BRITISH RETIRE TO MODDER RIVER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8696, 15 December 1899, Page 2

BRITISH RETIRE TO MODDER RIVER.

i i I BOERS OCCUPY OUR ENTRENCHMENTS. VERY HEAVY LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES. GENERAL WADCHOPE KILLED. (Received Dec. 15, 9.16 a.m.) London, Dec. 14. Lord Methnen, in an official report to the War Office, wires that he shelled a Btrong position held by the Boers on ft long high kopje from 4 o'clock (? a.m.) till dusk oil Sunday. It ruined hard all the night. The Highland Brigade attacked at daybreak on Monday, at the southern end of the kopje. The attack was properly timed, but failed. The Guards protected the Highland right and rear. The cavalry and mounted infantry attacked the left, and guarded the right and centre. The artillery and howitzers protected the infantry. '1 he artillery shelled the position from daybreak. At 1 p.m., Lord Methuen states, he sent the Gordon Highlanders to support the Highland Brigade. The troops held the ground facing the enemy's entrenchments until dark. The position extended six miles towards the Modder river. "To-day (Tuesday)," concludes Lord Methuen, "at 5 a.m. I am holding my position and entrenching. , " Our troops faced at, least 12,000 men, and our loss was great. "General Wauohope was killed on Monday." [Major-General A. G, Wauchope, of the Black Watch (one of Lord Methuen's staff) wa9, it will be remembered, in command of one of the British brigades of Lord Kitchener's army last year, but his fighting record goes back to the AEhanli war of 1873, when he was wounded at Jarbinbah, and severely wounded at Ordahsu. Twice more was he severely wounded — atTeb and at Kirbekan— in the former Egyptian campaigns ; and he served usefully Ju a civil capacity in Cyprus.] Other accounts state that Lord Methuen used balloons to locate the enemy. No assistance was forthcoming from Kimberley. -, London, Dec. 14 (later). Lord Methuen retired to the Modder river on Tuesday evening. The Boers occupy the British trenches. Lord Methuen wires to the War Office from Modder River : — " I retired in perfect order to this place, " where our troops arc in security, " I gather from the prisoners captured, " and from information imparted by the " Boers to the members of the Ambulance "Corps lhat their losses were terrible, " some corps being annihilated. "The enemy tvere most kind to our "Jwounded." The Daily Telegraph's correspondent states that the British forces on Monday vainly tried to traverse the left flank between ths kopjes and the tiver. The Marquess of Winchester, Major of the Coldstream Guards, was killed. [The Marquess of Winchester, who comes of a very distinguished lineage, is 42 years of age. He served in the Nile expedition of 1885.]