Evening star., 1902-03-10
BIC BRITISH REVERSE
Gen. Methuen and His Whole
Command Captured.
OVER 100 CASUALTIES
FOUR GUNS AND A POMPOM ALSO
TAKEN.
British Lose Train-Boers Led by De
La Rey-Most of the Prison
ers Released

LONDON. March 10. 4:33 p.m.-General
Methuen and four guns have been captured
by General De la Rey.
General Methuen was wounded in the
thigh. Three British officers and IS men
We're killed. Five British officers and ~
| men were wounded. One British officer and
200 men are missing.
The fight in which General Methuen was
captured occurred before dawn March =
between Winburg and Lichtenburg, Orange
River colony. The British force numbered
! 200 men. The Beers captured all the Brit
ish baggage. General Methuen is retained
as prisoner,
The text of Lord Kitchener's dispat ch an
nouncing the capture OF General Methuen
is as follows:
Gen. Kitchener's Dispatch.
PRETORIA, Saturday, March 81
greatly regret 10 have to send you baa
news of Methuen. He was moving with
300 mounted men. under Major Paris and
900 infantry, four guns and a pompom from
Wynburg to Lichtenburg and was to meet
Grcnfell. with 1.30O mounted men, at Row.
raines Fontein to-day. Yesterday morning
early he was attacked by De la Rey's force
between Twe-Bosch and Palmietekniil. The
Beers charged on three sides.
Five hundred and fifty men have come in
at Maribogs and kraaipan. They were
pursued by the Beers four mikes from t..e
scene of the action. They report that
Methuen and Paris with the guns, baggage.
etc, were captured by the Beers. Methutu.
when last sten was a prisoner. have no
details of the casualties. and suggest delay
ing publication Till can send definite news.
think this sudden revival of activity on
the part OF De la Rey is to draw off the
troops pressing DeWet."
In second dispatch dated Sunday
March ., Lord Kitchener says:
Maj. Paris Reports.
Paris has come in Al Kraaipan, with the
remainder of the men He reports that the
column was moving in two parties. One,
with the OK wagons. left Twe-Bosch at 3
am; the other. with the mule wagons,
started an hour later. Just before dawn
the Beers attacked. Before reinforcemants
could reach them the rear guard broke. In
the meantime a large number of Beers gal
loped up on both fianks. These, at first. were
checked by the flank parties. but the panic
and stampede of the mules had begun. and
all the mule wagons, with a terrible mixture
of mounted men, rushed past the OK
wagons. All efforts to check them were un-
availing. Maj Paris collected forty men
and occupied position mile In front of
the OK wagons, which were then halted.
After a gallant but useless defense the
enemy rushed into the OK wagons and
Methuen was wounded in the thigh. Paris,
being surrounded, surrendered at ii am.
Methuen is still in the Boer camp"
Then follows the number of the casualties,
as already cabled. The killed include Lieuts.
G. II. Venning and T. p. w. Nesham OF the
Royal Artillery, who were both killed While
serving their guns with case-shot.
Lord kitchener's dispatches announcing
the disaster TO Gen. Methuen's forces were
read in both the house Of lords and the
house Of commons today by Lord Roberts.
the commander-in-chief, and MIR. Brodrick.
the war secretary. respectively. They botn
maid trihnfeS q Gen MPthuen the former
expressing his appreciation of Methucn
success throughout the war, declaring that
his task of forcing the Boer position at
Magersfontein was an almost impossible
one.
AS Lord Kitchener announced that Maj.
Paris had surrendered, and also telegraphed
that he had reached kraaipan with the re-
mainder of the men, it may be inferred that
the Beers subsequently released the major
and his companions.