Sunday, 3rd December.—Nothing of importance has happened since Thursday. This morning I got to church. The sermon, though simple, was rather good—Jonah i. 6: “What meanest thou, oh sleeper? being the text. Both before and after service, however, I had to be at the bank to allow some of the officers to get money wherewith to pay the troops. It is not safe to open the bank during the week, for one never knows when a shell might come. Every night just before dusk the big gun is fired on the town, and to us that shell is the worst of the day. One night it was evidently aimed directly at our house, and struck the wall of the yard behind.
We have rumours of successes of our troops at “Modder River and at Fourteen Streams, but as yet no definite tidings. We, however, feel somehow quite certain that relief is on its way, and in fact believe that we will be relieved before Christmas.
This afternoon I am feeling a little seedy. My head is going round, and so I must lie down for a little before going on duty.
Wednesday, 6th December—We are still safe. Our enemy, notwithstanding their being reinforced, are fairly quiet. On Monday they kept us close with rifles and small guns, but no harm was done. This was the day that we received definite news that a flying column was on its way to our relief. Every -one’s spirits rose, and we look forward to hear in about a week’s time that they are in sight. I reckon about Sunday week, the 17th; some say sooner. Of course, when the relief comes near, our friends wi likely give us a very warm time.
Yesterday a very curious thing happened. I was trying to get a small shell intact to keep, and had asked our bank-boy to send any native who had one up to me. Well, as I was having a wash early this morning, a knock came to my door, and I found two boys with a nice unexploded 5-pound shell, which I bought for sixteen shillings. From my room I went over to the 7-pounder gun station, a few yards from this, and got one of the gunners to draw out the charge. It was found to be unique. It appears that one of the Boer gunners has a daughter here in the refugee laager, and he wanted to let her know that her mother and family were all right. So he withdrew the powder from the shell and sent it in blind. The shell was filled with sand, and a letter wrapped round a piece of wood. The writing was plain, but the spelling was decidedly German. Here is the letter:—
“ Mr. Baden-Powell, Mafeking.
"Sir,—Excuse the iron messenger, but it is all I have—I hope it behaves well. You will think it exentric, but vorgive that. Plese tell your men not to drink at the whiskey, for we want to have a drink when we al come to see you. Cindly tell Mrs. Duntley that her mother and vamily are well.
"I remane yours treulay a”
(Signature cut off with the thread of the screw.)
I at once took the whole thing to the Colonel, and he simply sat back in his chair and roared. It is quite an unheard of experience, and the Colonel thanked me very much. I offered to give him the shell, but he said that, as I had paid the boy, he would rather pay for it.
Yesterday I again did a couple of hours’ work at the office, but my labours were put an end to by a shell having been fired just over the bank by the big gun. I am very sorry to say that a piece struck a native boy, who died from the injuries.
Saturday, 9th December.—The last few days the big gun has been doing a good deal of harm, and we have had to be more careful than ever. Thursday was the worst day — two natives killed, two wounded; one European killed and two wounded. The house next to ours was wrecked inside, and the bank had a shell just over the public entrance; other two buildings also were destroyed. But as we face the big gun, and keep a sharp look-out, we have time when the alarm is sounded to get to cover.
They seem to expect the troops in a few days, though somehow we do not seem to get reliable news that they are near. For myself, I cannot see how they can be here for a week or so.
On Thursday night our friends adopted a new game. Up till then they had been in the habit of firing a shell just before sundown, and of then pointing the gun, when reloaded, on to a certain spot and firing again sometime between half-past seven and nine o’clock. But we generally knew whereabouts the shell would go. On Thursday night, however, they fired no fewer than four shots after dark, and it was one of these that struck our office. The damage is not so great as to prevent our working.
Thursday also was an exciting day for another reason: an exchange of prisoners took place. Colonel Baden-Powell’s A.D.C. is Captain Wilson, whose wife, having been Lady Sarah Churchill, is styled Lady Sarah Wilson. Just before hostilities began she was about here a good deal. But on the day before she suddenly disappeared. It seems that she went to a place about forty miles distant, and from there sent in information which she had received: a part of the game she had evidently come to play. Unluckily, however, a despatch rider from here called to see her, and after getting a few miles from the place sent off a -carrier pigeon with a dispatch for this, in which he mentioned Lady Sarah in some way. Now, that bird did not come here, but flew into the Boer laager. This led to Lady Wilson being watched, and on her trying to return to Mafeking she was captured. The next day our Colonel was informed of this by the enemy, the suggestion being given that an exchange might be made with the notorious Viljoen. Baden-Powell at first remonstrated, because it was not in accordance with civilised warfare to take women prisoners. They,
however, held out, and so eventually he gave way— a common prisoner for a titled lady, not a bad exchange!
Sunday, 10th December.—Time is going by, and still we are in the same position. Since Monday no news from the south has reached us, but the natives state that it is very difficult to get through now, as the Boers are keeping a very vigilant watch. So our position is this,—we believe troops have left Kimberley, but we have no news of their whereabouts. We may see them at any time. Thus to-morrow we start a fresh week of the siege and must simply sit tight.
I was very sorry not to get to church this morning, but we had an inspection, and by the time the colonel arrived at our fort it was after 11 o'clock, and service began at 10.30. As the siege goes on more seem to avail themselves of the privilege of public worship.
Yesterday no damage was done, I am thankful to say. As far as can be gathered from native spies, and from what Lady Sarah Wilson observed, the Boers seem very sick of the war, and it appears as though very little would make them return to their farms. Rumours have come in of a big battle in Natal, where they lost heavily; but this is not confirmed yet.
Sports are going on again this afternoon, and large numbers seem watching. It is a relief to move from the close confinement of the trenches.
Thursday, 14th December.—Since Sunday I have been at the bank every morning, and had some of the Staff doing some work. The Boers have done no shelling throughout the whole week until this evening, and even should the bell which sounds the alarm when Big Ben is going to be fired, be heard, we can all get down to the shelter which the manager has in the yard. On Tuesday and yesterday I was rather seedy, and did not feel able to work, but now I am quite myself again.
We are still in the same position in which we were, and hear no news of our relief column. Rumours arc, it is true, constantly floating about, but they are always contradicted on the following day. The food supply for the natives will not last more than a month longer, and thus, if our relief does not come, things will go hard with them.
On Monday I had a narrow escape. Just as I left the bank the alarm was sounded. I made for the Town Hall opposite. In a few minutes a shrapnel shell from the big gun struck the roof. The concussion made one quite dizzy, but no part came near me. Had it been a solid shell, however, the pieces would have come right through the walls. Then the evening before last, when everything was quiet, I was out in the open, near the fort, talking to Lowe, when the Boers poured a few volleys into the town. Though the bullets struck all around, neither of us was touched. Truly we have a lot to be thankful for.
Sunday, 17th December.—The ninth Sunday of the siege, and from all appearance we may remain nine more in the same state.
To-day has been one of the hottest days I have experienced here, and it is still very close. I was glad to be able to go to service in the morning, and a squadron of the force being there, the church was full. “Judge not, that ye be not judged" was the text, but there was not much in the sermon. How I do long to hear one of Mr. Don's solid and good sermons; and at a time like this he always excels himself. But still the fact of being able to take part in public worship is in itself a pleasure.
Yesterday was “ Dingaan’s Day,” and it was thought that the Boers would celebrate it with a big attack, but they did not do so. At about half-past two, just to have a game I suppose, Big Ben was let off. The shell struck Dixon's Hotel, where the staffs sleep, but little damage was done. This was followed by a string of twenty i-pound Maxim shells, and then a fusilade of Mausers. Needless to say, this raised everybody. But when we found that this part of their midnight amusement was over, we turned in again. All was quiet till a quarter to four, when the men in the trenches started giving volleys. This was what the Colonel was waiting for, as for the last few days he has had three 7-pounders in position to shell the trenches should he estimate there were a good number of men in them. Up to yesterday he reserved his fire, as few men appeared to be in the trenches, but as soon as the volleys were fired he opened with three guns; and from the big trench on which our fire was directed the firing ceased, and not a shot was heard for forty minutes. The gun, which is only a few yards from my room, and is in the charge of young Lowe, made very good shooting, and knocked some fine holes in the enemy’s trench. It is, however, impossible to say whether we hurt anybody or not, but, at any rate, we showed that we intended to take part in the festivities of the day. The big gun fired about six shots at our guns, but did no harm. For the rest of the day we had more quietness.
I am gradually getting the work at the bank up to date, so as to save time when the siege is raised. Yesterday we were able to get two hours’ work done.
Friday, 22nd December.—Nothing of importance has occurred for the last day or two; in fact the big guns have been very quiet. In some directions the Boers are gradually being forced to fall back and make trenches further away from our lines. In some cases this is because we have gradually had trenches made under cover of night, nearer to theirs, and these were occupied by sharpshooters who made it so hot for the enemy that they would not move about at all—and this at a range of 1100 yards!
The great excitement at present is the fixing up of an old ship’s gun, which has been lying about here for some years. The idea in firing her is more to scare the Boers than anything else. The Colonel has a difficult position to keep, and so he has to use every means of showing that we have plenty of ammunition and food, lest our enemy take up the plan of starving us out.
I do not think I mentioned a circular he addressed and sent to all the burghers around last week. He wanted to inform them that they were being grossly misled by the heads of their Government; that the idea of foreign intervention was out of the question; and that when General Buller got on the move the end would be near. He advised them all to go to their homes, stating that any who did so by a certain date, and were found there when our troops arrived, would, on giving up their rifle and 150 rounds of ammunition, be leniently dealt with. As to what effect this had we do not know, except that the Boer General sent into the Colonel a frenzied reply.
We still continue to do a morning’s work at the bank, and things are pretty well up-to-date now. It will be a rather complicated sort of a half year, and I only hope that we steer through all right. We are still without news of any kind from the outside world, and consequently every one is much depressed.
Sunday, 24th December.—Yesterday we had the first communication for twenty days, but the news was very old. One very tantalising piece to us was a paragraph in the Bulawayo Chronicle to the effect that we had been relieved on the 12th by 3000 men from Kimberley! The strange part of it is that, up till now, the Colonel has not informed us of this, and that we are still working up for the post of proficient shell and bullet dodgers!
Runners, also, came in to-day, but I have not yet heard what news they brought We have now quite given up hope of ever seeing troops here, and clearly see that, unless we can ourselves drive away the Boers, we will have to sit tight till 1900.
Christmas is being observed to-day as it is not expected that to-morrow will be a quiet day. The children, poor little things, are having a Christmas tree, and from my room I can hear their merry shout. There are also sports going on at present.
As Sunday after Sunday comes round, I do feel that we have so much to be thankful for, seeing we have been brought safely through another week. Our thoughts will doubtless run in the same channel at this time, when we are usually all together; and I know our prayers will ascend for one another. May we all be spared to meet again.
Monday, Christmas Day, 1899.—This Christmastide will never be forgotten by us. We do not quite know whether the Boers will respect the day, and we will therefore have to remain at our posts. My wish is that we may be all spared to see many more Christmases, but may they be brighter than this one! Still I do not lose sight of the fact that we have much to be thankful for. Though we are in a dangerous position we have been mercifully spared from harm, and my prayer is that the same mercy may have been extended to you all, to my Violet, and to all hers. Each day seems harder to bear when we have no news from loved ones, and no rift in the cloud appears.
Friday, 29th December.—Since Monday I have not been able to do any writing. Once or twice I began about this time in the morning—six o’clock—but the firing increased so that I had to give it up.
On Tuesday a dark cloud spread over the town; for in attacking a trench with a force of 150 we lost 52 killed and wounded. The attack was made on a trench very near the railway line about a mile and a-half from town, the Colonel’s idea being to try and destroy the trench, so as to open up the north a little. However, it appears that once more a spy in our camp had given us away; for during the night before the attack, the fort had been very much strengthened, made, in fact, almost impregnable, except to a very large force. What was more, the trench was filled with Boers; and the line had been torn up—also during the night. This last business had a very serious result on the attack, for the armoured train was to have gone up abreast of the trench, and so covered the advance of the force. There seems also to have been mismanagement, for our 7-pounders were just getting the range when they were ordered to cease fire; and as our force was still 800 yards from the enemy, all that was done was to rouse up the Boers and let them prepare themselves. Just before 4 A.M., however, our men advanced, and were hardly fired upon until they were about 200 yards off; then volley after volley was poured into them. The order was given to charge. This was done with pluck equal to any force. At the beginning of the charge two officers were shot down—Captain Sandford killed and Captain Fitz-Clarence wounded. When the ambulance went out Captain Fitz-Clarence was found lying in a little ditch, smoking a cigarette, wounded through both legs!
The men charged right up to the trench, but they were dismayed to find that it was ten feet in height, with a ditch running round the outside, the whole being securely roofed in. Thus it was almost impossible for our men to get at the Boers. The officers who reached the trench—Captain Verner, late A.D.C. to General Goodenough, and Lieutenant Paton—fired their revolvers into port-holes out of which bullets were pouring. Some men also put their bayonets right through the port-holes. The two officers, however, were soon killed. Out of five officers that took part in the attack only one escaped uninjured; three were killed and one was wounded. So you will understand that by the time the men got to the trench all their leaders were down, and nearly every non-commissioned officer as well. Some one therefore gave the order to retire, and they did so. While they were retiring, too, they came under the fire of the Boer reinforcements, and lost rather heavily.
As far as we can judge, it was a great pity that the attack was made; but before Tuesday the majority of the people were anxious that an attack should be made. I am indeed very sorry for the Colonel, for hitherto he has done so well.
Yesterday two reliable English farmers informed us that they had it from native, sources that a large force was working its way up here, and had had two battles, and had completely routed the enemy at Pokweni. If this be true, and it is generally believed to be true, then they should be here in about ten days.
Sunday, 31st December.-This the last day of the year 1899 and the thirteenth Sunday of the siege, and still we seem exactly in the same position as we were in when the war began. It certainly looks as if the war was going to last very much longer than we expected, I should say that it will last, at least, another three months, unless our troops can manage to get the enemy in the open, and break the flower of their army.
Yesterday we received news of the Colenso and the Stormberg battles, and certainly we did not walk over at these places, Of course we get but few particulars but this we know, namely, that up till now, nearly three months after the commencement of hostilities, we are still fighting the enemy in our own country.
The news which we received from the south on Thursday has not been confirmed, and now-a-days we are loth to believe any good news. I am very anxious to know whether the Boers have tampered with Indwe. I hope not.
Runners seem to come in very frequently from the north, and yesterday a good many people got letters.
The last two days the shelling has been most violent, and no I have been very careful about working in the office. May the New Year, however, on the eve of which we are, bring better times; and may all my dear friends be kept and blessed, and ere long may we all meet again in peace!
