1900 - From the letters writer by Lt Col Park in Ladysmith
The first and immediate result of Buller’s vague message about “being with you soon”, is that our ration of bread and biscuit has been reduced again to one biscuit and 3 ozs. of mealie meal a day, which is far lower than we have been yet. The mealie meal is nasty, coarse stuff, which will either make a plateful of porridge or three small chuppatties. The men prefer the porridge, as they have no flour, and one must have a little to make the stuff stick together for chuppatties. We have a very little flour in the mess, so we make a chuppattie each for breakfast, two for luncheon, and the biscuit for dinner, and we still get the 12 ozs. of meat, the tea, and the two teaspoonful’s of sugar; so I think we shall carry on all right, though I do most devoutly hope and pray Buller will not be long, as the men will not hold out on this food, and if relief doesn’t come soon, there will be no biscuit at all, and the ration will be nothing but meat, and that of the toughest and coarsest description, and there will be a fruitful crop of diseases in consequence.
I hear seventy more Boer waggons were seen trekking north this morning, and Colonel Knox thinks that Cronje's surrender is certain to have a great and immediate effect here. Joubert is believed to be here, and Colonel Knox thinks it quite probable he will withdraw altogether, in order to get round to oppose Roberts’ crossing of the Vaal river. I hope he will, and at once too.
Later: - Riddell has just come up to say the very best of good news has come in from Buller, but that he is not allowed to say what it is, and with an order to call at once for numbers of volunteers, able and capable of marching out seven miles and fighting at the end of it. I have sent round and expect I shall get about one hundred men. If so, I suppose about five officers would be allowed to go with them. In any case, there will hardly be enough for me to be allowed to go, as I should have to command the largest bit of the regiment wherever it was; but it is splendid news, as it really looks as if it were the end, as we should never move out unless the Boers were on the run, and coming past within reach of us, and Buller were also within reach to reinforce and help us; so I hope that, at last, the long looked for day is coming when we shall be free. How I wish you could know now, so that you could pray hard for us. It would all help, and God knows how badly we want all the help we can get, as we are such very poor weak things ourselves. I know you are always praying for us; but this is something very special, and means the turning point of the whole war as far as we are concerned. God bless you, and bring us safe through the next few days. I am too busy to write now, but will tell you all about it when I know more myself.
Night. - WE ARE RELIEVED!!! Thank God, oh! thank God! I can’t realize it the least yet, but it is true. During the afternoon news came from Buller that he had completely defeated the Boers yesterday, and that they were in full retreat, and about the same time they were seen trying to dismount the big six-inch gun on Bulwana Mountain, and all our naval guns fell on them and sent them flying. About 6 p.m. an order came round that full rations and a tot of rum would be issued tonight, and half-an-hour afterwards a long column of mounted men were seen coming straight in across the plain, and they turned out to be two squadrons of Buller’s cavalry, so the road is open and we are FREE!!! There were just one hundred men passed fit to go with the Column if wanted, and I have selected five officers; but I don’t much think they will go at all now, and it doesn’t much matter now the siege is over. Four calendar months -120 days - one-third of a year. It doesn’t sound much, but when you have lived through it you know better. Just now there is a most appalling thunder-storm going on, with lightning every few seconds, close overhead, and the mo6t deafening crashes of thunder and a deluge of hail and rain, which is splashing in a good deal on the paper, but I don’t feel as if anything mattered now. We are free, and perhaps tomorrow, or at all events in a few days, I shall get your letters and know you are safe and well, and in a few days I hope to get a wire off to you and to be able to say when we shall be home. Oh!. I am so happy and so thankful! I do thank God for all His merciful, loving care of me through this time, and I pray Him to bless and keep you safe and well, now and always. Now to bed.