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Private C. Stones, 1st East Lancashire Regiment

….In a letter, dated 17th March, to his friend, Mr. Geo. Comberbirch, of 86, Dewhurst-street, Blackburn, Private C. Stones, of the H Company, 1st Batt. East Lanc. Regiment, says: - "We went from Capetown to Graspan, and we had it pretty hard. One night in bed, and every morning at 3 30 a.m. we are in the trenches. But we can't expect anything else. From Graspan we moved on to Kimberley, and stayed there a week. We next proceeded to Naauwpoort. We went in open trucks in the hot sun. We also had nineteen horses in the train. We were packed like herrings in a box. We got two tins of corned beef and a drop of coffee, but no bread or biscuits. Talk about tripping to Blackpool, it is not in it. But I don't care as long as I keep my health and strength up. There are about 80 of us here. We have been sent twice to join our regiment, but have been prevented from doing so, for we were wanted to guard our lines of communication. But, of course, we expect to meet them some time. I have not been in any engagements yet, but I expect to be before we (that is the British forces) reach Pretoria, and I don't think that will be very long, for the Boers are giving themselves up daily. Give my kind regards to all inquiring friends."


The Blackburn Times, Saturday 14th April 1900

Two possibles for C. Stones are Christopher Stones, whose birth was registered in Blackburn, second quarter of 1880, and Christopher Walmsley Stones, Blackburn, fourth quarter of 1874.

1414 Sapper W. Bland, 23rd Company Royal Engineers Killed in action at Ladysmith on 6th January 1900


….Sapper H. Bland, No. 1414, of the 23rd Company Royal Engineers, who was one of the besieged in Ladysmith, and who was killed in action on January 6th, on which date the Boers made a determined attack on the town, was 25 years of age, having served two years in the army. He has sent several letters to his mother and father, who reside in Darwen, and also to his wife, who resides in William Henry-street, Blackburn. His wife has also received a letter from the major commanding his division to the effect that her husband was killed in action and buried by his comrades. In the letter to his wife, written six days previous to his death, he says: - "We have had a fearful time of it here at Ladysmith up till now. Shot and shell are flying about the town every day and night. Poor Ladysmith is nearly in ruins now, but I don't think the siege will last much longer. The Boers are getting fed up with trying to get in here. If they had any fighting in them at all they would have got in here long ago. Their force is nearly forty thousand strong and we are only ten thousand; so that is four to one. The Boers haven't the pluck to come out into the open and fight like men, but they get in among the rocks. The other night 250 of us went out and blew up three of their big guns, and also captured one Maxim. They didn't know what to make of it when we rushed into their midst with fixed bayonets. They fired a few shots, and then they ran over the hill as though the devil was after them with 200 of us following them, while the other 50 blew up the guns. We killed about 150 Boers, while our loss only amounted to one killed and one wounded. We saw them next morning taking away the three guns, but they are now no good. They have got one big gun on a hill about five miles outside Ladysmith, and it fires 94lb. shells. If it does much damage we shall have to blow that up, too. It is just nine weeks to-morrow since we were shut off from the outside world. We are expecting the relief force here soon, and then won't the Boers get a lively time of it. I'll bet when the brave Lancers charged them at the battle of Elandslaagte they cried for mercy, and they got it with about two feet of cold steel. It was fearful to see them. But it is their own fault. I don't know when I shall see old England again. The black women out here will have nothing at all to do with the white women."
….In a letter to his mother and father at Darwen he says: - "The war has now commenced, and we are fighting for all we are worth. We had a terrible fight at Dundee yesterday. We captured some of the Boers' guns and put the rest out of action. We did this in less than fifteen minutes. We are going to defend the bridge we have put up out here. A shell has just burst about 30 yards from where we are having our food, but injured no one. Give my best respects to all inquiring friends."
….In a second letter to his mother very early in the campaign he says: - "You said we shall have something to do if we are fighting the Boers. But it won't be so hard this time as you think, for we have got some of the finest guns with us in the whole world. More troops are pouring in every day, and fresh guns, so it won't take us long to clear 'Old Kruger' out of the Transvaal. We have sent two batteries of artillery, the 18th Hussars, the Lancasters, and the Dublin Fusiliers up to Charles Town and No. 1 section of the Royal Engineers have also accompanied them. The other night it was rumoured the Boers had fired upon them whilst they were out scouting. We have our outpost duty both day and night all round Ladysmith, as the Generals are afraid of the Orange Free Staters giving us a prise. The other men have gone up to keep 'Old Kruger' quiet. The English mean business. Over 10 million rounds of ammunition came here not long ago. We are under orders to turn out at a moment's notice, so we have with our clothes on, and our rifles and bayonets lying by our side, and we also carry 20 rounds of ammunition about with us. Last Wednesday we marched 23 miles from 6 a.m. till 5 p.m., and then we had to sleep on the ground, and we had to tramp back next day. You see they are giving us something to go on with. I expect having a couple of medals."
….In a third letter from Ladysmith he says: - "I hope the siege doesn't last much longer, for we can't hold out. This place is nearly in ruins. I have heard that General Buller is at Colenso with a relief force. Colenso is about 16 miles from here. We have heard about General Methuen's great and splendid victory at Mooi River. General Buller was signalling the other night, and it is reported that he is only five or six miles from here. We shall not be fit for further service when we are relieved, for fever is raging and doing a great deal of harm. We are all done up, what with being short of food and fighting every day. I can tell you we look like old men. We have never had a shave, we are slutched up to the eyes with dirt, and our clothes are ragged. We have to sleep amongst the hills and rocks at night. We are gradually diminishing. We used to be 10,000 strong, but disease, fighting, famine, and fever have done for us. I don't think that we could now muster more than six thousand men. It was our company which blew up three of the Boer guns and captured a Maxim."


Blackburn Times, Saturday 14th April 1900

"slutched" - www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=slutch

2617 Private P. Byrne, 1st Border Regiment

....No. 2,617 Private P. Byrne, of the H Company 1st Border Regiment, was wounded at the battle of Spion Kop. He is 28 years of age, and has served eight years with the colours and three years with the reserve. He spent all his time with the colours in India and he holds a medal and bar for the Waziristan campaign, 1894-5. He also served in the Chitral campaign. He is a native of Blackburn, and formerly served at the Post Office as an electrician. His wife, who resides at 60, Hazel-street, Blackburn, has received numerous letters from him. In one dated February 1st, 1900, from the College Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, he says: - "I have not been at all well since I got wounded in the thigh at the battle of Spion Kop. I hope, however, to be out of this hospital on the 28th of February and to return to the front. I was not able to wash old Kruger's face with the soap sent out to me, but he washed my thigh with a bullet. We have just been ordered out to the front again to join our regiment." In a later letter he says: - "My condition has grown somewhat serious since I wrote you last. I have been under two operations, and I have been invalided home, and expect to arrive at Southampton on the 21st of April. I am being well looked after by the nurses on the American hospital ship, Maine."


There's no record of a birth registration for a P. Byrne/Byrnes in Blackburn around 1871/72.

Blackburn Times, Saturday 28th April 1900

5576 Private W. Ainsworth, 1st Border Regiment

...."I don't think there is anything new to tell you, only that we are now camped on the battlefield at Nicholson's Nek," writes Private W. Ainsworth (5,576) 1st Border Regiment, to his parents, who reside in Pringle-street. "You will remember," he proceeds, "that this place is where the Dublins fought their battle, but had to retire on Estcourt. We are expecting another big fight to come off shortly. The Boers are expecting us, and I don't think they will be deceived. They are entrenched on the Biggarsberg, a range of hills 15 miles from here, and they are plainly to be seen. While we were on outpost duty they turned the searchlight upon us, and we could see them just as well as they could see us. This is a nice place, but a fearful one for enteric fever. Tell our Jerry that Carter is ill with enteric fever. John Henry Haworth is all right. He generally comes over to our tent to see how I am getting on, and we talk about home. We always inquire for one another after a battle. You should just see us. We have got beards and we do look guys. I am sorry to tell you I have not received, , and have been unable to trace, the parcel you sent me. You could not have sent me anything better, but I am afraid I shall have to give it up as lost. I must tell you that we got a present from Lady White. I received a Tam o'Shanter, scarf, two packets of cigarettes, one ounce tobacco, and a woollen sweater. I don't think that was a bad parcel. Lady Buller gave us a Cardigan jacket and two pairs of pants. I see by the papers that the Volunteers got a very good send-off from Blackburn, and that Mr. Pickup had been a good sort. I hope the Volunteers will return safely after the war is over." Private Ainsworth picked up a Boer letter, written from Pretoria, in one of the trenches at Nicholson's Nek.


Blackburn Times, Saturday 28th April 1900

3148 Private Joseph Airey, 2nd King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment)


....No. 3,148, Private Joseph Airey, of the 2nd King's Own Royal Lancasters, whose portrait we reproduce above, was among the missing at Spion Kop - that notable battlefield on which so many Blackburn men fell. Private Airey is 28 years of age, having served 8 years in the army and three months in the reserve. He has served six years abroad in China and India. His parents, who reside at 16, Cranborne-street, Blackburn, have received numerous letters from him. In a letter to one of his Blackburn friends from near Pretoria, dated January 31st, he says: - "Just a few lines to let you know I am safe and sound. I am a prisoner of war and in the hands of the Boers. I am glad to say I am being well treated. I saw my brother James just before I was captured. I am seven miles from Pretoria."
Blackburn Times, Saturday 14th April 1900


3057 or 6305 Private Mark Calder, 2nd (Cameronians) Scottish Rifles

....Private Mark Calder, No. 3,057, of the 2nd Scottish Rifles, who was wounded at the engagement on Spion Kop and whose portrait we reproduce, is 20 years of age, and has served twelve months in the army and also in the Militia. He is a native of Blackburn. In a letter dated February 29th, 1900, to Mr. Cowell, of 50, Portland-street, Blackburn, he says: - "I am sorry to inform you that I have been wounded in three places in my leg. Two shots went right through, and to get the third one extracted I had to go under chloroform. I have been in bed a fortnight, and have not been allowed even to get up. I think I have a touch of fever. It is very nice to see the shells and bullets flying all over you. I think if the Boers would only come out and fight like men it would be far better for us."
Blackburn Times, Saturday 14th April 1900

. . ....Private T. Blevins, "A" Company 1st East Lancashire Regiment, at present at the front in South Africa, sends us the above sketch with the following letter— ....This is my first attempt at drawing, and I am advised by the men of my regiment to send a copy of our Zand River fight to you for publication, as there was no reporter present on the day of the fray. I can say without a doubt that ours was the only regiment really engaged with the enemy that day. It as a hard nut to crack, but the Boers expected to see us with clogs and to get a good punching. I don't like saying that I am "fed" up, but I am, and I hope it won't be long before this blooming war is over. Many a time I wished to be shot dead owing to our hardships, but as I have escaped so far I am now living in hopes of coming back to England once more."
The Blackburn Times, Saturday 23rd February 1901

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....Private H. Lancaster (No. 4,731) of D Company, 2nd Battalion Royal Lancaster Regiment, who was wounded at Spion Kop, is the son of Mr. Lancaster, of 29, Brunswick-street, Blackburn. He is only twenty-three years of age, having served in the army five years. This is the first campaign in which he has been engaged.
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....(4,702) Private William Marshall, of the C Company 2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers is amongst the missing at Spion Kop. He is 25 years of age, and had served five years with the regulars and also in the Preston and Bury Militias. He was an athlete, and was very prominent in the army football teams. He was in the Soudan Campaign, and has got two medals and a bar for the battle of Omdurman. We have been able to reproduce his photograph through the courtesy of his brother, who resides in 91, Fisher-street, Blackburn.
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....Among the missing at Spion Kop was (2,574) Lance-Corporal John Dixon Turner. He belongs to H Company 2nd Batt. King's Own Regiment. He has served seven years with the regulars and four years in the reserve. Before enlisting, he was a driller at Yates and Thorn's Foundry. In a letter to his wife, who resides in Fisher-street, Blackburn, dated January 4th, and from the camp at Estcourt, he says:—"We expect to move up country any day. We are only about sixteen miles from the main body of troops. We have halted here to let the remainder of the Lancashire Brigade catch us up. We had a holiday yesterday on account of the reported relief of Kimberley, but we don't know whether it is true or not. The Mounted Scouts of the Imperial Light Horse report that about 100 Boers were seen about three miles from here, but they keep very quiet."
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9841 Private William Almond, of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards
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....No. 9,841 Private Wm. Almond, of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, has sent several letters to his mother, who resides in Ivy-street, Blackburn. Private William Almond served three years in the regulars, and has been two years in the Reserve. In one letter he says:—"I am writing this letter to you under canvas in a heavy thunderstorm. It was scorching yesterday. We have just received orders for the front to take Kimberley. We are at Orange River now, about 500 miles from the Cape. We are expecting great fighting this week here, as we are to relieve Kimberley, and many of us may not see old England again, but we are fighting for you and your country as well as for our own lives. We are all very comfortable considering. Spiby, who comes here sometimes, has been very lucky. He has stopped at the Cape with the base, so he is all right."
....In a second letter he says:—"I have pulled through the battle of Belmont, Graspan, and Modder River, and we have to relieve Kimberley yet. War is awful. It is cruel. It is murder. Actually being shot down side by side! All the time you are under fire you do not know what second you will be shot down dead. By the time you receive this letter the war, I think, will be over."
....In a third letter, dated January 5th, 1900, he writes: "A terrible battle is yet to come. We were repulsed at Magersfontein, which is about 24 miles from Kimberley. It is hard fighting out here, for the Boers have a range of mountains and about four miles of trenches. We cannot see them in the hills and trenches until we get very close to them, and they open fire upon us. The last time we tried to rush their positions we lost over a thousand men, and that is a great loss. This war is worse than the Crimea. That young man, Corporal Clarke, who lives in Mosley-street, got severely wounded. It was reported he was dead at first, but it seems they got him out of the fire and I think he will not be fit for soldiering any more. You mentioned about us getting plenty of Christmas presents, but you must not believe all that you see in the papers. We got the best present from Rothschild, viz.:—One pound of tobacco, one pipe, and one pouch, only yesterday. We get dry bread for breakfast and tea, and if we get anything else it is generally a bit of jam. Things are twice as dear out here as in England. We buried three men from fever this week, and if enteric fever gets out it does more harm than bullets. We had retired in a trench of the Boers when we had driven them from it, and myself and one of my company were laid down out of the road of the Boer shells, when I said to my friend, 'Let us go over to the other side. We might get hit here, as they are coming from this way.' So we went on the other side of the trench, and we had only just got over. when a shell came and hit two of our fellows in the same place where we had just been. It severely wounded both of them and I believe one of them has died since."
The Blackburn Times, Saturday 24th February 1900
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5585 Private G. Smith, 1st Border Regiment
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....Mr. C. Jump, of Stansfeld-street, Blackburn, has received a letter from his nephew, No. 5,585 Private G. Smith, of the 1st Border Regiment, who was wounded in the engagement at Acton Homes. The letter is under date January 26th, 1900. He writes: "I am sorry to inform you that I was wounded in both thighs in the battle of Acton Homes on Saturday, the 20th of January. We started to attack the Boer positions and in the first quarter of an hour I was shot whilst lying down. The reason I got shot so soon was that the enemy hold a position which was the shape of a "V" and I got shot under cross fire. The battle started on Saturday, the 20th, and it is still on now, the 26th. I think it has been the biggest engagement in the campaign. There were about 500 wounded in our brigade and about 30 killed. When I was shot the next man bandaged me and then he left me alone and went back to the company. I could not get up to walk for I was too weak from the loss of blood. After lying on the field four hours I was taken to a hospital on a stretcher, and I am now in the hospital. I am not so bad, and the doctor says I will soon be all right again. You might let all my friends know so that they won't be disappointed. I can tell you that our men mean it this time. They have surrounded the Boers at Acton Homes, so the Boers will have to give in and when they do, I think it will be a walk over then. We have got round to Ladysmith but they are in no hurry to relieve it at present. One of our fellows, who got wounded two days after me, told me that our men had charged on the enemy twice with the bayonet and that we had got in the first lot of trenches, which were filled with dead bodies. After five days fighting the Boers wanted 24 hours to bury their dead. I hope you wll not forget to send me one of the old newspapers for I haven't seen any football news this season. We have had a few Christmas presents from the good people in England, such as tobacco and Christmas pudding which went down alright. I see there are 60,000 volunteers coming out from England to give us a helping hand."
The Blackburn Times, Saturday 24th February 1900