TOPIC:

1899 - Kimberley siege day 75 (60%). Ladysmith siege day 57 (47%). Mafeking siege day 77 (35%).
1901 - RHA and RFA organized into a Mounted Infantry corps.
2011 - Birth of my great nephew, Frankie Christopher Fields

In Kimberley:

About 1 am this morning artillery and maxim firing was heard from the direction of Scholtz’s Nek. It lasted about 10 minutes. Artillery firing was heard at intervals during the day in the same direction.

A number of natives are being sent out nightly from De Beers compounds. I much hope that a portion of them may be able to get through; any who are caught by the enemy will doubtless be driven back into the town.

Some 10 refugees have arrived from Vryburg. I much hope the enemy does not intend to send them all in here.

It is understood the Vryburg refugees now at Barkly West on their way to hope Town amount to about five hundred.

The following messages were sent by search light signal this evening:

“From Int K B To Int M D Dec 28th No 52. Native arriving here this morning with papers for which many thanks. Reports he saw very large camp in hills on farm Koodoos Berg 20 miles West Modder River Bridge on dec 25th. It did not exist on 19th.

Also reports that on 24th Dec saw enemy moving one of his camps from Spyfontein to position North of homestead farm Lanberg 3 miles west of Railway and about 8 miles West of Railway and about 8 miles North of Modder River.”

“From Kekewich, To Genl Metheun. Dec 28th No 53. Three messages Kekwich and Micro to Focus Retablo to Alliance and Bank of Africa to General Man B of A, which are partly in code refer solely to financial arrangements necessary for payment of troops. here very important that they be transmitted to Cape Town at earliest opportunity. Kindly sanction replies being signaled by flash.”

Messages were received during the night. One about 2 natives arrived at M R. One in code which I could not not decypher I have therefore asked to explain if it is the first or second cipher arranged. One asking if Capt O’Meara has any evidence against DUCOCK of Belmont now in custody.

I sent another message this evening asking who the K L H will be paid by and if by colonial government if instructions to that effect could be sent to the Civil Commissioner by flashlight.

The mounted troops moved from their camp near De Beers Work shops to a new camp at Belgravia to-day.

The Standard Bank ha s some difficulty in arranging for money with which to pay the town Guard; the money can probably be obtained from other banks here, and the 3 banks sent messages to Cape Town this evening on the subject.

I have had to take a number of officers and men from the Town Guard for very important duties in connection with the care and distribution of supplies, the better control of the native locations outside the barriers.

In Ladysmith:

The night was wet and pitchy dark. Only by the help of the lightning I had stumbled and plunged home to bed, when at about eleven a perfect storm of rifle-fire suddenly swept along the ridges at our end of the town. Rushing out I saw the edges of the hills twinkle with lines of flashes right away to Gun Hill and Bulwan. Alarmed at the darkness, and hearing strange sounds in the rain the Boers had taken a scare and were blazing away at vacancy, in terror of another night attack. The uproar lasted about five minutes. Then all was quiet until, as dawn was breaking, "Lady Anne" and "Bloody Mary" shook me off my camp bed with the crash of seven reports in quick succession just over my roof. For some days it had been an idea of Captain Lambton's to catch the Boer gunners on Bulwan just as they were going up to their big gun, or were occupied with early breakfast. Five of our shells burst on the face of the hill where many Boers spend the night, probably to protect the gun. The two last fell on the top, close to the gun itself. The latter did not fire at all to-day, and I saw the Boers standing about it in groups evidently excited and disturbed.

The bombardment continued much as usual in other parts, and I spent the afternoon with the 69th Battery on Leicester Post, watching Major Wing reply to the new howitzer on Surprise Hill. Rain fell heavily at times, and the Boers never like firing in the wet.

The day was chiefly marked by Colonel Stoneman's visit to Intombi Camp to inquire into the reported scandals. He thinks that the worst of the corruption and swindling is already over, being killed by the very scandal. But he found a general want of organisation in the distribution of food and other stores. There are now 2,557 inhabitants of the camp, of whom 1,015 are sick and wounded soldiers. Of late the numbers have been increasing by forty or fifty a day, allowing for those who return or die. The graves to-day number eighty-three, and a gang of forty Kaffirs is always digging. Outside the military, the majority of the refugees are Kaffirs and coolies, the white civilians only numbering 600 or 700. Colonel Stoneman had all, except the sick, paraded in groups, and assigned separate tasks to each—nursing for the whites, digging and sanitation for the Kaffirs, cooking and skilled labour for the coolies. One important condition he made—every one required to work is also required to take his day's wage. The medical authority has objected to certain improvements on the ground of expense, but, as Colonel Stoneman says, what will England care about a few thousands at such a crisis in her history? Or what would she say if we allowed her sick and wounded to die in discomfort for the want of a little money? By to-morrow all the sick will have beds and even sheets, food will be distributed on a better organised plan, and civilians will be raised from a two-months' slough of feeding, sleeping, grumbling, and general swinishness unredeemed even by shells.

At night the British flashlight from Colenso was throwing signals upon the cloudy sky, and it was amusing to watch the Boers trying to confuse the signals by flashing their two searchlights upon the same cloud. They have one light west of us near Bester's Station, and to-night they showed a very brilliant electric light on the top of Bulwan. When our signalling stopped, they turned it on the town, and very courteously lighted me home. It was like the clearest moonlight, the shadows long and black, but all else distinct in colourless brilliance. The top of Bulwan is four miles from our main street. To make up for yesterday the shells were particularly lively to-day. Before breakfast one fell on the railway behind our house, one into the verandah next door, and two into our little garden. Unhappily, the last killed one of our few remaining fowls—shivered it into air so that nothing but a little cloud of feathers was seen again. In the middle of the afternoon old "Puffing Billy" again opened fire with energy. I was at the tailor's on the main street, and the shells were falling just round his shop. "Thirty-eight, thirty-four," said the little Scot measuring. "There's the Dutch church gone. Forty-two, sixteen. There's the bank. Just hold the tape, mon, while I go and look. Oh, it's only the Town Hall!" Among other shells one came in painted with the Free State colours, and engraved "With the compliments of the season." It is the second thus adorned, but whereas the first had been empty, this was charged with plum-pudding. Can it be a Dutchman who has such a pleasant wit? The condition of the horses becomes daily more pitiful. Some fall in the street and cannot get up again for weakness. Most have given up speed. The 5th Lancers have orders never to move quicker than a walk. The horses are just kept alive by grass which Hindoos grub up by the roots. A small ration of ground mealies and bran is also issued. Heavy rain came on and fell all night, during which we heard two far-off explosions.

In Mafeking:

Desultory shelling, sniping, and occasional wild firing from the enemy by night. We hear cheering native rumours from the south. [Again]

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

December 28th - Today there is a change for the better. We have had no shells from the rebels. — A few days since, the officer’s mess was stuck, and one officer killed, and seven wounded.

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

Parade at 4. Stables, shifting tents etc. Few shells from small guns. Looked up Norton Smith who has taken up quarters with Mrs. Haden. Found him looking a perfect wreck. Had he remained at Intomba Camp I fear he would never have returned. He is very fortunate to get such good quarters, especially amongst such celebrities as several of the war correspondents are making this their head quarters. Warned for piquets on return, leaving about 7 on patrol with Forder 7.30 to 10.15, during which time 4 search lights were working about us, 3 belonging to the Boers and one to the Relief Column signalling, the former playing on the latter in order to confuse the reading of signals. I had no sooner come off my patrol and turned in when I was aroused by a vedette to look to my horse which was rolling with colic, keeping me up the whole night. During patrol we came across a dummy fort built by the military close to the river and near the Boer lines. Upon examining the trenches in rear of same, saw what I thought, a number of men (about 30) lying full stretch. After twice shouting and getting no answer, got closer and was about to draw my revolver when it suddenly dawned on me that they were wooden figures, as they proved to be. Was quite scared for the time, not knowing there was anything of the kind. Before leaving saw Col. Royston (Comdt. Volunteers) to ask him if he would get a message helioed through to Bruce which he was good enough to do. Hope it got through so that he could get a cable home to Rose, as well as advising them in Durban that I was alright.

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

I saw all the fellows in hospital yesterday evening, and they were then very cheery and all doing as well as possible. They were all sent out by train to the big neutral hospital camp early this morning, and I have heard nothing of them today. Poor Dalzel was buried at dusk in a deluge of rain, which went on till the middle of the night. We have again been ordered to strike all tents during the day, so I have moved bodily into a little tin hut, or rather a cubicle, in a long row of tin huts built for railway coolies but never occupied, so that they are new and clean. It is very hot and oven-like when the sun is out, but is rain-proof, and saves packing and re-pitching the tent every night. Had another message from 2nd battalion, saying that Davies and eighty men of this battalion were then waiting to join, and that Yule had gone home. I expect the eighty men are from Jullundur, and I certainly hope so, as they will be more seasoned men than a draft from home. We want them badly, as our sick list is creeping up now daily with this wearisome life, and want of fresh food and good water. We have now seventy-five sick, not counting the wounded, who make another thirty-seven, and still we are the fittest regiment here.

Most of the cases are dysentery of a mild form, with a little fever. There have been a few enteric cases, and Blunt has been sent to hospital with fever today, so that we are now short of eight officers - all subalterns. It was fine all the morning, and is now (5.30 p.m.) raining again and looking like another wet night. It is a horrid nuisance just now, as we have not got the mess shelter rigged up again yet, and have to have all our meals out in the open.

1899 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

My first day of Hospital work is over I am glad to say. I did not find it hard as I expected, although I was dreadfully tired when the day was over. From 7 in the morning till 8 at night is a long day. We have thirty-eight patients. Seven are leaving for Indombi in the morning, but they say the beds are quickly filled up. Mama's patient is weak but doing well. Our cook brought me home tonight, he is such a caution.

Morning David,
Just reading this, the one thing that really jumped out at me was the meeting with Royston, the request, which does sound rather informal, for the use of the heliograph, very convivial, yet the complete and utter disparity between the rank of the two men, one is left to wonder who Trooper Crosby actually was in peace time, certainly not something you would expect to see in the British Army.
Quite remarkable, but, generally speaking, so were the Natal Volunteers and Militia.
Regards Frank

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

Parade at 4. Stables, shifting tents etc. Few shells from small guns. Looked up Norton Smith who has taken up quarters with Mrs. Haden. Found him looking a perfect wreck. Had he remained at Intomba Camp I fear he would never have returned. He is very fortunate to get such good quarters, especially amongst such celebrities as several of the war correspondents are making this their head quarters. Warned for piquets on return, leaving about 7 on patrol with Forder 7.30 to 10.15, during which time 4 search lights were working about us, 3 belonging to the Boers and one to the Relief Column signalling, the former playing on the latter in order to confuse the reading of signals. I had no sooner come off my patrol and turned in when I was aroused by a vedette to look to my horse which was rolling with colic, keeping me up the whole night. During patrol we came across a dummy fort built by the military close to the river and near the Boer lines. Upon examining the trenches in rear of same, saw what I thought, a number of men (about 30) lying full stretch. After twice shouting and getting no answer, got closer and was about to draw my revolver when it suddenly dawned on me that they were wooden figures, as they proved to be. Was quite scared for the time, not knowing there was anything of the kind. Before leaving saw Col. Royston (Comdt. Volunteers) to ask him if he would get a message helioed through to Bruce which he was good enough to do. Hope it got through so that he could get a cable home to Rose, as well as advising them in Durban that I was alright.