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1900 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

More shelling today. I have heard of no one hurt though.

Poor Major Duffton passed a dreadful night, but passed quietly away at half past ten this morning. The funeral was large and left here at 7.30 tonight. Mrs. Duffton was driven in Major Karri Davis' carriage. The General was there and Alick as his orderly (how these Colonials do hate that job). Mrs. Duffton has not returned here tonight. Dr. Davis has taken her to Mr. Lines' house to get away from the sad associations connected with this house.

Nurse Bradbury has not been well today. She had to go back to bed before breakfast this morning and has rested all day, so perhaps will be better tomorrow.

1900 - From the letters writer by Lt Col Park in Ladysmith

More news came in last night - a wire from Roberts to say he had crossed the Free State frontier with a large force and expected that, as a result, the pressure on Ladysmith would be considerably relieved in the next few days. I believe, geographically, there is very little to delay a force marching through the Free State, and no position of any strength at which it could be opposed, so that it should not take Bobs long to reach Bloemfontein. I expect they are playing up for a good theatrical coup by taking Bloemfontein and relieving Ladysmith simultaneously on the anniversary of Majuba Hill, which is 27th (or 28th) February. Anyway, Colonel Knox doesn’t think we shall be kept here beyond the next fortnight, and says a week is much more likely. Four Boer laagers at various points round here are reported to have disappeared yesterday, which looks as if they were getting uneasy, though they have still got most of their guns in the old positions round the town. There is only one which worries us at all, the big 6-in. gun on Bulwana Mountain. He generally does a little shooting daily, but happily doesn’t fire much at our corner now, and the last eight or ten shells he has dropped in our camp have done no harm beyond killing one horse. He is nearly four miles off in a straight line, and the only guns in the garrison which can reach him are the two naval 4.7 in. guns, and they are so short of ammunition they are not allowed to fire except in case of serious attack, so “Long Tom” has it all his own way.

Kane came back from the hospital camp two days ago, recovered from his wound and from the dysentery which followed it, and he is now very well again. It is a great relief to me to get them safe back, and Kane is such a particularly nice boy.

I am afraid it will be a long while before Gunning is right again. They say that the left lung is adhering to the muscles of the back and has contracted in some way, so that it has displaced his heart nearly three inches, which must upset all the breathing and blood arrangements, and there is only one sound lung to do all the work into the bargain. I don’t expect we shall see him in India again for a year or more.

Byrne has had a slight relapse, but the rest are getting on well, though we shall not get any more back here for duty. I think I have touched my lowest siege weight (9st.21b.), as I am beginning to go up again, and have put on a pound in the last week. If I am not ill, I ought to keep that up.

Here are a few prices paid at the market yesterday: A pot of jam, 32s.6d.; tin of ox tongue, 26s.; twelve eggs, 48s.; 2 oz. of tobacco, 22s.; one vegetable marrow, 28s.; fifty cigars, 10 pounds, 10s. There seem to be some people here with lots of money, who don’t care how much they pay for little luxuries. I find that, now I am getting used to it, the reduced ration is really quite enough to keep one going and in fair health, provided one is not doing hard work. We luckily have a good store of extra tea in the mess and some extra biscuits, so that we have tea of sorts three times a day, and an extra biscuit each, daily. The horse beef is not bad, and is decidedly richer and more nourishing than some of the wretched old cattle we ate earlier.

When ever I think of the siege, I never consider the possibility of looting and so forth, very sad indeed, but, I suppose there would have been a few people that would have taken advantage of the situation.

djb wrote: From the diary of William Watson, Ladysmith, February 1900:

Rebel gun firing toward Colenso, presumably on Buller’s troops, their maxims are also busy. — A dispatch from lord Roberts published, he says, he has invaded the Free State with a large army, and hoped soon to relieve the pressure on Ladysmith. — Noon, a few shells coming in from Bulwan. The powers, call for contributions of eggs, for the hospital. It’s likely. There’s hardly a hen roost that has not been cleared out by our warriors, and now they expect to find eggs. — The English prisoners at Pretoria, are said to have been badly treated as regards food. I don’t think much of this. They can not have been as badly treated as we have been. Soldiers and sailors, are notorious grumblers. A few shells as usual, at sun set. — Mrs Nicholson’s house was robbed yesterday. Some money, and ancient jewellery, and valuable papers were stolen. The last, were found on the river’s bank. We have a nice lot of scoundrels in the town.

14 Feb. 1900: Rensburg Siding
Strong Boer attacks forced Maj-Gen R A P Clements to abandon his positions around Colesberg and retire to Rensburg on 13 February. However, that area was not well suited for defence and on 14 February he withdrew further south to Arundel. In the process ‘D’ and ‘G’ Companies were not informed of a changed time of the withdrawal and the two Companies, under Major F. R. MacMullen, set off at daybreak, as originally instructed, and soon came under heavy fire. After a brisk skirmish they surrendered, losing 14 killed, including Major MacMullen, 45 wounded and altogether 130 officers and men made prisoners - luckily to be released on the fall of Bloemfontein a few weeks later.
The following extract, taken from a special correspondent’s report in the Cape Times, contains his views on the action and of subsequent events:
“The Wilts, as will be remembered, were retreating to Arundel, and in the hurry 150 men, under Major Stock [sic!], were left behind. These men, marching from near Rensburg siding in the direction of Arundel, came in contact with the Boers; in fact, mistook the Boer camp for the British camp.
For more than two hours these gallant men fought against overwhelming odds, and not until their ammunition was exhausted did they surrender. The Boers themselves admitted that the Wilts had beaten a manly retreat and had shown splendid fight. The Wiltshire prisoners, I regret to state, were badly treated by the Boer authorities.
They were marched from beyond Rensburg in the broiling sun to town. Pausing through Church Street, several of the men dropped down from fatigue and had a drink of water from the furrow passing down the main street. In the Town Hall, where they were confined prior to being marched on to Bloemfontein, two huge buckets of mealie-pap had been placed for their supper, and no cup was provided wherewith the contents could be bailed out. Suffice it to say, the buckets and contents were abandoned for the more palatable niceties sent them by some Colesberg ladies. In connection with this supper I must there make special mention of the kindness of Mrs. Porter, of this town, who not only on that occasion but on frequent occasions subsequently, contributed most liberally to the wants of the soldiers. From the Court House, where we were imprisoned, we could just catch a glimpse of the Wiltshire men, about 100, more or less, who had the run of the back yard of the Town Hall.
The following morning the Wilts were marched on to the Free State, via Norval's Pont. The day was rather more pleasant than the previous one, it threatening rain all day. Before leaving the Town Hall the Wilts were presented with a copy of the Good Book by the Rev G. Scholtz, Dutch Reformed parson. Crowds of ladies and gentlemen lined Church Street, in order to catch a last glimpse of the Wiltshires. The men all seemed in excellent spirits, owing probably not so much to the scanty food provided by the authorities as to the abundance of spiritual comfort they had received for the journey.”

• QSA, 4 bars CC, OFS, Tvl, SA’01: 2366 Pte. W. Nugent, 2nd Wilts: Regt.
Pte Nugent was one of the men taken PoW at Rensburg and afterwards marched on to Bloemfontein via Colesberg and Norval’s Pont . According to the QSA roll he took his discharge in South Africa.

• ABO: Burger P. J. S. Venter
Petrus Venter served in the Ladybrand Cdo and was one of two Burghers killed in the skirmish at Rensburg (4 Boers were wounded).
His daughter, Mrs Halliwell, who was 4 years old when her father was killed, applied for his medal in 1937. In a covering letter she stated that she was the only surviving member of the family.
Father: killed at Rensburg,14 Feb 1900. He was re-interred at Colesberg some years later.
Mother: died 18 March 1900, but name of Concentration Camp not specified.
Younger sister: died later in 1900.
Brother : who must have been with the young Miss Venter and also survived the Concentration Camp, died in 1935

Henk

A great combination Henk. You are to be heartily thanked and congratulated for keeping their memories alive and for having medals to opposing forces for every battle you are then able to share with us.

Regards

Rory

Another fantastic pair of medals, Henk! I agree with Rory. You have done a great service to everyone with an interest in the Boer War, especially what to me has always been the neglected Boer side.
Regards
Brett

PS Colesberg is a town that has seldom come to my mind, but reading about it this morning was an extraordinary coincidence, because I spent part of yesterday being informed about a little of the town's earlier military history. Thanks to Rory, my interest in events around the award of the SA 1853 Medal have been rekindled. Yesterday, while writing up my current project, the occupation of Colesberg in 1845 by the Light Company of the 45th Regiment received attention. Their role was to keep the peace on either side of the nearby Orange River, which they did successfully. They moved away only because in 1846 the War of the Axe broke out, but that is another story also not relevant to this forum.