LORD METHUEN'S REPORT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7417, 31 May 1902, Page 4

LORD METHUEN'S REPORT.

. ■• -> ■•■• ; r - / ■■■■■ ■■ ; SHARP CRITICISM. OF HALFTRAINED YEOMANRY. The full text of Lord Methuen's despatch describing his defeat and capture at Tweebosch. on March 7, has been published. It is dated Klerksdorp, March 13. .. ' : ;; ■ ' ■ ._...._ Of the force of 1200 men under Major Paris, which Lord Methuen accompanied, 340 were mounted irregulars. His lordship says : — ■ ■ • \ "The mounted troops were the beet horsed force that I have yet had' under me, added .to which the Cape Police, under Major Berange, held' an exceptionally, high reputation, as did the local corps. I remarked to Major Paris on leaving Vryburg that I could not believe in the numbers given to me. He again made inquiries, and satisfied himself that the numbers were correct/ The column left Vryburg . on March 2. On March 6 the rearguard was harassed, and here Lord Methuen criticises tffe conduct of the Yeomanry. " There had been some sniping at the rearguard by about 100 of Van Zyl's commando, and seeing some confusion, I went back myself, sending at the same time for the section "of the 38th Battery. "I found the men forming the rear screen, which consisted of the 86th Company Imperial Yeomanary, very much out of hand, and lackiiig both fire discipline and knowledge of how to act. There seemed to be a want of instructed officers and non-commissioned officers." The real fight began at- daybreak on March 7, when fire was poured into the rearguard. The ox convoy, which was in front, was halted, and Lord Methuen joined it and took measures to meet the attack. He thus describes the Boer charge and the rout of tß*e mounted ni«n : "The Boers, attacking the rearguard, ihad come on with, great determination- right among the rear screen, but the Bupport to the screen having been reinforced by Ashburner's Light Horse, Cullinan's Horse, and some of the sth Imperial Yeomanry, held them in check till about 6.30 a.m. " A heavy attack then developed on our rear and right flank, which, caused, as far as I could see, all mounted troops then in, rear (some of them which had originally been there had moved off towards the flanks to meet threatened attack) to break, and they galloped, in complete confusion past our left flank. ... " I remained witb the guns, 4th Baittery, and infantry until my horse was killed and my thigh fractured by a bullet. "They iheld out in a most splendid manner until about 9.30 a.m., when all the men round the guns had been shot down, and Lieutenant Yenning, commanding the section, had been killed. In the meantime, the two guns amd 1 pom-pom with Commandant Cellier's commando had rendered the kraal when the men at the kraal and those remaining with the baggage surrendered. " General De la Rey treated myself and the prisoners with the greatest kindness, and left General Oellier to look after- our wounded on the ground ; they buried eleven of their own men at Kareelaagte, *and from what I can learn their losses were heavy." After referring to the good conduct of the officers present, including Colonel Townsend, R.A.M.C., who was wounded three times, Lord Methuen says: — "A large number, of the Boers .were dressed in kharki many of them wearing the chevrons of non-commissioned) officers. This, in several instances, led to misapprehension by our troops, and to losses by death wounds ,aud capture among us." Lieutenant Jennings, of Grimsby, who was in the Tweebosch. fight,- states that 'after the surrender Lord Methuen eeid, " Thank Godi it was not my column and j i they were not my men that ran away." j

Many paupers ihave lived to (be a hundred years old, but there as no record of id mdl,- , iionaire 'having attained iixat age. ,