The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-14
a GREAT VICTORY AND SHOCK

ASNNAy ofSA IC a ~
ish is the greatest they have. had in two
years. General Delarey was in COM
mand. The battle was on the eth of
March near Lichtenburg. The British
under General Methuen numbered 200.
He was terribly defeated on the 18th of
December. 1899 at Magersfontein, losing
903 men in killed. wounded and missing.
He has done much fighting and not
without success. The Baltimore Sun
says of him:
He was the first to capture a COM
mando. He remained with his men, TAX
ing pot luck with them, after most Of
the other generals who came out to At
RIGA with him in 1899 had returned to
London. 1t will be recalled tina he
vent to the relief of Kimberley and had
minor. but Pyrrhic, victories at Bel
mont. November %; at Graspan, No
vember 25. and at Modder River, No
vember %. 1899, only to be blocked, as
already stated. at Magersfontein. The
capture Of a lieutenant general at this
stage of the war will be a bright feath-
er in Delarey's cap. and correspond
ingly disheartening event for the Brit
ish."
The signal defeat is a great shock to
the British not unused to defeats for
two hundred years. The dispatch from
London detailing the victory fills two or
three columns in the large newspapers
north of us. 1t is no wonder that the
Irish in the British house of commons
greeted with cheers the announcement
of a British defeat. A London dispatch
says:
by defeating Lord Methuen, General
Delarey. who has proved himself the
most able of all the Boer generals, has.
within a fortnight, gained a second de-
cisive victory. His first victory was the
capture of Won Donop's convoy, when
the British casualties in killed, wounded
and men made prisoners, totaled .632.
and he has now added to his laureIs by
the capture. for the first time through
out the campaign, of a prominent Brit
ish general, and by inf1icting what Is
generally admitted to be one of the
worst reverses the British have suffered
throughout the whole war"
The details OF the battle are interest
ing and must fill with gladness the
friends of the remnants of the two lit
tie Dutch republics. The London apers
have Of course comments to offer. Here
are two from leading papers.
A& DoAAy Vows says LIN SNSAAN LdS
scarcely a parallel since the dark, dis
astrous days when the North American
colonies passed from British control.
The Standard says this defeat comes
after a succession of mishaps for which
it is impossible to account by mere bad
fortune. When every allowance Is
made lays the Standard, we cannot
but find something not c%reditable to our
vigilance in these constant surprises"
The plan of the battle may be sum-
med up in few words. General Methuen
had been chasing Delarey, VINO sudden
ly turned and absolutely crushed the
British. The Beers attacked in rear
British rear guard broke and STAN
peded the entire force. The Beers pur-
sued for four miles.
Do you know how often the Beers
have gained advantages over the Brit
ish since goth of last December? They
have actually obtained victories in
eleven engagements We have before
ish killed and wounded in each: Deem
Der 20 Botha leading, 70 total; Do
cember q. Britz leading %: December
"a. De Wet leading, so killed. "a wound
ed, 245 captured: January 3rd and 4th
Botha leading, killed liz, wounded 33-5s
total; January is. Vessels leading.
killed. wounded IND captured so: Jan
uary q. Delarey leading. S killed. 5
wounded, Al captured, total "a: Febru-
airy 16. Delary leading, killed IL. round
ed 45-totai 81: February Is. killed
wounded and captured, "a; February "a.
Delarey leading. killed 40. wounded 122.
captured 461-total 652: February &c.
Botha leading killed 20. wounded IS
total 5S; March Z, Delarey leading, kill
ed Al. wounded a. over 200 probably
captured, and the remainder driven
away in a run. In these several
engagements the total British loss was
not less than 1.600 men. besides s guns.
During the same period Lord Kitchener
49, 80 ~--e- 49, D---