TOPIC:

1899 - Battle of Ladysmith or Lombard's Kop. Surrender of 850 British at Nicholson's Nek. First Canadian contingent embarks at Quebec.
1901 - Benson's column attacked at Bakenlaagte by Grobler and Louis Botha.


Lombard's Kop


Boers at Lombard's Kop


Benson's grave at Brakenlaagte

Kekewich's diary:

Heard that a despatch rider named Nixon who left here on 27 Oct with dispatches has been caught by the enemy.

Received report from the Commissioner of Police as to the evacuation of Vryburg. It is sad reading. Inspector Scott was placed in a very difficult position. This, and reports as to evacuation of other police posts will in due course be forwarded.

It is absolutely necessary to at once secure the efficiency of the Cape Police, and in order to do so I have approved of a very large quantity of clothing and equipment being issued to them at once. Many of them are in rags and have lost nearly everything they possessed. It must be decided hereafter whether cost of replacing these will be borne by the Imperial or Colonial Government. I conclude the latter. When the Police posts N of Kimberley were evacuated, almost everything was abandoned.

I am assembling Courts of Inquiry as to all these losses, but all officers are so fully employed on the more important and urgent work of defence of this place that I have been unable to move as quickly in the matter, as I would wish.

From the diary of William Watson, Ladysmith, October 1899:

Six o’clock a.m. A battle began about half an hour since. It sounds quite close to the town. One gun in particular, makes a tremendous report. From the diary of William Watson, Quite different to the others. Probably this is the rebel’s much vaunted 40 pounder. The cannon sound further off. As I write, the roar of the cannon is becoming more continuous. I have an idea the big gun will not prove a success in the hands of amateur, Boer gunners. Our men have long wanted to get the rebels down as far as this, away from their strong positions of Lang’s nek, and Van Renan’s Pass. The guns few and far between. The balloon has been up all the morning, near the battle field. Several shells came into the town from the Boer Cannon. One made a hole in Davies’ school. The battle is at Lombard’s kop and Dance kraal, to the north east. Another lot of rebels, is said to be threatening us from the westward. Let ’em all come. The streets are lined with cannon and foot soldiers. The town guard is mustered. The big gun has again opened fire. A thousand blue-jackets arrived this morning - 2.30 p.m. The cannon are silent at last. A woman was wounded down this way, by a shell splinter, but I have not heard her name. The battle at Lombard’s kop, has not been of much importance. There was a great noise of artillery, but no close fighting. The Boers kept in cover, and General White, wisely declined to expose his men. It was a double battle. Joubert commanded some fifteen thousand Transvaalers at Lombard’s kop, and four or five thousand Free Staters, attacked us on the west, or north west. The battles may be regarded as a drawn game. Several shells burst near my house, doing little damage.

1899 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

What an awful day we have had, we none of us shall ever forget it. The Artillery and troops began to move out at 2 o'clock this morning. At precisely ten minutes past five we heard the first shell. We laid still for about five minutes, then they went on hot and strong. We got dressed, then strolled up the street. At every gate groups of men, women and children were standing talking over the latest rumours. We gathered at the corner by the Church.

We met Mrs. Barker, the girls and Nurse Stowe, who is nursing Mrs. Barker's cousin wounded at Elandslaagte. While we were talking and the boom of cannon going every few seconds, another shell from "Big Tom" as we call it, burst not far away. Aunt Fanny joined us shortly afterwards with young Tom Turner. Aunt Fanny was carrying a piece of ceiling board, it looked like, which she had got out of a house struck. She says it was occupied by an old woman and her daughter. The other rooms were filled with refugees I believe, but this old woman and her daughter were still in bed and it struck quite close to them. The old woman, in scanty garments, put on her bonnet and took her canaries and said she was off to a safe place I We all went in and had a cup of coffee with the Barkers. After breakfast the shells were coming fast and thick all from this one big gun, most of them not bursting though, although whenever one whizzed past we dodged, thinking it was going to hi't us. At about half past nine Aunt Fanny, Uncle William, Normand and I walked up to the hill behind the Convent to see what we could of the battle. With powerful field glasses we could see the shells falling all round "Long Tom”, but the Boers always kept under cover, and as usual had taken up a' splendid position. We remained as long as we could or thought it safe, but when they began to shell the old camp and we heard the rifle firing as well, quite near, we thought discretion the better part of valour and retired. When we got home we found there had been a panic at this end of the town. All the women and children had fled to the shelter of the hill and banks of the river. This had put the fear of death into our servants. Three or four shells had fallen at this end of the town, two in the Volunteer Camp. However, they sobered down when they saw Aunt Fanny, I think they thought she had fled to the hills. Just before lunch we heard the shout of "Baas Buyela"! We all ran down and had only just got on the back verandah when the whirrr of a shell sounded in the air and a piece of the shell fell a few feet from us. This was the last from "Long Tom”, as three large Marine guns arrived just in the nick of time. They arrived at the Station and were taken to position without any loss of time, and after three shots "Long Tom" was silenced, they say only for 24 hours though. Willie and Alick arrived just after lunch and it was most amusing to hear their description of the fight and their experiences. Willie came first, and when Alick came, before he looked at any of us, he said, "Hello, Willie old chap, are you alive?". This afternoon who should turn up but Captain Adams. He arrived at twenty to four this morning and he says the twenty thousand troops will not be here for a fortnight yet. What are we going to do until then? As we expect another day tomorrow I will stop.

1899 - From the diary of Trooper A J Crosby, Natal Carbineers

Roused at 1 o’clock, leaving camp at 1.45 a.m. and took up position on kopje next to Umbulwana. Two shells were fired, falling close to the N.M.R. but did no damage. Boer artillery commenced firing at 5.15, several shells dropping near town. Returned mid-day.

Source: Diary of the siege of Mafeking by Edward Ross

Monday, 30 October 1899

Enemy started shelling at 3 o’clock with their big gun and sundry seven pounders; the brutes commenced shelling the women’s laager, four 94pounders coming right inside the women’s laager, and six within two hundred yards. We suppose they will frighten the women, and so compel the men to surrender. This is one of Cronje’s usual sort of methods, but he has made a vast mistake this time.

The enemy can be both seen and heard blowing up the railway line north. 

A few more big shells and sundry smaller ones came into the town in the afternoon, only doing damage to the buildings.

General Cronje sent in an ultimatum this evening saying that he did not wish to cause any more bloodshed and that at this the eleventh hour, to give us one more chance, [he asked] us to surrender; he also asked why the natives were allowed to fight against them. Cronje complained about the dynamite mines about the town and said that it was not civilized warfare.

In reply to his letter B.P. told him that as he had shelled the native village and killed their women and children they were naturally allowed to defend themselves; about the dynamite mines, he was told that as Pretoria was surrounded with dynamite he was able to do likewise; as to the bloodshed part of the business, he was told about the fowl and the dog that was killed, and asked when the bloodshed was going to commence.

B.P. expressed an opinion tonight that the enemy will make a strong attempt on the town tomorrow and that after we have beaten them off most of them will soon be on the road to the south. Mauser bullets flying about us all night.