Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-03-19
METHUEN is CAUGHT.
FAMOUS BRITISH GENERAL CAP.
TuRED BY BOeRS.
Wounded and Made Prisoner in Fight
with Delarey Near winburg- Three
English Officers and 80 Men killed

Great Britain has suffered terrible
reverse in South Africa. Gen Methuen,
one of England's famous soldiers, and a
force OF 1,100 men under his command,
met defeat at the hands of the Boer gem
eral, DelRrey. Methuen himself was
wounded and taken prisoner and four
guns were captured from the British. The
news Of the defeat was announced in the
House of Commons Monday by Secretary
Of War Brodriek. \ 1t was one OF the
most sensational statements ever made 10
Parliament
Secretary Brodrick read dispatch
from Gen. Kitchener announcing the re-
verse. The troops under Paris We're
moving in two columns those with the
OK wagons moving an hour ahead OF
those with the mules. When the Beers
attc cked shortly after dawn, the mules
stampeded and all the mules and wag-
ons, with terrible mixture of mounted
men, rushed past the OK wagons. Efforts
to check them were unavailing. Paris
collected 400 men, but after gallant but
useless defense. the enemy rushed them.
Methuen was wounded in the thigh and
Paris, being surrounded, surrendered at
10 o'clock in the morning. Three officers
and thirty-eight men were killed and five
officers and seventy-two men wounded.
Two hundred men were missing.
After reading the bad news Secretary
Brodrick added a word of apology for
the defeated British general. "Methuen, p"
he said, has been conducting operations
for two years in difficult country His
failure to relieve Kimberley did not re-
90 10 In h. Of
Lords Lord Raglan, Under Secretary Of
War. dramatically read the telegram
with the details of the dispatch. Lord
Roberts, commander-in-chef of the array,
and who had many important successes
while in command in South Africa, made
| a speech and eulogized Methuen's sue
cess throughout the war;
The scene of the battle between Meth
uen and Delarey is in the southwestern
part of the Transyaal, in the vicinity of
Mafeking. Methuen's starting point
Wynburg, is in the Orange Free State,
and his destination. Lichtenburg, is in
the Transyaal. not many miles from
Mafeking. Methuen had nearly complet-
ed his march of more than 100 miles
when the Beers stopped him.
General Methuen's Career.
Lord Paul Methuen has long been
credited with beng one of the best tao
ticians in the army. Early in the South
African war he was given command of
the .division of the British army which
started to the relief of Kimberley and
Mafeking. He met with fair success until
he struck the Modder river where the
famous Boer general, Cronje. was wait
ing for him. The battle of Magersfon-
tein followed and resulted in a virtual de-
feat for the British. for their advance
was checked. The British loss in this
battle was one of the heaviest of the war
Gen. Wauchope was among the killed
Earl Roberts relieved Methuen. His de
| feat of Cronje and the surrender of the
Boer leader made Roberts famous march
to Bloemfontein and Pretoria possible
| Gen. Methuen returned to England, but
after a rest he returned to the field and
| has since commanded a small division I'M
| der Lord Kitchener.
Commandant Delarey, next to De Wet
is one of the best of the Boer fighters
.Delarey issued a proclamation last fall
following close on the heels of one issued
by Lord Kitchener, in which the latter
called on all Beers to surrender by Sept
10. Delarey's pronunciamento was brief
He called on the Beers to disregard
Kitehener's threats and fight TO the end