Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-03-11
DETAILS OF The battle
Lord Kitchener Wires London the
Details Of the Capture Of Gen.
Methuen's Column.
He was Moving with goo Mounted
Men, 300 Infantry and
-Four Guns.
Flanked on Three Sides by the Beers
Just Before Dawn and
Caused Stampede.

London, March 11.-Further details
of the fight in which Gen. Melhuen
was captured by the Beers, are now
ait hand.
In the engagement British officers
and 38 men were killed, 5 British Off
GERS and 72 men were wounded and 1
British officer and 200 men are miss
ing.
The fight in which General Methuen
was captured occurred before dawn
March z, between Winburg and Lich"
tenburg, Orange River Colony. The
British force numbered 1900 men. The
Beers captured all the British bag
gage. General Methuen is retained as
prisoner. X
The text of Lord Kitchener's dis
patch, dated March 8, announcing the
capture of General Methuen, is as fol
lows:
II greatly regret to have to send you
bad news of Methuen. He was NOV
ing with 900 mounted men, under Ma
jor Paris. and 800 infantry, guns and
a pompom, from Wynburg to Lichten.
burg, and was to meet Grenfell, with
1900 mounted men, at Rovirainesfon-
tein. Friday morning he was attacked
by Delarey's force, between Twe-Bos
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 cap.
tured by the Beers. Methuen, when
last seen, was prisoner. I have no
details of the casualties, and suggest
delaying publication till I can send
definite news. think this sudden re
vival of activity on the part of De
larey is to draw off the troops pressing
Dewet."
Details of the Battle.
In second dispatch dated Sunday
March 9, Lord Kitchener says:
Paris has come in at Kraaipan
with the remainder of the men. He re.
lsports that the column was moving in
two parties. One, with the OK wagons
left Twe-BOsch at a. m. The other,
with the mule wagons, started an
hour later, Just before dawn the Beers
attacked. Before reinforcements could
reach them the rear guard broke In
the meantime a large number of
Beers galloped up on both f1anks.
These, at first, were checked by the
flank parties, but the panic and STAN.
pede of the mules had begun and all
the mule wagons, with terrible mix.
ture of mounted men, rushed past the
OK wagons. All efforts to check them
were unavailing.
"Majur Paris collected 40 men and
occupied a position mile in front of
the OK wagons, which were then halt
ed. After a gallant but useless de-
tense the enemy rushed into the OK
wagons and Methuen was wounded in
the thigh. Paris, being surrounded
surrendered at 10 a. m. Methuen is
still in the Boer camp
Then follows the numbers of the cas-
ualties, as already cabled. The killed
include Lieutenants G. r. Venning and
n. p. W. Nesham of the ROYAL artil-
lery, who were both killed while serv-
ing their guns with case shot.
AS Lord Kitchener announced that
+ Major Paris had surrendered and also
telegraphed that he had reached Kraa-
ipan with the remainder of the men,
it may be inferred that the Beers sub
sequently released the major and his
companions.
Lord Kitchener's dispatch announc-
ing the disaster to General Methuen' IS
forces was read in both the house of
lords and the house of commons by
Lord Roberts. the commander-in-chief,
and Mr.. Brodrick, the war secretary
respectively. They both paid tributes
to General Methuen, the former ex-
pressing his appreciation of Methuen' s
success through the war, declaring
that his task Of forcing the Boer posi-
ton at 5Magersfontein was an almost
impossible one.