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1900 - Mafeking siege day 155 (71%). Strathcona's Horse sail from Halifax. Gatacre reaches Springfontein. Plumer moves to Kanya. Warrenton occupied.
1901 - Botha refuses terms offered by Kitchener.
1909 - War memorial to British and Boer proposed at Johannesburg meeting.

In Mafeking:

Very little shelling. The Cape Boys in the advance trenches were playing a-concertina, and so chaffed the Boers, saying they were dancing, and asking them to send some ladies, &c, that one of them, either attracted by the music or bursting with repartee, popped up his head, and was incontinently shot by a wily Cape Boy, to the intense delight of the others. They have a distinct sense of humour, though possibly a somewhat grim one. The advance trenches are now deepened and strengthened, and are as safe as it is possible for them to be to walk about in; from the advance trenches the Boers and ourselves throw bombs, and they are also using explosive bullets; their bombs are made like old hand-grenades, the bombs of both sides being charged with dynamite. They throw theirs by hand, but ours, though of a cruder form (being mainly jam tins) are propelled in a much more scientific manner. Sergeant Page, of the Protectorate Regiment, has rigged up a bamboo as a fishing-rod, and casts his bomb with great precision the short distance to the Boer trenches.

1900 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

A most disappointing day. Bert got up this morning as usual but at about 10 looked feverish, so laid down. We kept him quiet. At midday fever rising so put him to bed. On taking his temperature at about three found it 104, so immediately sent for his doctor, Major Bateson, who does not seem to know what it is. I am very anxious about him for I believe all along he has had a mild attack of enteric and this is a relapse.

On this day in 1900, the 1st Manchester's, rested and fed, with new kit and at long last, news of family at home in Great Britain, left both Caesars Camp, which they had held since the 31st of October last and Ladysmith itself, they marched west to Arcadia where Freddy Kitchener had chosen to concentrate his new Brigade.
The Battalion was very proud indeed to have built, held and defended Manchester Fort throughout the awful siege and I dare say some of it's members were a little sad to have to leave the town, but, the Queen enemies, now far to the north, had to be dealt with.

1900 - Diary of the siege of Mafeking by Edward Ross

Friday, 16 March

Only three Big Bens today, enemy quietened down a bit again after their hard work bombarding us the last three days. Not much damage done today, thank goodness.

It is said that the enemy’s 12-pounder and i -pounder Maxim have returned today from the north. I can hardly believe this, as it is known that the Boers intend trying to stop Plumer at Ramatlabama and are congregating their forces in what numbers the)7 can at that place for that purpose. It is said that they are about 600 strong. There is evidently something in the wind here, getting horses, etc., etc., ready, presumably to help Plumer from this side, when he does engage the enemy.

Natives report that he is now at Pitsani Pothlugo, about 27 miles out. The same place that Jameson started his famous ride from.

Abrams of the C.P.D.’s has been doing some very excellent work lately with his Baralong contingent. He is nominally in charge of 100 paid men (natives) who occupy some of the advanced trenches on our western front, but has really 400 men under him. It will be remembered it was his men who took the Boer fort the other night, and as I have since heard, killed 15 of the enemy. This has cleared a passage right through the enemy’s lines, and has broken the cordon on our western front. The native women now go out in this direction, gathering some of their remaining crops without fear. He (Abrams) has also done some very excellent "spying” and has been right inside the Boer lines and behind their fort two or three times. He applied to be allowed to open up communication with Plumer, but the staff refused saying at present it was too dangerous.

Very early this morning, before daylight, the Cape Boys at the brickfields started a dance to the tune of a broken concertina. This so aroused the curiosity of the Boers, who from the closeness of their extreme advanced trench could hear it, that one of them continually bobbed his head up over their sandbags to try and see what was going on. He did this just once too often, for as soon as it was daylight one of the boys, carefully waiting his opportunity, and as soon as daylight properly appeared, managed to get a snap at the moving head and put a bullet right between his eyes. One more Dutchman less to worry us.

There is a humorous as well as a tragically serious side to the siege; for instance, our fellows at the brickfields stick up bottles on the sandbags for the enemy to have pot shots at and then have a good laugh at them for missing.

Three native women went out from town and were seen to go right into the enemy’s big gun fort, but were chased out again by the Boers.