TOPIC:

1900 - Ladysmith siege day 114 (95%). Mafeking siege day 134 (61%). Boer reinforcements from Natal and Colesberg repulsed in attempt to relieve Cronje. Buller unsuccessfully attacks Inniskilling Hill.
1901 - Victorians capture de Wet's guns.
1902 - Action of Langverwacht. De Wet and Steyn escape.

In Mafeking:

They commenced shelling cattle and northern end of the town. As the inhabitants have not been shelled severely for ten days, they seem more concerned in running to see where the shell pitches, than in taking cover as they have been strictly warned to do. Steady rain has commenced, depressing the big gun and the Boers.

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

Last night, Major Evans, came to tell us, that Buller had again routed the rebels, and driven a crowd of them over a precipice. Also, that Lucas Meyer, a ringleader of the brigands, had started with 4 000 men, for Johannesburg, to defend it from lord Roberts. This is good news. — Buller’s guns are thundering in the distance. — Yesterday, I said the bread was rotten, arid rotten is the correct word, without an atom of exaggeration. The bread is made from a lot of crushed mealies, that was offered to the horses, and refused by them, two months since. This muck was then returned to stock, and now, it has been ground into meal, and given to us. Our filthy eating, and drinking such water as we have had for nearly four months, has doubtless planted the seeds of many diseases, in Our bodies, Which future years will develop. The ship’s biscuits, are very hard for old people, but they are generally good enough. Occasionally they are mouldy. — A few shells from Bulwan, and reply from our batteries. — Buller has given us notice, that he is about to shell Bulwan, and warns all folk living on its slopes, to clear. I don’t think there are any of our people, living there now. The rebels are going to get it hot from Buller on one side, and from our batteries on the other. — Today, we had ships’ biscuits, which are at all events clean and wholesome, though very hard.

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

Heavy cannonading from early morning. Afterwards Field Pieces could be heard. Full bread and biscuits rations are now issued to give, I suppose, the men sufficient stamina to be able to stand during the process of greeting Buller, but many are far too gone for that and require something more nourishing than sour mealie meal bread and hard biscuits. Excepting the Gordons, who fed better than others at first, none of the other regiments could put in 50 men in the field that could stand 4 hours work. The men of the line regiment present a truly awful spectacle - absolutely worn out both as regards body and clothes, the latter just hanging on patched and torn. It appears they only possessed one suit, originally khaki, now a dirty brown oil cloth, caused by dirt and sweat, shewing a distinctly lighter shade where belt and accoutrements had been worn. Poor fellows, what they must have suffered to be kept in such a filthy state! Very few have such a luxury as a shirt or a pair of socks left. For that matter, many of us are not much better off. If these men were allowed to land home in their present condition, what a row there would be. The B.P. would want to know who were responsible for such a state of things, and the men should certainly have been provided with a change in their bags, if only on an ordinary march, yet less a campaign. Good news still comes in from “Buller’s Column” but he doesn’t appear to be able to get through very easily. What a lesson this Campaign has been to the Military, in fact to everyone interested in Military tactics. Though in the Colony, we, or those who have come in contact with the Boers, never held them so cheaply, but we never certainly gave them credit for the great skill and daring shewn. To think my old friends Lucas Meyer and Louis Botha, both without military training, should outgeneral our best generals is hardly realizable, but the fact remains never the less. There certainly may have been a lot of luck and now the tide has turned in our favour we shall, I hope, soon take the conceit out of them, but even this won’t undo past blunders. Once the war is over many are the explanations that will have to be made, especially the shocking want of preparedness, evacuating positions taken after heavy loss of life, for example Spion Kop, and the persistence of the Military Officers leading men in close order for the mere sake of shewing foolhardy courage or for the keeping up old traditions. Had the men been allowed to move independently, as even we do (invariably leaving our officers in the rear), half of those slaughtered might still be alive. Posted several letters and siege papers to Rose. Durban folk and copy of diary to Nancie in two large blue envelopes.

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

News came last night from Buller that General Lukas Meyer and 4000 Transvaal Boers had gone off by train from Elandslaagte, and that the Free Staters had also moved off to the west, having heard of the relief of Kimberley and rout of Cronje’s army, so that there cannot now be many left for Buller to tackle.

General Hunter asked me to luncheon at the Head-quarter's mess yesterday, so I had a real treat for your birthday. I had some real good stew, a lot of sardines, and extra toast bikkies with butter, and cheese, and tea with milk in it. Oh my! what a stodge! as Allan would have said. I haven’t had such a square meal for months, Buller was firing very heavily all yesterday, and is firing again this morning. Hunter said that they believed the Boers were on absolutely their last position, so that I hope tonight we shall get more good news to say Buller has either captured or turned them out, and then I think the road to Ladysmith will really be open, as it won’t take long to turn the few Boers there are off the hills round here. It has turned rainy and dull again, so we may not get any news through. Jacson is sick, and Cowie has a go of fever, but the rest of us here are all right and I am keeping veiy fit. Gloster has enteric, but I hear he is doing well. Kane is very seedy still, and I don’t think he will get right till he can move, and get milk and better food and change of air. Now I must go to my frugal breakfast, consisting of a bit of tough meat of some sort, a biscuit, and a cup of tea.

1900 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

The same old thing. Rumours of our relief. Buller coming every day, but we go on hoping for the best.

It is most heartrending to see the sick and the half starved looking Tommies walking as if they did not know how to hold themselves up, with pinched and drawn faces, with clothes and shoes in as delapidated a condition as themselves. However, they are on full rations of bread now, which is something.

Long Tom sent a few shells into the top end of the town. Our Naval guns which have long been silent returned four shells. Vie have run out of ammunition.

I suppose a few have been kept in reserve for an emergency. They evidently think Buller will soon be here Dr. Currie came down to see us this afternoon. He looks very well considering his illness. Vie also had Mr. Fraser end Hr. Hooper of the 5th Lancers and Mr. Normand and Mr. Brooking of the I.L.H. Colonel Dartnell came this morning and he wrote his name on my Siege tea cloth, I have about 15 now. 1 am afraid there is not much improvement in Wilfrid yet, although he is in a cooler room, but tomorrow ought to be a change for the better I think. Tremendous firing in the distance all day long.

Although only a Trooper in a Colonial regiment, it is interesting that Crosby, a man of the world ( angloboerwar.com/forum/13-miscellany/266...ith-diaries-4-crosby ), was able to give an accurate assessment of the military situation so early in the war. The two sentences preceding the last one in his diary entry are particularly telling. What would Colonel Park and other senior Imperial officers have made of them had they been in a position to read them on that day?

Park's feasting at the Headquarter's mess stands in stark contrast to the diary entries of Crosby and Miss Crow on the sorry state of the lower ranks and civilians in Ladysmith on 23 February. As usual, Park's comments on the condition of Ladysmith's inhabitants are limited to his own state of health and those of some of his officers,

Brett