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1899 - Diary of the siege of Mafeking by Edward Ross

Wednesday, 3rd January

Our Nordenfeldt and snipers yesterday must have done some damage to the enemy as late in the afternoon their ambulance waggon could be seen coming down towards the big gun from their main camp; they showed the Red Cross flag and after moving about the veldt a bit, were then seen to retire.

Our old x6-pounder opened fire from the western outposts on the enemy’s Game Tree fort, giving them about 25 rounds of solid ball. Not much damage was done as it is impossible to shoot well with the old delapidated muzzle-loading gun made about 50 years ago and which has neither sights or elevating gear, the latter having to be fixed up and arranged with wooden blocks.

The enemy commenced after breakfast firing a seven-pounder from one of their northern trenches. Nearly all the shells landed in or about the women’s laager, one shell bursting in the midst of some little children killing one and mortally wounding another; one lady also was slightly grazed in the leg by a splinter from another shell. B.P. immediately sent out a wdxite flag and remonstrated with the Boers who, after some considerable time, relinquished fire, and in the night removed the gun to somewhere near to the race course.

Old Creetje fired 10 shots at or about the town today, making the total of over 70 rounds she has fired since last Friday and over 700 rounds since commencement.

Quiet in the afternoon till about 4 o’clock when, with all the cheek imaginable, our small guns went out and challenged the enemy to an artillery duel. Our two seven-pounders, Nordenfeldt, and the old Nelson were placed down the river at different points within range of their - the enemy’s - fort and covering their big gun, etc. The seven-pounder commenced and then the other let go and kept it up till nearly 6 o’clock. Lord Nelson of course joined in and assisted the bombardment, but shot very erratically, some of the solid balls dropping five or six hundred yards in front of the enemy’s fort, others going right over them, seemingly making a beeline for the Transvaal about 20 miles away. The enemy replied with their 94-pounder, their 12-pounder and seven-pounder, and the 1-pound Maxim, but did absolutely no damage, although at one moment we thought that our little Nordenfeldt was done for. A shell from the enemy’s big gun struck right in front of it, enveloping gun and men in one big cloud of dust. We who were watching thought it was all over with them, when suddenly even before the dust had cleared away pop, pop w'ent our little ’un, and we all gave a big sigh of relief and cheered the men. The two fellows at the gun
have certainly got plenty of grit, they bang away at the big gun the moment the smoke shows from the muzzle without knowing or caring where the shells may come.

The Boers must have thought we intended an attack on the big gun, as they could be seen riding from all quarters as if for dear life, with the evident intention of reinforcing the big gun fort. B.P., on the other hand, had the whole of the Volunteers out in readiness to repulse any attack the enemy might make on our own guns. They were, however, not wanted, the Boers not being very fond of being the attacking party, as they had already learnt at Mafeking the cost is too great. Of course, it is not their courage that is questioned. Oh! dear no, they are brave enough to stand up sometimes at 6 miles away and fire off their rifles. After our artillery had retired it was seen that they had been successful enough to knock a very large hole out of the side of their large fort; this was presumably done by a common shell from one of our seven-pounders. It seems as if our afternoon game has nonplussed them, at any rate they are keeping very quiet and they have not even given us a good-night shell.

Today for the first time our flag signallers were used and did very useful work.

A queer incident occurred during the above. No one seems to know what orders were issued to the Volunteers but when they were told to move down under cover of the township and get in readiness to cover our guns if necessary, they started to go right out into the open veldt, where they could have been sniped and potted all over the place. B.P., who was watching everything, sent an orderly after them, saying they were to keep back and take cover under the houses and walls and wait [for] instructions. It was a very narrow thing and they might have lost a lot of men. As it was, everything turned out well, and B.P. and the rest of us had a good afternoon’s fun, at the same time harassing and making things disagreeable for the enemy. It is only a pity we cannot give them just as hot a time as they give us now and again.