Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1902-03-14
British Officer and Four Guns FAN
Into the Hands Of the
Beers.
GEN. Dl:LAREY WINS GREAT VICTORY.
Methucn II W0unded-Three 0mcers
and Thirty-Eight Men Are Killed
-Disaster Occurs Between Win.
burg and Lichtenburg, Orange
River Colony.

Gen Delarey.
Gen. Methuen was wounded in the
thigh. Three British officers and SO
men were killed. Five British officers
and u men were wounded. One Brit
ish officer and 200 men are missing.
The fight in which Gen. Methuen was
captured occurred before dawn March
II, between Winburg and L%ichtenburg,
Orange River colony. The British
force numbered 1900 men. The Beers
captured all the British baggage. Gen.
Methuen is retained as a prisoner.
Kitchener's Dispatch.
The text Of Lord Kitchener's; dis
patch announcing the capture OF Gen.
Methuenis as follows: 5|@
pretoria, Saturday, March 81 greatly
regret to ave to send you bad news Of
Methuen. He was moving with 500 mount
ed men, under Maj. Paris, and 300 infantry,
four guns and a pompom, from Wynourg
to Lichtenburg, and was to meet Grenfell,
with 1900 mounted men at Rovirainesfon-
TEN to-day. Yesterday morning early ne
was attacked by De La Rey's force, be.
tween Twe-Bosch and Palmieteknill. The
Beers charged on three sides.
Five hundred and fifty men have come
IN at Mariboga and Kraaipan. They were
pursued by the Beers four miles from the
scene Of action. They report that Meth
uen and Paris. with the guns, baggage.
etc, were captured by the Beers. Methuen,
when last seen. was a prisoner. I 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 of the
troops pressing De Wet"
A Second Dispatch.
In a second dispatch, dated Sunday,
March 9, Lord Kitchener says:
parts has come in at Kraaipan. with the
remainder Of the men. He reports that the
column was moving in two parties. One,
with the ox-wagons, left Twe-Bosch at
three a. m. The other, with the mule wag-
ons, started an hour later. Just before
dawn the Beers attacked. Before reen-
forcements could reach them the rear
guard broke. In the meantime a large
number of Beers galloped up on both
tanks. 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 mount
ed men, rushed past the ox-wagons. All
efforts to check them were unavailing.
Maj. Paris collected 40 men and&occu-
pied a position a mile in front Of the OK
wagons, which were then halted. After a
gallant but useless defense. the enemy
rushed into the o~x-wagons and, Methuen
was wounded in the thigh. Paris, being
surrounded. surrendered at ten a, M,
Methuen is still in the Boer camp"
Then follows the numbers of the
casualties, as already cabled. The
killed include Lieuts. g. r. Venning
and T. r. w. Nesham, of the Royal ar
tillery. who e both killed while
serving their guns with case shot.
AS Lord Kitchener announced that
Maj. Paris had surrendered and also
telegraphed that he had reached
Kraaipan with the remainder Of the
men, it may be, inferred that|the Beers
subsequently released the major and
his companions.
Praise for Methuen.
London. March 11.-Lord Kitchen
er's dispatches announcing the disas-
ter to Gen. Methuen's forces were
read in both the house Of lords and
the house of Monday by
Lord Roberts, the commander-in.
chief, and MIR. Rrodrick. the war sec
Rotary, respectively. They both paid
tributes to Gen. Methuen, the for
mer expressing his appreciation Of
Methuen's success throughout the
war, declaring that his task of fore
ing the Boer position. at. Magersfon.
TEN was an almost, imnossihle ona