Evening star., 1902-03-17
METHUEN EXPLAINS
DISPATCH TO KITCHENER GIVES
DETAILS OF DEFEAT.
The British Troops Behaved Better
Than First Reports Seemed
to Indicate.

A dispatch from London yesterday says:
The war Office has received the following
communication from Lord Kitchener, at
Pretoria:
Lord Methuen has sent me a staff Off
Ger with a dictated dispatch from which it
appears that certain particulars previously
given are inaccurate. The rear screen of
mounted troops was rushed and over
whelmed at dawn. There was a gap OF a
mile between the OK and mule conveys.
The mounted supports to the rear Of the
screen, with Gen. Methuen, Immediately re-
enforced by all the available mounted
troops and a section of the 38th Battery,
maintained themselves for an hour, during
which the conveys were closed upon with
out disorder.
I'm the meanwhile 200 infantry were
being disposed by Lord Methuen to resist
the Boer attack, which was outdankng the
left of the rear guard. The Beers pressed
that attack hard. and mounted troops, at
tempting to fall back on the infantry, got
completely out of hand carrying away with
them in the rout the bulk Of the mounted
troops. Two guns of the :Sth Battery were
thus left unprotected, but continued in ac-
ton until every man, with the exception Of
Lieut.. Nesham, was hit. Lieut.. Neshaw
was called on to surrender, and, upon refus-
ing to do so, was killed.
Lord Methuen, with 200 Of the Northum-
berland Fusiliers and two guns of the 18th
Battery, then found himself Isolated but
fought on for three hours. During this Pc
riod the remaining infantry, namely, 100 Of
the Lancashires, with some forty mounted
men, mostly Cape police, who had occupied
the kraal near the wagons, also continued
to hold out against the repeated attacks OF
the Beers.
by this time Lord Methuen was wound
ed and the casualties were exceedingly
heavy among his men. Their ammunition
was mostly expended. and the surrender
was made at about $50 in the morning.
THE party in the kraal still held out,
and did not give In until two guns and a
pompom We're brought to bear upon them
at about 10 o'clock, making their position
unit enable.
1T Is confirmed that most Of the Beers
wore our khaki uniforms. Many also wore
our badges. Even at close quarters they
could not be distinguished from our own
men.
1T is clear the infantry fought well and
the artillery kept up the traditions of the
regiment. In addition to the forty MEM
bers Of the Cape police already mentioned,
a few parties Of imperial yeomanry and
Cape police continued to hold their ground
after panic had swept the bulk of the
mounted troops off the field"
Lord kitchener'S graphic dispatch show
ing that the fighting lasted much longer
than was supposed, confirms the belief that
the disaster to Gen. Methuen's force was
que 70 leaVlng 100 large gap between the
front convey and the rear, and to pla cling
an insufficient screen behind the rear guard
which brought about a panic among the
troops as result OF the Boer onslaught
Much resentment is felt here that the
BoerS Wore British uniforms and badges
but satisfaction is expressed at the latest
accounts OF the affair, as Indicating that
the British troops behaved better than was
supposed from the earlier reports.
From other dispatches 1t appears that
Gen. Methuen was shot while riding to
bring up the mounted troops, and that his
horse was killed. After the surrender Gen.
Delarey rode up and treated Gen Methuen
with the greatest courtesy and considera-
tion. He ordered his return to Klerksdorp
under the care of his own nephew and a
medical officer.
According to the Klerksdorp correspond
ent of the Daily Mail, the burghers were so
angry at this that party Of them went out
and brought Gen. Methuen back. Gen. De-
larey. however, overruled the objections of
the burghers>
The correspondent of the Daily Mall pays
a tribute to Gen. Delareys humanity, and
describes him as brilliant fighter and a
born leader, who brings no bitterness or ra-
clal feeling to his task and who sternly re-
presses any excesses on the part of the
burghers"
BRUSSELS, March LETT is said here
that Mr.. Kruger has sent a messenger to
South Africa with dispatches for Gen.
Schalk-Berger.
Members of the encourage Of Mr.. Kruger
assert that the Beers now possess seven
teen guns.