Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1902-03-14
BOERS DEFEAT NEIHUEN
British General Captured by De-
larey After Being Wounded,
BLOODY BATTLE At wYNeURe

British Suffered a Terrible Reverse, !
Three Officers and SO Men Being
Killed, 200 Missing, and Guns and
Baggage Captured.
London. March lit was an.
nOunced yesterday that General Lord |
Methuen and four guns had been cap
tured by the Beers. commanded by
General Delarey. The news came like !
thunderbolt to London.
The news was received in the house
Of commons amid great excitement.
The reading of Lord Kitchener's tele.
gram by the war secretary. Mr. Brod-
rick, was listened to in deep silence.
which was broken by loud Irish
cheers. Instantly there were cries OF
"Shame!" "Shame!" from the govern
ment benches. Then the Irish men,
| bers seemed to think better OF their
outbreak and suddenly subsidized. The
subsequent eulogistic references to
| General Methuen were received with
cheers.
In brief, Lord Kitchener announced
that when General Methuen was cap
! tured, wounded, with four guns, three
British officers and 80 men were killed
and five officers and Y men were
wounded. In addition one officer and
200 men were reported missing. Lord
Kitcheners dispatch is as follows:
Pretoria, Saturday, March 81
greatly regret to have to send you
bad news of Methuen. He was NOV
ing with 900 mounted men. under
Major Paris, and 300 infantry. four
guns and a pompOm, from Wynburg
to Lichtenburg, and was to meet
Grenfell, with 1900 mounted men, at
Roviraines Fontein, but Friday morn
ing early he was attacked by De-
larey's force between Twe-Bosch and
Palmieteknill. 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
miles from the scene of the action.
They report that Methuen and Paris,
with the guns baggage, etc, were
captured by the Beers. Methuen
when last seen, was a prisoner.
have no details of the casualties, and
suggest delaying publication till can
; send definite news. / think this sud
2 den revival Of activity on the part OF
/. Delarey is to draw off the troops who
are pressing De Wet"
In a second dispatch, dated Sunday
2 March 8, Lord Methuen says:
Paris has come in at Kraaipan
!. with the remainder of the men. He re
e ports that the column was moving il
>, two parties. One, with the OK wagons
r. left Twe-BOsch at a. NJ. The other
e with the mule wagons, started an hOu
later. Just before dawn the Beers at
tackled. Before reinforcements coult
reach them the rear guard broke. Il
/ the meantime a large number of Boer
II galloped up on both tanks. These, a
Y first, were checked by the flank pan
Il ties, but the panic and stampede o
n the mules had begun, and all the null
S wagons, with terrible mixture 0
v mounted men, rushed past the o
4 wagons. All efforts to check them wer
e unavailing. Major Paris collected 4
III men and occupied a position a mil
I III lIOub VI luG OA WdSOuSs WHICH WGI
then halted. After a gallant but usC
D less defense the enemy rushed int
the OK wagons, and Methuen wa
u wounded in the thigh Paris, bein
surrounded, surrendered. Methuen
"a still in the Boer camp"
1t Then follows the number of casua
III ties. The killed include Lieutenant
g G. R. Venning and T. P. W. Neshan
sc of the Royal Artillery, who were bot
le killed while serving their guns wit
IT, case-shOt.
le A dispatch received last evenin
III from Lord Kitchener says: I'll
IS force under Delarey was almost el
as tirely dressed in British uniform
t. This made it impossible for the il
fantry to distinguish between the
OF own men and the enemy when til
ed mounted troops were driven in c
Ie them. The enemy numbered 1,5C
Ut men. They had one 15-pounder and
IN p1mpom." 1t is feared that Lol
n Kitchener's incomplete accounts hay
ar not told the worst, and the public
Sc anXiously awaiting details.