TOPIC:

It was because the Natal Government was slow to mobilise the District Rifle Associations that T K Murray raised Murray's Horse. The Weston Rifle Association had its headquarters in Mooi River and many of its men joined Murray's Horse and they had their QSA's issued off the MH roll. As a result, when the Weston RA was called out, its numbers were reduced and QSA's named to the WRA are rare.

Brett

Thank you Brett. That would explain the entries on the medal rolls.

There are not many mentions or Murray's units in The Times.

I did find this one (13 Feb 1900) about a lone scout who seems to have been riding along the Tugela.

City Coins sold the QSA (1) to Tpr H B Bruno for R51 from Auction 18 (date unknown).

David

Thank you for copying the newspaper report that mentions the Murray's Horse scout. It is a pity that contemporary editions of 'The Natal Witness' (Pietermaritzburg) and 'The Natal Mercury' (Durban) are not available online. Their reports on the war differ in that they give more news of local interest.

The real value of the locally-resident Colonials serving in Murray's Horse, the Natal Police (Estcourt District Police), and Natal Carbineers (Estcourt-Weenen Squadron) was with their knowledge of the poorly mapped countryside that was the battleground for Buller's Natal Army. Most would also have been able to speak Dutch and Zulu. They contributed guides and interpreters to an embryonic intelligence force, which also included the Corps of Natal Guides, 95 white and black men recruited in the latter part of 1899 by Special Service officers from Britain. These and similar groups of men from elsewhere in South Africa were later united to form the Field Intelligence Department (FID), which served with distinction for the remainder of the war. By the war's end the FID was made up of over 100 officers, more than 2000 white non-commissioned men and an uncounted number of black men.

Regards
Brett

Brett,

I found in the Natal Volunteer Record that the troops of Murray's Horse are listed. These are reproduced below.

The NVR makes no differentiation between Murray's Horse and Scouts and I see there are some names in B Troop that are the same. I wondered if B Troop was known as the scouts but think this is incorrect.

Total: 146

Hon T K Murray, CMG MLA, in command
H C Shepstone, CMG, second in command
G Angus, Quartermaster
T P O'Meara, Assistant Quartermaster
F Y Carless, Veterinary Surgeon

A Troop

Leader J L Watson
Sgt A R Peirson
Tpr B Buchanan
Tpr C Buchanan
Tpr H Blaikie
Tpr A B Bruno
Tpr E Button (died)
Tpr E T Campbell
Tpr A E Dainton
Tpr F E Dixon
Tpr R C Francis
Tpr M H Garson
Tpr J Glendinning
Tpr L P Goodwill
Tpr L H Green
Tpr E O Leake
Tpr G M Miller
Tpr A J Smith
Tpr J W Shepherd
Tpr R S Smith
Tpr J H Sutherland
Tpr J Taylor
Tpr H H J Williams
Tpr H Weldon

B Troop

Leader W M Henderson
Sergt H Stirton
Tpr J Adams
Tpr Trelawney Adams
Tpr F Bousfield
Tpr R Currie
Tpr W Clarke
Tpr A Clouston
Tpr C H Erskine
Tpr A Hammond
Tpr James Henwood
Tpr L M Harris
Tpr A Larrard
Tpr J T Legg
Tpr C H Mare
Tpr F G Mare
Tpr Peter McKenzie
Tpr S A Mare
Tpr W Murray
Tpr T C M Nourse
Tpr Harry Rogers
Tpr O Schwikkard
Tpr E M Struben
Tpr G Symons
Tpr W G Thomas
Tpr J O Thomas
Tpr H Thompson
Tpr J A Ward
Tpr Sam Welch
Tpr H Wylde

C Troop

Leader C H Herbert
Sergt W Angus
Tpr F Angus
Tpr J Bunion
Tpr E Bentley
Tpr A Carbutt
Tpr E J Fannin
Tpr J Fannin
Tpr A D Graham
Tpr B Green
Tpr C Hankey
Tpr T Household
Tpr J Luxford
Tpr Macartie (2 days)
Tpr F Morton
Tpr J Morton
Tpr A Macqueen
Tpr A F McKenzie
Tpr H McKenzie
Tpr N McKenzie
Tpr T McKenzie
Tpr J Parker
Tpr A Parkinson
Tpr E Parkinson
Tpr A Richards
Tpr A B Richardson
Tpr R W Seaman
Tpr C Shaw
Tpr H Shaw
Tpr Hal Shaw
Tpr W D Stewart
Tpr A J Tainton
Tpr B Warren (killed)
Tpr J C Watt
Tpr E White

D Troop

Leader Isaac W Dicks
Sergt R A Mckenzie
Tpr G Blamey
Tpr A Edmonds
Tpr R J Graham
Tpr J Hooper
Tpr O Hooper
Tpr R Justice
Tpr B Marshall
Tpr G D S Miller
Tpr D Muir
Tpr A W Nicholson
Tpr B Nicholson
Tpr C Nicholson
Tpr W Nicholson
Tpr Otto Norton
Tpr Van Otto
Tpr P Otto jnr
Tpr E Y Peel
Tpr Robertson
Tpr H Sharp
Tpr B Sykes
Tpr J R Sykes
Tpr Boyd Varty
Tpr H Varty
Tpr H F Varty
Tpr A H Walker
Tpr F Ward
Tpr R Warmold
Tpr E Westbrook

E Troop

Leader PD Simmons
Sergt C R C Acutt
Tpr W S Ballantyne
Tpr PJ Bartholomew
Tpr W A Chapman
Tpr D H Christie
Tpr Harvey Gibson
Tpr B Harding
Tpr R B Knapp
Tpr A Laurence
Tpr W Lindsay
Tpr A E Millors
Tpr F Rawlinson
Tpr T Robinson
Tpr F W Shaw
Tpr C R Skottowe
Tpr J A Skottowe
Tpr T H Smith
Tpr W K P Taylor
Tpr B Westall
Tpr C Wyndham