ELANDSFONTEIN
14th. January 1901
My Dear Lord Strathcona,
The Regiment left Pochefstroom by rail for Aliwal North on the 28th. November and detrained at Bethulie on the 4th. of December. We then made a night march to join General Knox on a two days trip but from that date until the 10th. of this month we had no means of communications with the outside world. This I regret as I was unable to write to you and keep you informed of our movements, and we having been kept so long ran very close to our time, giving some of the men some anxiety re. their affairs and positions in Canada. We had a march of five hundred miles after de Wet, and were personally in contact with him on several occasions.
Fortunately our losses have been small. One man killed, a very fine man too, Pte. Ingram, and one or two slightly wounded.
We reached Kroonstad on the 10th. and from there we moved here by rail for further service. When I got here I found that my other detachment was out fighting four miles south of the town. They did good work with the column and joined me again to-day. 22 N.C.O.'s and men left in charge of the stores at Bethulie when we marched out to join Gen. Knox were taken by Gen. Hector Macdonald and Col. Herbert, and did scouting for them to their immense satisfaction, I am informed. The regiment has behaved well ever since we marched, with the exception of two or three incorrigibles who though good men in the field have a tendency to misconduct in camp or cantonments.
The Generals all praised them and put them with the hottest of it and the scouting too. We have had the most extraordinary good fortune in kind Providence protecting us under ordinary circumstances we should have lost five times as many men, but the regiment, if bold, has been careful. We acted as rear guard on the 8th of the month for two columns and got them through without the loss of a man when invariably the rear guards of convoys have had a desperate time. We had to fight too, but the men handled themselves so well that they overawed the enemy by their determined front and the heavy fire of the Pom-Pom and rifles.
As the men do not desire to serve longer in South Africa, I communicated their wishes to the C. in Chief, and we are now handing over everything, and preparing to march.
Lt. Falls has been appointed Captain in the new Police Force, and Major Jarvis is offered a Majority. Lt. White-Fraser a Captaincy in same. I have been offered one of the five districts in the country, which is a very great honour. I owe it entirely to your lordship, and so do the rest their good fortune. In my case, however, I am doubly indebted for the honor of commanding such a corps, admitted to be one of the best sent out from anywhere in the empire.
I am so fond of my own country that I do not like the idea of leaving it to come here, and I will not do so if I can get anything to do in Canada. I cannot return to my own corps, Supt. Parry having been appointed Comt. over my head, and others. I trust that I may bet a fair superannuation allowance, having served 27 years with N.W.M.Police.
Lieut. Pooley and Private Pym have been given commissions in the Royal Field Artillery. They will make good officers.
We have in hospital about fifty men who will be able to travel but a few must remain until they are stronger than they now are. I am very fortunate in having so few ill, for they have been through a good deal lately, having heavy rains and no tents for the past eight months, except for about a week at Frederickstad.
We feel very grateful to your lordship for the kind references to us which we have read in the Canadian press. It is very cheering when one is far away from home.
I hope you will excuse this long letter. I write it for the reason that I have no means of giving you an official report at present - on ink, no foolscap - so I just drop you this private letter so that you will have some idea of what has taken place during the past month.
Hoping you are well, I am,
Respectfully yours,
(Signed) S. B. STEELE
