Medals and awards

A Lively Week at the Front.

Trooper F. KNOX, of Greenstreet, who went to South Africa in the Fifth Contingent, hat written one or two interesting letters to his family, and we have been permitted to see one dated 22 January, which is the latest trooper's letter we have so far heard of. In it he gives just one week's work, and certainly a good deal of adventure is crowded into it, as will be seen from the following: —

Kimberley, January 22, 1901.

Dear Father and Mother—ln the last letter I wrote to you I told you that we were going with a convoy to Boshof. As this has been the most interesting march that we have had since being in South Africa I will try and describe it at fully as possible. We left Kimberley for Boshof on Wednesday, January 26th, wlth a convoy of 40 bullock waggons, 30 mule waggons, and 6 traction engines (4 Fowlers and 2 McLarens), each drawing three waggons. When 4 mites out of Kimberley we found that a pass known as Framfort Pass, was occupied by the Boers and that with the escort that we had it was impossible to get through the pass, therefore Colonel Milne ordered the traction engines back to Kimberley, while he with the remainder of the transport marched a round about way and attacked the enemy from the rear, thus clearing the way for the traction engines, as it was impossible to take the engines the round about way on account of no water. We got round to the back of the past on the same night and on the morning of the 27th, at 2.30 am, the 14th Company and the Imperial Yeomanry Company with 2 15lb guns marched into the pass. The Boers finding themselves about to be attacked from the rear, fled, leaving us in command of the pass, but they took up a position in the kopje just in front of the bullock convoy. Major Parish, who was in command of the party sent me back to Colonel Milne who was with the bullock convoy with a despatch to say that the pass was clear but that the engines were stuck in the sand. I had to ride about three miles and what was my surprise that when I had just gone about a mile and a half, I was being fired on from a kopje about 900 yards away and one bullet ploughed the dust up right under the nose of my horse. I immediately put spurs to my horse and the next mile and a half was done in quick time. When delivering the despatch, I told the Colonel what had occurred, and he told me to remain where I was as it was unsafe to try and rejoin my column. It was now about dinner time and as I had not had time to eat that day I loosened my girths and fed my horse and then sat down to dinner. I had barely finished dinner when the Boers attacked the convoy, but a few shells from the pom pom soon drove them to seek cover. They, however, kept up a straggling fire on the convoys and the outposts. One outpost which was in rather an exposed position was getting a rather hot time of it, and as I was the only mounted man in this camp I was ordered out to tell the Corporal in charge of this outpost to shift his men more to the left, and I tell you I did not like having to go. However, I went out, and as soon as the bullets began to fly I set sail, and went at full gallop for the outpost, told them in as few words as possible what to do, then turned round and galloped out of range. For the rest of the day I was merely a spectator, and when night set in the firing ceased and our losses were found to be one man of the Dennison scouts, who was wounded and fell from his horse. The Boers captured his horse and then rode up to where he was lying, and cut his throat. Next morning I and six others were told off at 2.30 am to reconnoitre a kopje, and as I happened we got on the kopje without being molested. However, just at daybreak twelve Boers were observed approaching the kopje, and we got very excited with the result that we opened fire instead of waiting till they got close up. They immediately turned tail and fled. As soon as the convoy moved off, we rejoined our column and then began the fight in real earnest. First thing shelled the kopje then ordered an infantry company to charge it, but the fire was so hot that when they got within 300 yards of the enemy they had to seek cover, and then we were ordered to their assistance and we galloped up to within 900 yards, and the fire being then too hot for the horses to face we dismounted under a rain of lead and started off up the kopje. When within 500 yards we stopped to give them a volley, and the fifteen pounders pelting away all the time was too much for the Boers and they fled, leaving us a clear ride to Boshof. They however, kept continually harassing the rear right up to the next morning. Our Company escaped without a man being hit, but the Scottish Rifles were not so fortunate as they had three wounded and one horse shot. Jack Smith had his horse shot through the mouth just about an inch above the bit, but is nothing the worse for It. On our return journey we saw nothing of the enemy and arrived in Kimberley without further adventure. The main part of the fight lasted six hours, and the Boers' losses were 15 killed and wounded. We march for a place tomorrow called Smithsdrift with another convoy.

I remain your loving son — Fred.

DUNEDIN, March 22

Troopers C.E. and W. GRAY, who recently returned from South Africa, were entertained in the Green Street schoolroom, Ashburton Forks, on Friday evening, and each presented with a gold medal suitably inscribed.