The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-03-13
VICTORY FOR THE Beers
BRITISH GENERAL CAPTURED BY
DELAREY'S FORCE.


DELAREY'S FORCE.
The Casualties Include Several of the
British Royal Artillery Killed
at the Guns.
London, March 1.-THE text OF
Lord Kitchener's dispatch announcing
the capture of General Methuen is as
follows:
Pretoria Saturday, March 81
greatly regret to have to send you bad
news of Methuen. He was moving
with 900 mounteds men, under Major
Paris, and 800 infantry, four guns and
pompom, from Wynburg to Lichten-
burg, and was to meet Grenfell with
l,3O0 mounted men at Rovirainesford
today. Yesterday morning early he
was attacked by Delarey's force, be-
tween TweBosch 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., We're
captured by the Beers. Methuen
when last seen, was a prisoner.
have no details Of the casualties, and
suggest delaying publication until
can send dennite news. I think this
sudden revival on the part of Delarey
is to draw off the troops pressing
Dewet."
In second dispatch dated Sunday,
March 9, Lord Kitchener says: Paris
has come in at Kraaipan, with the re-
mainder of the men. He reports that
the column was moving in two parties.
| One, with the ox-wagons, left Tive
Bosch at a. m. The other with the
mule wagons, started an hour later.
Just before dawn the Beers at
tackled. Before reinforcements could
reach them the rear guard broke In
the meantime large number of Beers
galloped up on both fianks 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
mounted men, rushed past the OK.
wagons. All efforts to check them
were unavailing. Major Paris collect,
ed forty men and occupied position
a mile in trout of the ox-wagons, which
were then halted. After gallant but
useless defense the enemy rushed in,
to the oX-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 number of casu-
alties as already cabled. The killed
include Lieutenants G. r. Venning and
t. 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 mad reached Kraai-
pan with the remainder of the men, It
may be inferred that the Beers releas-
ed the major and his companions.
London, March 11.-General De-
larey's victory is generally admitted
to be one of the worst reverses the
British have had throughout the war
The newspaper correspondents in
South Africa have not yet been al
lowed to describe the affair. The only
additional details available are con-
tanned in further dispatch from Lord
Kitchener, which Mr.. Broderck, the
secretary for war, read just as parlia-
ment was adjourning. This dispatch
shows that the first confusion was
caused by native boys with led horses,
who galloped through the mule con-
Voy as the latter was endeavoring
by Lord Methuen's direction, to close
on the OK convoy. The disorder among
the mules communicated itself to the
mounted troops, and the Beers, dress
ed in khaki and riding alongside the
wagons, frustrated all the attempts of
the British officers to rally their
forces. Great confusion ensued among
this portion of the mounted troops
they and the mule wagons galloping
three miles beyond the OK wagons
where they were cut off. The force
under General Delarey was almost en-
, tlrely dressed in British uniforms
This made it impossible for the in
fantry to distinguish between theil
own men and the enemy when the
mounted troops We're driven on them
In private telegram just received
here Lord Kitchener says: II fine
4-ethuen has fractured thigh, but
he is reported to be doing we'll" It is
feared that Lord Kitcheners incom
! plete accounts have not told the worst
but among the newspapers and the
public there is a tendency to accept
Mr.. Broderick's advice to suspend
judgment pending the receipt of de
tails. The morning papers fully ad
nit the extreme gravity and even the
humiliation to British prestige abroad
involved in such reverse inflicted b,
: body of Beers of equal numerical
strength. 1t is recognized that, al
l though the damage is more moral thar
material, it will certainly have the
: effect of prolonging Boer resistance
: for many months.
Danish West Indies.