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1900 - Kimberley siege day 104 (83%). Ladysmith siege day 86 (72%). Mafeking siege day 106 (48%).

In Kimberley:

Enemy only fired a few shells early this morning from Kamfersdam and Wimbledon, and there were none fired into the town during the night.

At about 9 am fire was opened with both cordite guns on Otto’s Kopje from Otto’s Kopje.

At about 6 pm these guns again opened at Otto’s Kopje, upon which I fired a couple of shells from the De Beers 28 pounder at Kampersdam.

About 7 pm enemy fired 2 shells from Wimbledon ridge into Beaconsfield.

Enemy is improving his 2 works near Diebel’s Vlei, amd those at Alexandersfontein.

In the afternoon Col Peakman got out as far as the brickfields and was not fired at, he saw very few of the enemy.

During the afternoon 6 apparently very heavily ladened wagons escorted by 60 mounted men were observed moving from half way house Barkly Road onto Dronfield Ridge which they reached about 7 pm. This is the first movement of this kind in this direction that has been noticed for some time.

I received the following by helio this afternoon.

“From Methuen to Kekewich G 203. Jan 26th. There is little use of a censor in Kimberley if he passes such messages as that sent by Suard to Reuter dated 23rd. I shall refuse to waste time my signallers unless more care is taken.”

I sent the following messages during the day by helio, or by search light in the evening.

“From Kekewich, To General Methuen. Jan 26 10 am No 139. Enemy continued to shell town intermittently till after dark last evening. Shell were directed at Premier search light during signaling operations last night, otherwise there was cessation, bombardment. Enemy opened artillery fire on Beaconsfield day break to-day with one gun from Wimbledon ridge occasional shots only fired. Enemy’s gun at Kamfersdam and one cordite at Peddiefontein have also fired few shell. No further casualties, to report.”

“From Kekewich to Gen Methuen. Jan 26 6 pm No 140. No shelling here since 10 am to-day.”

“From Kekewich to General Methuen. Jan 26 No 141. Your G 223 understood. Here censorship established to exercise information injurious to interests army. Do you wish censors here exercise further control beyond this within limit numbers words allowed correspondents.”

The Soup Kitchen managed by Capt Tyson and Dr Stuart is a great success; about 8000 pints of really good soup were issued to-day. Much credit is due to them for the energy they have displayed in arranging matters connected with it under many difficulties. Many of the inhabitants have been in receipt of high rate of wage, and have been accustomed to eat the best meat 3 times a day, and now seem to be particularly averse horse flesh. This is much to be regretted especially in the case of those employed in the defence works as it will doubtless have the effect of weakening them and they will not be able to withstand so well the continued strain of the siege.

The Soup Kitchen just now is a great help. I only hope it may be possible to keep it going on the same lines as at present; there will I fear be great difficulty later on in obtaining the necessary ingredients.

6 of enemy’s oxen were driven in this morning. A welcome addition. The enemy has been most careful lately in guarding cattle, and they now graze at a very long distance from the town, and it would be very dangerous attempting to drive any of the larger herds in.

In Ladysmith:

Full of hopes and fears, I rode early up to Observation Hill as usual, and saw at once that the Boer waggon-laagers, which I watched departing yesterday, had returned in the night. Perhaps there were not quite so many waggons, and the site had been shifted a few hundred yards. But still there they stood again. Their presence is not hopeful, but it does not imply disaster. They may have gone in haste, and been recalled at leisure. Buller may have demanded their return under the conditions of a possible armistice. They may even have found the passes blocked by our men. Anyhow, there they are, and their return is the only important news of the day.

No message or tidings came through. The day was cloudy, and ended in quiet rain. We saw a few shells fall on the plain at the foot of Taba Nyama, and what looked like a few on the summit. But nothing else could be made out, except that the Boer ambulances were very busy driving round.

Among ourselves the chief event was the feverish activity of the Telegraph Hill big gun. Undeterred by our howitzers, he continued nearly all morning throwing shells at every point within sight. By one supreme effort, tilting his nose high up into the air, he threw one sheer up to the Manchesters on Cæsar's Camp—a range of some 12,000 yards, the gunners say. Perhaps he was trying to make up for the silence of his Bulwan brother. It is rumoured that Pepworth Hill is to have a successor to the "Long Tom" of earlier and happier days. Six empty waggons with double spans of oxen were seen yesterday wending towards Bulwan.

Our hunger is increasing. Men and horses suffer horribly from weakness and disease. About fifteen horses die a day, and the survivors gasp and cough at every step, or fall helpless.

Biscuits are to be issued to-night instead of bread, because flour is running short. It is believed that not 500 men could be got together capable of marching five miles under arms, so prevalent are all diseases of the bowels. As to luxuries, even the cavalry are smoking the used tea-leaves out of the breakfast kettles. "They give you a kind of hot taste," they say.

In Mafeking:

Bradley's Hotel was partially wrecked by a shell. This is the most effective explosion we have so far had. A large piece from the shell went humming overhead beyond the B. S. A. P. fort, quite three-quarters of a mile from its bursting. There is generally time for a morning ride before the big gun commences shelling, but during the last three or four hundred yards into the town, if the bells have begun to ring, there is a certain amount of excitement in returning to the hotel, as it is to this portion of the town that the enemy generally confines his attentions about breakfast time. Later in the afternoon, Lady Sarah Wilson and Captain Wilson, who are both now convalescent, were seated with Major Goold Adams in a passage in the upper storey of the convent, when a shell burst about four feet over their heads, covering them with a -pile of bricks and rubbish, but fortunately they escaped with a few bruises. There were rumours of a contemplated attack early next morning, and the northern and western fronts accordingly stood to arms. More significance was given to the rumours in that the Dutch women in the women's laager unanimously sought the shelter of the bomb proofs at an early hour. It was not till the next day that the reason was patent.

From the diary of William Watson, Ladysmith, January 1900:

This is Friday, the day the siege is to be raised by Buller’s conquering legions. O yes, of course. If I were a young man, I might repair the devastation of my property, but trees like mine, can not be grown in a few weeks. Loyalty, like virtue, is its own reward, or at all events, it never gets any other, not even recognition or thanks. I thought I had escaped pretty well by sacrificing ten or a dozen large trees, as fuel for the army, but this morning, that commissariat man Purvis, is here again, and means to make a clean sweep of my timber. It is very hard on me, but the Queen’s troops must have fuel. Purvis tells me each person’s wood, will be weighed separately, the general will pay the value to the mayor, who will see to its distribution. No money payment can compensate me for the destruction of my place. I asked Captain Purvis by what authority he took my timber. He replied, on general White’s authority. I incline to couple the general with old Gladstone, and say, damn them both. All the wood in the town is being taken for fuel for the army, but as I have ten times as many trees as anyone else, and value them ten times more, it is hardest upon me. Besides stripping my place of all its bosky beauty, these people smash the fruit trees and destroy the fences. It will cost at least thirty pounds, to put up a new fence. They don’t pay for the damage they do, but offer a paltry price for the timber they have stolen. Its adding insult to injury. As I said two months since, we are not much better off than Newcastle or Dundee, the towns our troops abandoned to the rebels. God save us from our friends. If I had only known in 1864, that I was about to grow fire-wood for Tommy Atkins, I guess the land would have remained fallow till dooms day, as far as I was concerned. — It is said the rebel’s big guns have been removed from Bulwan. — Rebels fortifying their position near Bluebank.— Distant artillery fire, and machine guns. — Commissariat men destroying my place. Loyalty is no doubt a great virtue, but it does not pay.

1900 - From the diary of Trooper A J Crosby, Natal Carbineers

Longed for daylight. The place is swarming with mosquitos and as there is no netting, have to bear the stings in silence. They don’t bother during the day, but to compensate we have the wretched flies, which alone nearly worry us to madness. Cooler, though my temperature has gone up. Feel much disgusted to be knocked over just as we were expected to be relieved. Cold dismal night.

1900 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

No special news today. A few shells in the distance. It is very hard to bear, this kind of thing. The General gets heliographs and knows how things are going and yet he discloses nothing. We are walking in the dark. I think it only right that he should publish the news and cheer his men. Oh, Buller, Buller, when are you coming? When every hour makes a difference, strong men falling sick every day and nothing to give them. They are dying out at Indombi in hundreds. They are sent out in such numbers.

Nurses and Orderlies are knocking up and falling sick, and men are dying for want of attention and proper food. Oh, why is he so long? When he does get here his men will be as bad as ours I expect. It is so distressing to see so many weak looking men brought to this state from want and privation and sickness.

"Why is he so long?"
Why indeed, a most unfortunate mix of sheer incompetence and promotion well beyond his capability resulting in privations clearly being felt and expressed here as well as much worse for so many.

djb wrote: 1900 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

No special news today. A few shells in the distance. It is very hard to bear, this kind of thing. The General gets heliographs and knows how things are going and yet he discloses nothing. We are walking in the dark. I think it only right that he should publish the news and cheer his men. Oh, Buller, Buller, when are you coming? When every hour makes a difference, strong men falling sick every day and nothing to give them. They are dying out at Indombi in hundreds. They are sent out in such numbers.

Nurses and Orderlies are knocking up and falling sick, and men are dying for want of attention and proper food. Oh, why is he so long? When he does get here his men will be as bad as ours I expect. It is so distressing to see so many weak looking men brought to this state from want and privation and sickness.

Frank
It is hard to credit that the Buller of 1899-1900 had been the dashing and heroic horseman of 1879.
Regards
Brett