TOPIC:

1900 - Mafeking siege day 140 (64%). Lord Roberts arrives in Kimberley.
1901 - De Wet reaches Philippolis.
1902 - Natal territory enlarged by Utrecht, Vryheid and part of Wakkerstroom districts.

In Kimberley:

A celebration took place at the Town Hall on 1st March 1900. The attendees included Lord Roberts, Colonel Kekewich, the Mayor of Kimberley, Lord Kitchener, Lord Methuen, Cecil Rhodes, Sir Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett, Lord Loch and the Foreign Attaches of Lord Roberts' staff.


Roberts replied to the address by the Mayor by saying:

“I appreciate very highly the honour you have done me to-day, in inviting me to your Town Hall, to present me with the very complimentary address which has just been read by the Town Clerk. I can assure you that I feel very deeply the kind terms in which you have alluded to my services, but I can also assure you that any successes that may have been attained during the past 3 weeks in this portion of the theatre of war are due to the resolution, the endurance, and the courage of the magnificent body of troops which it is my pride and privilege to command.

I rejoice that I have found it possible to come here to-day to witness the scene of a defence which will ever be a memorable one, and to meet personally those whose heroism has preserved intact the honour of our flag in this distant land. In your speech, Sir, you alluded to the untiring efforts of the Right Hon. C. J. Rhodes during the siege, and the value of the services rendered by him to the inhabitants of this town. Watching, as we did, with anxious eyes the vicissitudes of the siege, it was a consolation to feel that Mr. Rhodes was in your midst, for we know that his untiring energy and remarkable personality would go far towards animating his fellow citizens in the arduous task before them. I also was glad to notice the high complimentary and appreciative terms in which you spoke of Lieut.-Colonel Kekewich, the gallant and distinguished Officer on whom has rested the responsibility of devising and carrying out the measures necessary for the defence of your town. This morning as I rode through the suburbs and saw the great length of the perimeter which had to be rendered secure against attack, it seemed to me almost impossible that the defence could have been maintained successfully or so long as has been the case. That you should have been able to do so is as creditable to Lieut.-Colonel Kekewich and to those who were immediately associated with him in carrying on the defence, as it is to the brave soldiers of the Imperial and Colonial Services and the many Volunteers who have so heroically borne the perils of the siege. I desire also to refer to the patience and courage with which the women of this town have endured the horrors of the siege. Their heroism has won the respect and admiration of us all. I regret that my stay in Kimberley must necessarily, on this occasion, be a short one. Much remains to be done before the war is brought to a satisfactory conclusion, and peace, prosperity and freedom are restored throughout South Africa, but my visit here will ever be a memorable one to me, from the fact that shortly after I arrived here this morning, a telegram was put into my hands bearing the joyful news that Ladysmith had been relieved. I am confident that all whom I am addressing share my admiration for the glorious defence made by General Sir George White and his gallant force, and that you recognize as fully as I do the momentous results which have been achieved by the valour of the relieving force under General Sir Redvers Buller.

I will only add that I shall take the earliest opportunity of bringing to the notice of the Queen the loyal sentiments which you have expressed on behalf of your fellow citizens at the conclusion of your address. I will not detain you longer, but will only assure you, once more, how deeply I feel the kindness you have shown to me to-day.”
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In Mafeking:

Yesterday a large party of women and children, who do not belong to this district, were sent away; the Boers turned them back, and when they were retiring deliberately opened a heavy lire on them, killing and wounding many. This is not the first deliberate outrage on the native women and children, and in addition they have flogged and turned back women trying to escape. Colonel Baden-Powell has addressed several remonstrances to General Snyman on the subject, and pointed out that he cannot expect the native chiefs in the vicinity to restrain their tribesmen, if the Boers persist in murdering their friends and relations, and that he, Colonel Baden-Powell, cannot be answerable for any subsequent occurrences in the way of reprisals on the part of the natives, to which General Snyman has answered as a rule more or less civilly (generally less) that we and the natives may do our worst. To-day is the usual sort of day, heavy sniping at intervals and a fair amount of shelling. Certainly the amount of damage done to Mafeking in life and property has been wholly disproportionate to the amount of shell fire sustained, the reason of course being the soft mud bricks of which the houses are constructed; and to-day we had two very fine object lessons of the extensive damage these shells would have done among more solidly constructed edifices. Mr. Whitely, the mayor's, house, which is built of stronger materials than any other house in Mafeking, was struck by a shell, and the damage done was far greater than was usually the case. Round the house of Mr. Bell, the magistrate, there is a loose stone wall, the shell struck and exploded at the base of it, the fragments of shell did but little harm, but one boulder about twice the size of a man's body was hurled about twenty-five yards, and two rocks about twice the size of a man's head were projected through the house some twenty-five yards away, while stones of various sizes were hurled great distances and in every direction. So, though thanks to its flimsy construction, Mafeking has escaped better than many a more important town would, it does seem rather like breaking a butterfly to use modern siege guns against a place of this sort. However, it is still a fairly lively butterfly in spite of twelve thousand pounds of metal from one gun alone. We have developed a new trench N.E. of the town to enfilade the enemies' sniping trenches, which, though it does not silence them, seems to annoy them passably.

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

The Boers have actually retreated in the direction of their own country, where no doubt Lord Roberts will give a good account of them. They have not fled. It is an orderly retreat. They have left nothing behind them in te shape of trophies for our men. They have even got clear of with their big guns from Bulwan. — The French used to call Wolseley, our only general. We have two beside him. Lords Roberts and Kitchener are generals, and so are French and Clery, but the less we brag about the others, the better.

We have been besieged for 119 days, that is from November 2nd 1899 to February 28th, both days included. We have been subjected to starvation nearly all this time, for the general seized our provision shops early in the siege. We have seen our friends slaughtered in our streets. Others dying because they were deprived of their accustomed food, and we have been treated with every sort of tyranny, and have endured very great annoyance and vexatious treatment from the army both officers and men. Our volunteers are very much better conducted than the regulars.

Our government is sending us a lot of food which will be very acceptable. We expect the waggons tomorrow. — Guns booming in the distance, probably our folk in pursuit. — Brockbank tells me Buller is in the town. He has taken his time to get here, that’s all I have to say to him.

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

Woke at 6. Slept on again until 8.30. After breakfast went to get medicine made up. Gen. Sir R. Buller arrived between 11 and 11.30, quite unkown to anyone. His entry therefore was unceremonious. As he passed the gaol, Sir G. White and staff galloped up, and the former was heard to greet Buller in words to this effect: “Hullo, old man, and how have you been getting on,etc.” Soon after a number of officers, war correspondents etc. came struggling in and a few wagons.

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

All well. Just ordered out on flying column with the whole regiment to try and cut off the retreating Boers. We start in half-an-hour, so no time to write.

Will get someone to post this today, and start a fresh letter when we get back. We may be out two days or come back tonight, can’t say which. God bless you.

1900 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

We are indeed relieved today for General Buller came in with his escort at about 12 today. The town was not like a grave as it has been for the last four months.

It was all excitement and began before daylight, troops going out, as many as could muster horses, the Artillery and then the Gordon Highlanders, in different directions to try and intercept the Boers from getting away with their wagons and herds of looted cattle.

But we were too late, and our men and horses too weak and played out to follow them any distance.

The main Column is camped at Nelthorpe and will not come in here we hear. Alick with about 20 other Natal Carbineers under Lieut. Rodwell, says he enjoyed the day immensely. They visited three deserted Boer Camps and they were all surprised at what they found. Their tents just as they had used them, beds, large stores, flour, tea, potatoes, onions, bags of rusks, and even carts, wagons, guns, bicyeles, portmanteaux and tons of ammunition. They tried to carry away what they could. They then proceeded to the Main Column at Nelthorpe and were made much of by Officers and men, had lunch, as much as they wanted of all their good things, then returned home.

We have had a grand day receiving visits from friends. First Mr. Willie Struben, then Mr. Tom Murray, then Mr. Adamson, who only came in with Buller, rested his horse for three hours, then returned to say goodbye, as he was returning to Maritzburg. He hoped to get to Colenso in time to catch the train at 7.30, which I very much doubt his having done as - it has rained since he left.

We hear the provision wagons will not be in tomorrow. Also that the line will not be open for two or three weeks yet. Mr. Tom Murray and Mr. Struben were giving us descriptions of the Colenso reverses, and the fight at Pieters on the 27th, our great day.

One hundred and seventeen years on and I can almost feel the sense of jubilation that she very clearly must have felt, at long last!

djb wrote: 1900 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

We are indeed relieved today for General Buller came in with his escort at about 12 today. The town was not like a grave as it has been for the last four months.

It was all excitement and began before daylight, troops going out, as many as could muster horses, the Artillery and then the Gordon Highlanders, in different directions to try and intercept the Boers from getting away with their wagons and herds of looted cattle.

But we were too late, and our men and horses too weak and played out to follow them any distance.

The main Column is camped at Nelthorpe and will not come in here we hear. Alick with about 20 other Natal Carbineers under Lieut. Rodwell, says he enjoyed the day immensely. They visited three deserted Boer Camps and they were all surprised at what they found. Their tents just as they had used them, beds, large stores, flour, tea, potatoes, onions, bags of rusks, and even carts, wagons, guns, bicyeles, portmanteaux and tons of ammunition. They tried to carry away what they could. They then proceeded to the Main Column at Nelthorpe and were made much of by Officers and men, had lunch, as much as they wanted of all their good things, then returned home.

We have had a grand day receiving visits from friends. First Mr. Willie Struben, then Mr. Tom Murray, then Mr. Adamson, who only came in with Buller, rested his horse for three hours, then returned to say goodbye, as he was returning to Maritzburg. He hoped to get to Colenso in time to catch the train at 7.30, which I very much doubt his having done as - it has rained since he left.

We hear the provision wagons will not be in tomorrow. Also that the line will not be open for two or three weeks yet. Mr. Tom Murray and Mr. Struben were giving us descriptions of the Colenso reverses, and the fight at Pieters on the 27th, our great day.