Because of the poor reproduction of this letter to microfilm, in an issue of a St Helens newpaper, I can't make out the full name of "-onona's Kop
." It was either a 4½ hour march from there to Kedup's Farm, or a 16½ hour march, depending on whether they arrived at 11 in the morning or evening.
Corporal A. W. Dutton, no regiment named, writing from "Ingagane R." on 22nd May 1900 wrote: -
"I have not had time to write any letters lately, as we have been on the march since the 14th of May - nearly 10 days. On the 14th we marched off from -onona's Kop at 6-30 in the morning, leaving the camp standing. The night was bright and the moon full. We bivouacked at Kedup's Farm at 11 o'clock but the Volunteer Company had to go on outpost duty for the night. We marched off again next morning at 5 o'clock - crossed Sunday's River in the course of it, and got a good view of the falls. The Boers evacuated Wessel's Nek at our approach, and we rested there after a hard day's march. On the 16th the Volunteer Company paraded at half past 2 and was ordered to escort to the 4.7 naval guns, while in the meantime the Brigade moved forward. As the guns did not arrive that night we had a few hours' respite waiting for them. We were roused up at 4 o'clock the next morning and had a good breakfast near a number of farmhouses. The naval guns arrived about 8 o'clock that night, and we had the pleasure of escorting them to Waschbank when we rejoined the Battalion. We had been on the march in full rig so far, but the commander of the guns kindly allowed us to place our great coats, &c., on the carts, which relieved us greatly. At Waschbank we bivouacked for part of the night, for we were called up again at half-past one in the morning of the 18th, and off we went once more, passing on the route a deserted Boer camp, sundry streams, over the Biggarsberg mountains and arrived at Glencoe Junction at sunrise. There were abundant signs of Boer occupation here, deserted camp, bridges blown up, houses burnt down to the ground. We halted here a few hours for meals, then off again at two in the afternoon for Hatting Spruit, where we bivouacked that night. On the 19th we left Hatting Spruit at 8 a.m., and marched to Dannhauser, where we arrived at 11 and had dinner. We then marched back again, retracing our steps, for the world I cannot tell you why, and bivouacked at a small stream some three-quarters of a mile from Dannhauser. On the 20th we were up again by five o'clock in the morning, marched away once more and arrived at Glencoe Junction at half-past eleven, where we bivouacked and had a good rest. Here it was expected we should stay a week or so, but on the 21st we had orders at 10-30 to be ready to march. At three o'clock we got away again, reached Hatting Spruit at six, and there we stayed for the night. On the 22nd we heard of the Relief of Mafeking. At eight o'clock we started off again, had a short halt at Alcock's Spruit, and arrived at a place I did not get the name of, where we stayed the night, having done a total of 20 miles in the day's march. The morning of the 23rd was very cold; we set off at eight, and after an easy march of four miles arrived here, where we find a three-span railway bridge blown up. This railway, I believe, we shall have to work at, and may have to stay here a few days in consequence. I hear that the railway is now open to Glencoe Junction, so am sending letters by that route."
