TOPIC:

1899 - Kimberley siege day 66 (53%). Ladysmith siege day 48 (40%). Mafeking siege day 68 (31%). Further Australian contingents offered.
1900 - Hertzog occupies Philipstown.
1901 - Britz ambushes 14th M.I. at Holland, south of Ermelo. Colonel Park repulses attack by Muller at Elandspruit, near Dullstroom.
1903 - Lord Milner arrives in Johannesburg from England.

In Kimberley:

I met the members of the Supply Committee this morning and tried to impress on them most strongly the necessity of keeping absolute control of all supplies and making such attritional rules and regulations as may be necessary to ensure that individuals do not purchase at more than one place, and are thus prevented from laying in stores of foodstuffs. I shall take every means to so regulate the breadstuff and meat as to last the longest time possible.

As bad luck would have it, we just missed getting in 68 oxen to-day. The natives had almost got them in when a Boer picquet caught them, and drove them back. I am trying every kind of dodge to get cattle driven in, but the enemy appear to be much more careful than formerly in guarding them at night.

Mr Rhodes is doing much to help those who are usually in good circumstances, but owing to the siege, and only getting town guard pay have now great difficulty in living. Nothing can excel Mr Rhodes’ kindness to these, and in fact to all in the town requiring relief.

I sent message by search light signal this evening:

“December 19th No 24. In reply to your 36 of 16th December your message 11th December asked what ammunition and armament I had in Kimberley. My number 23 of 12th December gave this information. Our armament consists of six mountain guns of 2 ½ inch calibre; six field guns of 2 ½ inch calibre. Two police seven pounder guns 3 inch caliber. In view of uncertain situation and in order to make up to 500 rounds per gun ammunition required as follows: For 2½ inch calibre 700 ring shell, 2000 shrapnel. 2700 cartridges, 700 percussion fuses. 2000 time and percussion fuses, 3500 friction tubes. For 3 inch caliber police guns 250 common shell, 500 shrapnel, 750 cartridges, 250 percussion fuses 500 wooden time fuses 15 second 1000 friction tubes.”

I received the following:

“Dec 19th No H 103. Hard to gain information. Stop. Try to ascertain if enemy send away any of his force. Stop. He covers a long line. Stop. If he contains me with small force may give me a chance of striking.”

In Ladysmith:

Another black day. Details of Buller's defeat at Colenso began to leak out and discouraged us all. It would be much better if the truth about any disaster, no matter how serious, were officially published. Now every one is uncertain and apprehensive. We waste hours in questions and speculations. To-day there was something like despair throughout the camp. The Boers are putting up new guns on Gun Hill in place of those we destroyed. Through a telescope at the Heliograph Station I watched the men working hard at the sangar. Two on the face of the hill were evidently making a wire entanglement. On Pepworth Hill the sappers think they are putting up one of the 8.7 in. guns, four of which the Boers are known to have ordered, though it is not certain whether they received them. They throw a 287lb. shell. We are all beginning to feel the pinch of hunger. Bit by bit every little luxury we had stored up has disappeared. Nothing to eat or drink is now left in any of the shops; only a little twist tobacco.

What is even worse, the naval guns have too little ammunition to answer the enemy's fire; so that the Boers can shell us at ease and draw in nearer when they like. The sickness increases terribly. Major Donegan sent out thirty-six cases of enteric to Intombi Camp from the divisional troops' hospital alone. Probably over fifty went in all. Everything now depends on Buller's winning a great victory. It seems incredible that two British armies should be within twenty miles of each other and powerless to move.

I cannot induce a Kaffir runner to start now. Even the Intelligence Officer cannot do it. The heliograph has failed me, too. Sunday's message has not gone, and this afternoon was clouded with storms and rain. The temperature fell 30°. Yesterday it was 102°; the day before 106° in the shade.

In Mafeking:

As I anticipated. The Boers' reveille was sounded for them at 4.30 a.m. by our seven-pounders, which made excellent practice on the brickfield trench. Their big gun repeated its performance of Saturday harmlessly. "We shifted them from their trenches and turned Maxims on them, while the Nordenfeldt at long range volleys pestered their big gun. Their one-pound Maxim fire was wild, but they slew an inoffensive jackass. This lasted until about 6, and was very pretty. At about 7 Creaky began to fire at Cannon Kopje, but without effect; she shot straighter in the morning; and at about 9 our seven-pounders began again, but the enemy would not be drawn, and now only occasional dropping shots come idly from both sides. On the western front our seven-pounder silenced the five-pounder at Came Tree fort. On the eastern front the race-course trench much annoyed the gun under Major Panzera, with volleys, till kept under by the convent Maxim and our one-pound Maxim. These two artillery fights cannot much impress the Boers with the extraordinary value of the much belauded ten-tonner, and must destroy her moral effect, for whichever of our guns she fires at immediately returns her fire. However, she has annoyed us quite enough and done sufficient damage to life and property, but if we had only had a gun which could have reached her properly, we should have knocked her out long ago. A duel between our Norden-feldt and Creaky began this afternoon, and has since been of daily occurrence, amidst the laughter and applause of the spectators. No sooner has the big shell struck, than crack, crack, comes from the Nordenfeldt. Indeed, of late the little gun fires when the smoke from Creaky's muzzle appears, and gets off its three shots before the arrival of the shell, which the gunners of the monster do not seem to appreciate at all. It is a regular case of dignity and impudence with the laugh on the side of impudence. In the evening Captain Sandford silenced the Boer gun on the western front.

From the diary of William Watson, Ladysmith, November 1899:

Another shell has lighted in Line’s garden, near the church. —It will soon be Christmas, but there will be little Christmas cheer this year. Scrubbing brushes, castor oil, bath bricks, anti friction grease, and putty are all that remain in the shops, and I don’t think they would make a delectable pudding. Butter, milk, tinned provisions, coffee, tea, cocoa, are all luxuries of long syne. We still manage to get sugar and a small quantity of mealie meal (ground maize). — Fighting all yesterday, near Colenso. — Colenso itself is of little importance. The real strong position, is at this side of Tugela. Kliphooghte, to wit.

1899 - From the letters writer by Lt Col Park in Ladysmith

19th December - Incredible as it seems, the real reason why the siege is prolonged has now leaked out, viz. - that Buller’s force was repulsed in their attack on the Boers’ position at Colenso last week, and we hear that he lost twenty-one officers and six hundred men and ten guns, and consequently has to wait for reinforcements. Now we understand, and it isn’t very encouraging to us, buried up here, to be told that the great British force, which was going to sweep the Boers back, can’t move them out of their first position or join hands with us, though less than twenty miles away. Today a rumour comes that another division arrived at Durban two days ago. I hope it is true and that it may be a force from India, as is most probable. As a result of the altered state of affairs our movable column was broken up yesterday and we got orders to change camps with the Liverpool Regiment to a place three-quarters of a mile nearer town, where we were to form part of the general reserve under the direct orders of the General. We moved last night at dusk and were all settled in by 11 p.m. There was a fine dust storm blowing all the evening, which didn’t help matters; but it kept fine till mid-day today, when three thunderstorms came up all at once and it poured for nearly an hour. It has just cleared and is nice and cool. This camp ground is very dirty and smelly and half-a-mile from the river, but in other ways it is better than the other. It is nearer the town; the regiment is all together instead of scattered, and the ground is level and smooth instead of steep and rocky, so that it is easier to pitch tents.

The Liverpool had only a half battalion here so that we have to build a lot more walls and shelters before all the men will be covered from possible shell fire, and the mess shelter won’t hold half of us, but in two days we shall have made that all right. The General picked us out, and the 2nd Rifle Brigade and the Gordons to form the reserve infantry. It was a great compliment to us, and I know we are very highly thought of. I was told this morning that I could send a short letter by the General’s runner today to try and get through, so I sat down at once and wrote a hurried little scrawl to you, numbered No. X, which may or may not get to you. (It didn’t). I couldn’t say much in it as I was not allowed to say a word about troops or movements for fear of its getting into the Boer’s hands, and I only had a few minutes for writing, so it will be very dull; but you will know I am all right, which is something. If it never turns up it doesn’t matter, and there is nothing whatever in it of any consequence, or that I have not told you in this or No.VIII. Oh, My! I think I shall just go off my head with joy and relief when at last I do hear from you. I hope there will be a very late letter just come, or better still, a wire. I shall want to know that you are all right up to the latest possible date. You will have a most hateful Christmas without a soul of your own to be with you. I do hope people will be very nice and help you to be jolly and keep you going well. I know how horribly you hate being so much alone. There is a small monkey running wild about this camp, likewise two kittens, and they are the curse of my life at present, as they will invade my tent and make hay at all hours. I found both kittens in possession of my bed when I came to turn in about midnight last night, and had much trouble to get rid of them; and this morning the monkey sneaked in while I was out and chawed two holes in my Euxesis shaving-tube, so that it leaks badly and is useless, and then, having smeared the soap well about my bed, he bolted with my tooth-brush and flew up the hill with it, pursued by my servant with oaths and stones. He dropped the brush, but it is bitten and all dirty. He has been into and on the top of the tent several times since, but is so quick no one can catch him. I was lying on my bed about 11a.m. and saw his feet scrambling up between the flie6 of the tent, and managed to hit them a real good smack with a stick from the inside and he hasn’t been since, so I hope I have given the little brute a lesson. I’ll wring his neck if I can catch him. Must stop now. There is more rain coming, I think, and it is quite chilly after the heat of the last three days.

1899 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

Shelling as usual today. No one killed that we have heard of. Enteric fever very bad. Every day 10 to 15 patients taken out to Indombi. Poor Glen Jameson was taken ill with it and sent to us on Sunday to ask for the bed we promised him some time ago. Unfortunately it was occupied by Nurse Yateman but we put two beds into the drawing room and put Nurse into Mr. Crompton's room and then wrote to him, but he had already been moved, and Dr. Buntine said he thought he had better go to Indombi. We would have liked to have the poor boy.

It is dreadful to hear the way people are beginning to talk of the siege and what we will come to if we are not relieved soon, Mr. Fanshawe was here this afternoon. He says they have a quarter of a lb. of tea amongst 12 of them and they are allowed a quarter of a pint of milk a day.

Another shell put into the Town Hall today, which makes the fourth. This one has taken part of the tower down.

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

Horse guard 2 to 4. Retired to Thorns taking pack-horse to camp for fodder. Heavy shower during afternoon. Returned to camp 7 o’clock. News received that Buller had outflanked the enemy. Also that 10,000 additional troops had arrived.

I am generally unsympathetic to Colonel Park, but I do sympathise with his predicament regarding the marauding monkey. These animals continue to be a nuisance in some urban areas. A local variety of bunny-hugger regard them as endearing and entertaining, especially the babies clinging to their mothers and their free-ranging slightly older siblings, which are regarded as "sweet" by the monkey-huggers. They are in fact home-invading nuisances and they decimate the wild bird population by destroying nests and eating both eggs and chicks. There are still eagles in our area that take some revenge, but the leopards and their kin are long gone, so the monkeys reign supreme.

Brett