TOPIC:

1899 - Kimberley siege day 53 (42%). Ladysmith siege day 35 (29%). Mafeking siege day 55 (25%).
1901 - Plumer engages Botha at Kalkoenskraal.

In Kimberley:

I sent the following to Lord Metheun by Signal searchlight this evening:

“Dec 6th No 11. reply to your Dec 5th covil population numbers to leave Kimberley whites 8000, natives 120000. To remain if present garrison 3500 men and 1400 horses comma, whites employed in town and mines 5000 comma, natives if mines are worked 16000, if mines are not worked 13000 additional natives must be removed from Kimberley. Natives should be taken such distance by rail from Kimberley that they cannot walk back. Natives cannot be sent to homes by road as they would be driven back into Kimberley by Boers and would become great danger in town. Best solution is to send as possible of coal and dynamite as Rhodes requires. Rhodes says working only two mines 500 tons coal would suffice – Native around here from MUD River states he was present at fight there as Cronje’s servant and says latter left Mafeking fortnight ago with 7000 Boers traveling by rail Klerksdorf to Jagersfontein thence by road via Jacobsdal to Camp 6 miles North Mud River station. With situation as now known to me increase in Kimberley garrison proposed by you will suffice. Have been able to arrange forage will last 50 days. Native reports camp at Olipants Dam 8 miles from here to be Free State Laager. Natives are in observation same. Presume you forward intelligence I send to all concerned.”

The following was I hear received by signal message (en clair) just before the last message was dispatched. It is very inconvenient having to send all signals from the Premier Mine, as I cannot go there, and must remain at my station the Conning Tower. Cyclists do the distance from the Premier Mine to the Conning Tower in about half an hour.

“From GOC to KEK 6th Dec E 19. your No 8 persons desiring to leave Kimberley will be granted free conveyance by rail. Yours of fifth december GOC is opposed to proposal of sending coal and dynamite to Kimberley but has referred to High Commissioner if request is refused by High Commissioner can you state number of civilians and natives to be removed and how natives should be disposed of.”

I answered:

“Kekewich to General Metheun. December 6th No 12 with reference yours of December 6th E 19 understood your message last night did not give option to inhabitants to remain here. Have arranged for exodus on voluntary as well as compulsory lines. Your messages read several parts of town recommend important parts be coded. Enemy have many sympathisers within our defences, information is conveyed them daily.”

Just before midnight following message was received. Unluckily I cannot read some of it.

“Dec 6th No E29, how many men by (Bottom?) a require to garrison Kimberley. Buller suggests half battalion now (Mutiny?) one and half battalion T

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in Kimberley with C R E one day leave with entire for South Orange River. You cannot anticipate any further relief force is in Bloemfontein.”
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In Ladysmith:

When the melodrama doesn't come off, an indignant Briton demands his money back. Our melodrama has not come off. We were quite ready to give it a favourable reception. The shops were shut, business abandoned. Many had taken secure places the night before, so as to be in plenty of time. Nearly all were seated expectant long before dawn. The rising sun was to ring the curtain up. It rose. The curtain never stirred. From whom shall we indignant Britons demand our money back?

With the first glimmer of light between the stars over Bulwan, those few who had stayed the night under roofs began creeping away to the holes in the river bank or the rough, scrubby ground at the foot of the hills south-west of the town, where the Manchesters guard the ridge. Then we all waited, silent with expectation. The clouds turned crimson. At five the sun marched up in silence. Not a gun was heard. "They will begin at six," we said. Not a sound. "They are having a good breakfast," we thought. Eight came, and we began to move about uneasily. Two miserable shells whizzed over my head, obviously aimed only at the balloon which was just coming down. "Call that a performance?" we grumbled. We left our seats. We went on to the stage of the town. What was the matter? Was "Long Tom" ill? Had the Basutos overrun the Free State? Had Buller really advanced? Lieutenant Hooper, of the 5th Lancers, had walked through from Maritzburg, passing the Royal Irish sentries at 2 a.m. He brought news of a division coming to our rescue. Was that the reason of the day's failure? So speculation chattered. The one thing certain was that the performance did not come off, and there was no one to give us our money back.

So we spent the day wandering round the outposts, washing ourselves and our rags in the yellow river, trying to get the horses to drink the water afterwards, contemplating the picturesque, and pretending to cook. Perhaps the greatest interest was the work upon a series of caves in the river-bank, behind the Intelligence Office. They are square-topped, with straight sides, cut clean into the hard, sandy cliff. The Light Horse have made them for themselves and their ammunition. On the opposite side the Archdeacon has hollowed out a noble, ecclesiastical burrow. On the hills the soldiers are still at work completing their shelter-trenches and walls. I think the Rifle Brigade on King's Post (the signal hill of a month ago) have built the finest series of defences, for they have made covered pits against shrapnel. But perhaps they are more exposed than all the others except the Devons, who lie along a low ridge beside the Helpmakaar road, open to shell from two points, and perhaps to rifle-fire also. The Irish Fusiliers, under Major Churchill, have a very ingenious series of walls and covers. The main Manchesters' defences are circular like forts; so are the Gordons' and the K.R.R.'s. All are provisioned for fourteen days.

I spent the afternoon searching for a runner, a Kaffir the colour of night, who would steal through the Boer lines in the dark with a telegram. In my search I lost two hours through the conscientiousness of the 5th Lancers, who arrested me and sent me from pillar to post, just as if I was seeking information at the War Office. At last they took me—the Colonel himself, three privates with rifles and a mounted orderly with a lance—took me to the General Staff, and there the absurdity ended. But seriously, what is the good of having the very highest and most authoritative passes possible—one from the War Office and one from the head of the Intelligence Department here—if any conscientious colonel can refuse to acknowledge them, and drag a correspondent about amid the derision of Kaffirs and coolies, and of Dutchmen who are known perfectly well to send every scrap of intelligence to their friends outside? I lost two hours; probably I lost my chance of getting a runner through. I had complied with the regulations in every possible respect. My pass was in my hand; and what was the good of it?

But after all we are in the midst of a tragedy. Let us not be too serious. Dishevelled women are peering out of their dens in the rocks and holes in the sand. They crawl into the evening light, shaking the dirt from their petticoats and the sand from their back hair. They rub the children's faces round with the tails of their gowns. They tempt scraps of flame to take the chill off the yellow water for the children's tea. After sundown a steady Scotch drizzle settles down upon us.

In Mafeking:

Shelling and sniping as usual. It is their custom now to begin in the evening about 4, keep it up till dark, and then fire Creaky once from about 8.30 to 9 o'clock. Mr. Gerrans, town councillor, was extracting the fuse of an exploded shell—result—he was blown down and severely injured. His foreman, Green, had his foot blown off, and a passer by, Smith, a Johannesburg refugee, returning to his trench, was so injured that he died in an hour. Everybody was much depressed by this; it seemed so sad that more damage should be caused among the whites by an accident than had hitherto been the result of six weeks' shelling by the enemy's heavy gun. However, since artillery has been invented mankind will tamper with loaded shells, in spite of all warnings, orders, or entreaties to the contrary.

1899 - From the diary of Trooper A J Crosby, Natal Carbineers

Saddled up at 3. Usual round with horses, stables, breakfast, arms inspection at 10 o’clock. Was told off with other men each to take 3 horses to graze. Returned at 3 to learn we had to go on picket (mounted) at 6. Told off to No.3. Beautiful night. Boer searchlight at work. Concert came off in town.

1899 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

More bombarding. A kaffir killed by the Gordon Camp this morning. Went for a lovely ride this afternoon to the top of Wagon Hill, where we dismounted and looked through a strong pair of field glasses at all the surrounding hills. Saw the Boer Camp on Pepworth farm, also the one fire from Umbulwana and strike in the Gordon Camp, down below us. There appears to be a tent wagon on the Umbulwana. I shouldn't think they will ever get it down again. After a good look round we remounted and rode where I have never ventured to go before, almost to the Boer lines, within easy range of their Mausers, and we saw some Boers about 2 miles away. Our real object in going so far was to see the Howitzers. We didn't think we would be allowed to see them but thought it worth the risk. At the foot of the very steep hill on which they are fixed we met some Lancer Officers. One told us he was going up to see them but they walked up, left their horses at the Camp at the bottom of the hill.

We rode up and were actually allowed to go quite close up and look. They are fortified all round by a stone wall and sand bags, as well as being roped round, and a card hanging up with "No Admittance". These guns are placed just below the top ridge of the hill and the gunners say they can't put their heads over the ridge but they are shot at, and that was plain to be seen by the grass. Horses and mules had eaten it close to within a few yards of the top. On the top it was waving and long. Just to think of the poor beasts down here starving, and horses on quarter rations, and hundreds of them being shot, those which are lame and too poor for use. How they would enjoy a good feed of green grass. Prom there we rode straight across a flat to the Red Hill. Coming down the hill we saw another shell fall into the Gordon Camp. We timed the second one and came to the conclusion that it would come just as we would be passing, still hoping all the time that it would come before.

We walked very slowly. Just as we got to the bridge it came and fell in the Camp, just on the other side. The men are always sent to their entrenchments directly the Camp is fired on. It was amusing to see them run out and commence digging the shell out. Fortunately it is soft soil there and the damage is nothing unless it actually hits you, then of course there would be nothing but pieces. If these shells hit a hard surface the damage is awful and there is no knowing where it will end as the splints carry so far and are all sizes.
Last night' we went to the concert and simply enjoyed it immensely. It began at half past seven. It was hardly dark then so we had time to take in the picturesqueness of it all. Imagine the big parade ground with tents and horses all round and trees looking dark and gloomy. In the background at one end a platform with an awning, the front of the platform nicely decorated with commandeered plants standing on bales of hay and forage, a piano at one corner, with a draping of art muslin {also commandeered). In front a row of seats composed of planks from sand bag to sand bag, all roped in, behind which stood a sea of faces, Volunteers mostly. There were about thirty women there. Men from the Naval Brigade (H.M.S. Powerful) contributed largely to the enjoyment of the evening, with comic songs etc. I forgot to say the whole was lit up with three large engine lamps from the Station. The songs were many and varied by a recitation and a mouth organ solo, which was the item of the evening, by one of the H.M.S. Powerful gunners.

1899 - From the diary of Major George Tatham, Natal Carbineers

Shelling town continued. Young Miller had an accident in discharging a shell which exploded and damaged his eyes. Lt. Lang Simms got up a very nice concert programme of 25 items, very creditable,(open air). Sailors helped very much at this entertainment and were duly appreciated by all.