1900 - Diary of the siege of Mafeking by Edward Ross
Tuesday, 13 March
Good news again this morning. Relief of Newcastle, etc. If it goes on a little more like this the war will soon be ended. Our enemy have had a pretty rough time of it this last fortnight. Even just round this little hornet's nest they must have lost at least twenty men that we know of this last week.
Eighteen Baralongs, who had been out on a little raiding expedition of their own, returned to camp this morning bringing with them two Boer horses, rifles and bandoliers, and reported as follows: "Twenty-five of us went out, but owing to a little disagreement [over] which road to take, six of us went one way and our party the other. When we got to Madibi, about 14 miles out, we found the Boers were following our spoor so we hid on top of a kopje. The Boers saw us from the flat and fired at us at long range. When they came a little closer we fired, and we saw we had hit one of their men who had stripes on his arm. The Boers then went away, and as we thought they had gone for more men it was not safe to stay on top of the kopje as they could then surround us, so we left this place and went down to the railway lines at Madibi and got into the gravel-pits (formerly used as ballast holes). Bye and bye the Boers again came up following our spoor, but they did. not think we were so near. We waited until they came up quite close and then fired a volley at them, killing eight and wounding seven and killing three or four of their horses. We bring in the arms and horses of two we killed. We know some of the others are dead, but we could not get their things as the other Boers took them away. After our volley the Boers galloped away as fast as they possibly could, so we came along home again. We do not know where our other six men are.”
There is also another party of io of our men who are still out. These men were then taken to B.P. who complimented them on their bravery. This little occurrence would not be very interesting from a Boer point of view.
The natives lost one man killed and two wounded.
A native was caught last night at Early’s corner coming up from the river, where he had been stealing mealies. Run in. Sentenced to receive 15 lashes or cross our lines and go to the Boers.
The Boers can be seen demolishing their fort and earthworks at Jackal’s Tree, the first position of the big gun. Our men got into it the night before last and found it evacuated. It is supposed the enemy have not sufficient men now to garrison all the small forts they previously occupied.
Another native or Cape Boy lost his life at the brickfields last night.
Big Ben opened fire at 7.45 a.m. with shrapnel, kept it up off and on all the morning, one wrecking Wirsing’s stable and destroying a very valuable collection of horns. Another one later in the afternoon burst in the Court House wrecking the Magistrate’s office, killing three and wounding four or five natives who were taking cover under the walls and waiting to be paid. It was a very narrow shave for the Chief Paymaster and D.A.A.G.’s dugout. This shell must have come down at almost right angles, and if the Boers only knew it, this firing at a very high elevation with a smaller charge of powder is terribly more dangerous, unnerving and damaging to us. I am positively certain that the projectile coming at that angle will penetrate any bomb-proof yet built in Mafeking.
The local authorities have now commenced shooting all stray dogs, ten being destroyed yesterday. They were shot and buried and in about an hour afterwards it was found the natives had unearthed all the carcasses. Presumably to eat. They do eat them we know, as the head of one was seen cooking in a pot the other day.
In the matter of our Masonic commemoration jewel, B.P. has very kindly offered to design one for us, which offer has been readily accepted.
A stringent order against anybody photographing outposts will come out in tomorrow’s general orders, but this does not affect my pass written by Lord Edward Cecil.
