THE WESTERN FRONTIER

Otago Witness, Issue 2390, 21 December 1899, Page 23

THE WESTERN FRONTIER

CAPETOWN, December 13. Lord Methuen's force, with six howitzers,, on Monday enfiladed the enemy's trenches, the lyddite shells raising clouds of ironstone dust visible for 10 m9es. The Bluejackets have christened tho naval gun Joe Chamberlain. Magersfontein is the only stronghold, Spytfontein being weakly Held, the Boers fearing a sortie from Kimberley. A howitzer battery and five squadrons of the JEnniskillens reinforce General Methuen's column. There has been a heavy artillery duel proceeding since Sunday (the 10th) at Magersfontein between General Methuen's forces and the Boers under Commandaat Crcnje. The British infantry were sent forward, under cover of the artillery, to attack the enemy's trenches, but they' suffered heavy loss and were compelled to retire, the Boers maintaining their position. The battle is proceeding. The cannonade at Magersfontein was vs* sumed early on Monday, The infantry, were engaged from noon till dark. The Boers stuck to the trenches, and the British, steadily withdrew. The losses were chiefly, confined to the Highland Brigade. On Tuesday Lord Methuen entren.cb.6d~

his forces, and resumed a -desultory cannonade.

: The Boer version claims that they have taken 41 prisoners.

As a precautionary measure rations for the defenders of Mafeking have been reduced to half a pound of meat and a "quarter of a pound of bread per day.

The Rhodesia column, ur.der General Plumer, is steadily advancing on to Marking.

They found that Gaberones, which is 30 miles to the north of the beleagured town, had been evacuated by the Boers on December 2. The colonel is repairing the railway as he advances southward. December 14. At Magersfontein the Boers, at the foot of the eastern spur, waited on Monday till hefore daybreak. The xiighlanders marched in close order in quarter column to within 200 yards of the enemy, when they commenced to extend. ' At 1&0 yards the Boers poured a terrible fire on their flanks, and hundreds fell. The. veldt Boers were shooting high. Our loss otherwise would have ieen heavier. The Highlanders took Tefuge in a hollow, the Gordons joining ihem, and all fought with desperate valour to within 200 yards of the spur, when they were' repulsed. A concentrated fire of Jyddite shells was meanwhile poured •with terrible effect into the enemy's trenches, the Horse Artillery enfilading. Later on the Boers advanced into the open, intending to make a flank attack, but the Guards and Artillery prevented the movement. Lord Methuen commanded 11,000 men. He retired, expecting an attack on his Hank and rear, from Jacobsdal. Two hundred and ninety-three wounded from Modder River, including 27 officers, arrived at the Orange River on Tuesday. 'The Highland Brigade, during General Methuen's attack upon the Boer position at Magersfontein, were guided through the intense darkness and pouring ruin close up to the Boer entrenchments. The latter were screened with leaves, and irom behind these the Boers had been silently watching the approach of the Britishers. They waited until our men were .close up to the entrenchments and then .opened with an awful hail of lead. , Two hundred men were moved down before the fearful fire, and the brigade fell -back. ,• The Black Watch, re-forming after the .terrible onslaught, were ' found to muster 9nly 160 men. At daybreak, with 31 big guns booming and belching forth their shot and shell to cover the advance, the Britishers decided to renew the attack, and the Gordons heroically attempted to retrieve the disaster of the night. 'Oie men had to pass across their dead »nd wounded comrades, but the task they sssayed was impossible of accomplishment. •The Boer trenches were protected with row upon row of barbed wire. The Guards sought to turn the enemy's flank, but failed owing to the arrival of 2000 fresh Boers and a number of guns. Tho grand total of British losses throughouo the engagement is 833 killed and wounded, including 703 officers and men belonging to tho Highland Brigade, and of this latter number 69 were officers. During the artillery duel on Sunday one -Jyddite shell fell amid a body of Boers who . were holding a prayer meeting, and another .killed 20 of the enemy. : Lieutenant-colonel G. T. F. Downman, of the Gordon Highlanders, is amongst those who were lost in the early morning attack on Magersfontein. [Lieutenant-colonel George Thomas Frederick Bcwnman, born November 2, 1855; entered Gordon Highlander's from the militia November 29, 1876; major Gordon Highlanders November 25, 1891; adjutant to auxiliary forces July 2,1, 1886, to July 23, 1891. War services: Egyptian expedition, 18S1; Soudan, battles of Teb and Tainai (medal with clasp, bronze star) ; Soudan expedition, 1884-85 (Nile clasp) ; operations in Chitral, 1C95, with the relief forces, despatches, London Gazette, November 15, 1695.]

December 15. General Cronje's force included 4000 from Mafeking.

The following officers were also killed it Magersfontein : — Colonel Coode, of the Black Watch. Colonel Goff, of the Argyle Highlanders. Major P. Milton, of the Mounted R;fles. Among the wounded are Colonel Byron »nd Lieutenant Tait (tho golf champion).

The prisoners taken by our troops at Magersfontein state that their artillery wers entirely cleared out from tho upper entrenchments, and that woid had been passed along to tho Bosr.s to hold themselves in readiness to withdraw during the night.

3o impsluous was the rush of our men , upon the Boer entrenchments at Magersfontein that some of the light infantry entered them, captured s"x of the enemy, and .succejsfully brought them into ihe British camp when our men were compelled to relire. The Guards annihilated a pickeij of the

enemy, killing 40, including a member of the Volksraad.

Eight thousand men, or one-half of Geneial Methuen's command, were engaged in the attack upon the Boer position on Monday last. • i The number of Boers killed and wounded throughout the engagement exceeded 1000.

The lack of water, with the consequent suffering entailed upon our men, was the chief factor in compelling General Methuen to retire a distance of four miles in order that he might be within easy reach of the Modder River. Major-general A. G. Wauchope was shot close to the Boer trenches, one bullet passing through his chest and another breaking his thigh. December 16. On Wednesday the mounted infantry had a sharp' engagement 10 miles east of the Orange River station, and frustrated a Boer attempt to cut the line of communication at, Zouthspan drift. Colonel Kekewich made a sortie from Kimberley on the -9th inst., ar.«x shelled the Boer position north of the town, silencing a cordite gun. December 17. The Boers made another assault upon Mafeking on the lOtb inst. (last Sunday week), but were again repulsed after severe fighting. The loyalists and Bechuana police at Kuruman have again beaten off a further attack made upon them by the enemy. General Methuen. on Friday last briefly shelled the Boer entrenchments and outposts. December 18. General Methuen's reconnaissance on Friday resulted in one of the enemy's big guns being dismantled, while two smaller guns were silenced. The British shelled the enemy's trenches without suffering loss. All of Baron Faderscurold's Scandinavian commando, numbering 85, were killed or wounded at Magersfontein, except seven, who were captured by the British. Boer accounts of the fight acknowledge terrible slaughter. They are still collecting the wounded. On the night oi the 13th there were hundreds of instances of conspicuous British gallantry worthy of the Victoria Cross. The retirement on Tuesday was* conducted under a terrific fire with perfect calmness. - * _ It is estimated General _ Cronje's force has now reached 20,000. Many are massing at Jacobsdal, in the Free State, owing to bad water at Magersfontein. LONDON, December 14. Lord Methuen wires that he shelled 'a strong position held by the Boers on a long, high kopje from 4 o'clock to dusk on Sunday. It rained hard all night. The Highland Brigade attacked at daybreak on Monday the south end of the kopje. The attack was properly timed, but failed. The Guards protected tho Highland right and rear, the cavalry and mounted 'infantry attacked the left, and the Guards the right and centre, the artillery howitzers protecting them. The artillery shelled tho position from daybreak. At Ihe sent thepordons to support the Highland Brigade. The troops held their ground, facing the enemy's entrenchments until dark. The position extended six miles towards Modder River. " To-day (Tuesday)," concluded Lord Methuen, "I am holding my position and entrenching. Our troops faced at least 12,000, and our loss was great." General Wauchope was killed on Monday. [Major-general Wauchope, C.8., was 53 years of age. He entered the Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) in 1865, and became captain in ; 1878, major of the First Batalion 1884, lieute-nant-colonel in 1884, and colonel in 18S8. He served in the Ashantee war in 1873, and was severely wounded, mentioned in despatches, ani obtained a medal with clasp. He served in the Soudan campaign in 1834, and in the Nile expedition in 1885, when he was again wour>ded. Wa was British delegate to the Sultan's Land Inquiry in Cyprus in 1879-80. He unsuccessfully contested the Midlothian seat with Mr Gladstone in 1892.]

Other accounts state that Lord Methuen used balloons to locate the enemy, and that no assistance was forthcoming »from Kimberley.

Lord Methuen retired to the Mcdder River on Tuesday evening, tho Boers occupying the British trenches.

Lord Methuen wires: "I retired in perfect order here, where our forces are in security. I gather from the prisoners we have captured and from information imparted by the Boers to members of the ambulances that their losses were terrible, some corps being annihilated. Tho enemy were moat kind to ou»* wounded."

The Daily Telegraph correspondent states that the British forces on Monday vainly tried to traverse the left flank between tho kopjes and the river.

The Marquis of Winchester, who was a major of the Coldstream Guards, w<is killed.

[The Ma-rquis of Winchester was born in 1853, and succeeded to his title in 1887. He was tho premier Marquis of England. He served in the XII 2 expedition in 1885. His brother, Lord H. W. M. Paulet, is hia heir.]

The Times slates that Lord Methuen's repulse has been the meat serious event of the war. General Wauchope's Highlanders

went into a trap, and were exposed in close formation to a magazine rifle fire from a force that was not subjected to artillery fiie. Lord Methuen possibly retires to the Orange River.

The news has caused a, grave sensation. The Times demands that 30,000 reinforcements should be sent and the calling oi't of" the whole available reserves and Ui3 utilisation of the militia volunteers. Further troops from Canada and the othtr colonies must be sought and accepted.