wounded comrades of
the Highland brigade.
The enemy opened with a heavy
shrapnel fire as the British advanced,
and it was found ply sically impossible
te take the Boer trenches. The British
got within 800 yards but could get no
nearer. Col. DoWnham fell. The Beers
had free recourse to barbed wire en- 1
stanglements, which offered great OBJ
stacles even after the damage inflicted
by the British artillery fire.
This (Tuesday) morning both sides
occupied the positions they held be-
fore the battle. The greatest bravery
was displayed by both officers and
Most Serious, Event Of the Wnr.
men. London, Dec. 14.-Each impnr-
tant battle seems to bring Il worse re-
verse for the British, and the papers
this morning sorrowfully admit that
Lord Methucns check at Magersfon-
tein is the most serious event the war
has yet produced. The Morning Post
says:
Eve have had our day of humiliation
appropriated for us. Let us accept |
humbly, soberly and steadily and be |
the stronger for the lesson it has
taught us. This last reverse will make
us a fresh butt OF Europe. There was
a more appropriate occasion to prove to
Europe what we are WORTH"
1t is reported that Lord Methuen's
force amounted to 1000 men. and per-
haps more. No reliable estimate of
his losses has yet been received. They
are believed to have been at least $50.
All the papers comment upon the
extreme gravity Of the situation and
upon the momentous decision Lord Me-
thuen has to take, whether to remain
at Modder River or retire on Grange
river. The Times says: "
eat least 5000 additional troops
must be sent out. The entire available
reserve must be called out and the
militia and volunteers turned to ac-
count Efforts must be made to in
crease the local colonial forces and
pliers Of further troops from Canada
md other colonies must be sought and
A dispatch from Boer sources says
hat Kimberley remained quiet during
he battle at Magersfontein.
Mobilize Another Division.
London. Dec. 15.--The press under
lands that the war Office yesterday
Iecided, in consequence of. Gen. Me- I
huen's reverses at Modder River, to
mobilize an Eighth division in reserve
nd send the Seventh division to the
ront. Several foreign stations will 4
robably be garrisoned by militia and
{ necessary volunteers will be called
0 take the place of militia at home.
t is likely the militia reserve will be
ont nrTt tn min thafY, rnc1eaofira hot