TOPIC:

1900 - Ladysmith siege day 111 (93%). Mafeking siege day 131 (60%). Fifth Division advances across the Tugela. Kitchener's Kopje captured.
1902 - Malan, Fouche and Myburg enter the midland district of Cape Colony.

In Mafeking:

21st. Gun did not fire more than two or three shots, but at night there was very heavy firing along the brickfield front, they shot some of the working party, and also headed some of the natives going towards Kanya. The Boers made a half-hearted sort of attempt to turn our men out of the advanced trench, but utterly failed. The question of feeding the natives has been solved by the establishment of a soup kitchen, the component parts of the stock may be varied, but the result is eminently nutritious.

Gun changed back near to old position east of town, they elevated and depressed her several times, but did not fire. As the bells rung, however, the moral effect was exactly the same, possibly also the physical. Sergeant-Major Looney, A. S. C., was reduced to the ranks and five years penal servitude awarded to him for selling Government stores. Private Miller, Protectorate Regiment, tampering with a loaded ninety -four-pound shell, was blown to pieces. This form of lunacy is apparently ineradicable. We anticipate an attack to-morrow, as it is the Orange Free State Independence Day. I wonder if the Free State still exists: the following letter apropos of this from the leader of the opposition in the Free State before the war is, I think, interesting:—

{Copy.)

Blomfontein, September 4th, 1899.

Charles Mettam, Esq., Box 23.
Krugersdorp.

Dear Mr. Mettam,

Your letter of the 30th inst. is to hand, and affords a by no means solitary instance of the one sided and high-handed treatment former Free State Burghers have to undergo at the hands of our so-called brethren in the South African Republic, yet in spite of all this the political union or alliance -was put through our Raad, and should hostilities break out, we shall have to be belligerants and be involved in all the horrors of war and have to lose our independence, and for what? As a just reward for the folly of allowing a spurious sentiment to override common sense. So it is, however—and under the circumstances, as you have lost your Free State burgher rights you could not claim protection here. The only way I see for you—as you hold to your birthright staters—is to bring your position to the notice of the British resident, and ask him to advise you how you are to act. With kindest regards to Mrs. Mettam and yourself.

Yours faithfully,

J. G. Fraser.

P.S.—I think a great many of our people are being educated by this crisis to the accuracy of the policy which I placed before them at the last election, and have since always advocated.

J. G. P.

Her Majesty's Agency,
Pretoria, September 11th, 1899.

Sir,

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter and enclosure (herewith returned) of the 7th instant, and regret that it is not in my power to discuss the matter to which you refer by letter. I should, however, recommend you, if you should be in Johannesburg, to see the British Vice-Consul there, who will no doubt give you such advice as may be possible under the circumstances.

I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
Conyngham Greene.

Mr. C. Mettam,
P. O. Box 23,
Krugersdorp. Certified true copy.

E. H. Cecil Maj,
C. S. O.

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

The starving horses of the Natal Mounted Rifles, quartered on my land, have eaten all the bark of my trees, so there is an end of my grove. — G. Pinckney’s eldest boy, aged fourteen, died of fever, a few days since; The defence of Ladysmith, is no doubt creditable to general White as a soldier. We townsfolk, and our starving volunteers however, will long remember it with feelings of horror, anger, and disgust. — Shells in plenty this morning.

1900 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

Shelling from Long Tom this morning and evening. Have not heard whether any damage was done. Still at home. Wilfrid has been very seedy today, poor fellow has had an attack of malaria on top of the other. It seems a most extraordinary thing that he should have the two at once. His temperature tonight is 103, the doctor has ordered him a stimulant and we only have rum. It is all we can get.

We hear today that people are buying up violet powder to make food for the sick. All the starch has been bought and used for that purpose. We are baking flour and using that. Mr. Normand says they have been giving 30/- and 25/- and £1 for small pumpkins. Mrs. Coventry's baby died today. Poor little thing. It was born in a cellar, the first week the town was shelled so it has had a short, sad, little existence. We hear tonight Buller has driven the Boers across the Tugela and the train runs to Colenso, that Lord Roberts has taken possession of Bloemfontein without any resistance. Two more Germans were taken prisoners today. They had crossed our lines. That is three in three days. There are many different opinions about these men. Some think they are spies and others deserters.

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

Feb. 21st Turned out at 7 o’clock. What a treat to have a room again where you can dress in comfort. Very dull morning. No firing up to now,9.30, with Buller’s column. Fred Tatham, who came in during the evening said they could hear artillery fire from Caesar’s Camp and expressed himself confident that Buller would not retreat from the positions gained and that our relief was only a question of few days. The Doctor gets frightfully despondent. I’m always hopefull. What’s the use of being otherwise? There’s surely more than enough to worry about without fretting over that.

I have just finished reading Forbes-Mitchell’s Reminiscenses of the Great Mutiny and in describing the Siege and Relief of Lucknow, he quotes the following lines by J.B.S. Boyle, and which I think are fairly applicable to the experience of many here:

No news from the outerworld!
Days, weeks and months have sped,
Pent up within our battlements We seem as living dead No news from the outerworld!
Have British soldiers quailed Before the rebel mutineers?
Has British valour foiled?

The final two lines of this particular entry are most unfortunate, whilst I feel sorry for Crosby, he would have done well to remember that without the British Army, there would have be absolutely no defence of the town whatsoever, the perimeter was, certainly for memory, at least, some fourteen miles or so, split into four sections and the Natal Militia and Volunteers only held a single section, they were so few in number.

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

Feb. 21st Turned out at 7 o’clock. What a treat to have a room again where you can dress in comfort. Very dull morning. No firing up to now,9.30, with Buller’s column. Fred Tatham, who came in during the evening said they could hear artillery fire from Caesar’s Camp and expressed himself confident that Buller would not retreat from the positions gained and that our relief was only a question of few days. The Doctor gets frightfully despondent. I’m always hopefull. What’s the use of being otherwise? There’s surely more than enough to worry about without fretting over that.

I have just finished reading Forbes-Mitchell’s Reminiscenses of the Great Mutiny and in describing the Siege and Relief of Lucknow, he quotes the following lines by J.B.S. Boyle, and which I think are fairly applicable to the experience of many here:

No news from the outerworld!
Days, weeks and months have sped,
Pent up within our battlements We seem as living dead No news from the outerworld!
Have British soldiers quailed Before the rebel mutineers?
Has British valour foiled?

One hundred and seventeen years later, I share similar views as Watson, the awful businessmen, the British Government and the War Office, all failed to take the enemy at their true value and did not anticipate, even the possibility, of the action they chose to take at it's inception.
With the result that more lives were lost than otherwise would have been, including, so many in the town.

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

The starving horses of the Natal Mounted Rifles, quartered on my land, have eaten all the bark of my trees, so there is an end of my grove. — G. Pinckney’s eldest boy, aged fourteen, died of fever, a few days since; The defence of Ladysmith, is no doubt creditable to general White as a soldier. We townsfolk, and our starving volunteers however, will long remember it with feelings of horror, anger, and disgust. — Shells in plenty this morning.