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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

Ultimately, the War Office must shoulder the blame, they did not consider even the mere possibility of the action the enemy chose to take from inception, that pre emptive course, was a risk that would not have made any sense whatsoever, notwithstanding, it's possibility should have been noted in 1898.

Brett Hendey wrote: 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

The Boer War coming as it did at the end of the 19th Century coincided with major changes in the stark social differences between the officer class and the other ranks of Victoria's army. I recently acquired a book(see below) that has a well-referenced section describing the differences between the "Officers and Gentlemen" and the "Other Ranks" during the 19th Century. The officers led an ivory tower existence and "relied on the noncommissioned officers for a great deal of the leadership and management of the troops". Also while "junior officers cavorted, senior officers spent their time .... intriguing and calculating their chances of promotion."

Colonel Park was a product of his time. In his letters to his wife, he reveals how much his life in India and his prospects for promotion meant to him. He shows concern for the health of his officers, but there is little or no mention of the other ranks.

The situation in Colonial regiments was very different. For example, the officers and men of Natal's volunteer regiments were often friends and neighbours. Those in the regional squadrons of the Natal Carbineers and Border Mounted Rifles included a large number of farmers, so, while some may have been higher born than others, there was nothing to match the class differences evident in the Imperial army. The contempt that Colonel Park clearly felt for Colonial soldiers was based on no more than prejudice.

Brett

The book I referred to is:
Last Outpost and the Zulu Frontiers. Fort Napier and the British Imperial Garrison. by Graham Dominy.
University of Illinois Press, 2016.

1900 - From the diary of Major George Tatham, Natal Carbineers
 
Long Tom's usual shots mostly towards Caesar's Camp. Buller's guns going all day, some of his shells bursting on Pieter's Hill. Native boys came in with a small parcel of medical comforts. Naval guns fired a few shots during the night and early in the morning.