TOPIC:

1900 - Kimberley siege day 86 (69%). Ladysmith siege day 68 (57%). Mafeking siege day 88 (40%).
1903 - Mr. Chamberlain at Pretoria.

In Kimberley:

13 head of cattle were driven in this morning; this makes up for those the enemy drove off a few days ago.

I noticed a Cape cart with a strong escort early this morning moving over Dronfield Ridge in the direction of the Intermediate Pumping Station.

During the day we fired 25 shells at Kampersdam and the enemy’s works near it from the search light (No 1 Kimberley). The enemy replied from the work on top of Kampersdam.

At 2 pm made a reconnaissance towards Wright’s Farm with 50 mounted men. Information had been received that enemy’s gun had been removed from Wimbledon ridge; it may have been but enemy opened with a Krupp from the same position, and made very good practice. Luckily we had no casualties.

I sent the following messages by search light this evening:

“From Kekewich, to Metheun Jan 8th 7 pm No 86. Cape Girl from Modder River has been prisoner in Boer lines near Wimbledon siding for past 2 months. She can give no information Boer numbers, but states that whenever there is fighting at Modder River enemy immediately South of Kimberley proceeds towards Modder River to assist. Such an occurrence on 6th Jan enabled her to escape. If you could inform me concerning your more important moves North of Modder River it might enable me to co-operate and capture cattle if nothing else. Girl states that Boer talk of surrounding and attacking Kimberley next Saturday, but this is oft repeated story, hence consider statement of little importance.”

“From Kekewich, to General Jan 8th No 87. My 70 of Jan 2nd as meat ration is now so small and as my check of all remaining breadstuffs completed yesterday works out satisfactorily and amounts will last until end of February at rate five eighths pound per diem I propose in order to inflict as little hardship as possible on inhabitants to keep breadstuff ration at that scale…”

“From Kekewich, To Metheun January 8th No 88. Present state of health of town white adult population good, typhoid more cases than usual this time of year. Stop. Adult native population good with exception of scurvy probably about 300 cases stop. Among infants and children diahorrhea is prevalent.”

I received the following:

“From Int M D To Int K B Jan 8th No I 38 of hundred natives sent by you out of Kimberley Dec 23rd 44 captured and given pass to go home. Your 80 of Jan 6th please send if possible further details damage Fourteen Streams Bridge. Boers attacked Caesars Camp on hill South of Ladysmith in force at 3 am 6th inst. They were everywhere repulsed. x x x x x

“From Int To Int Jan 8th No I 39. Several dets reported left Boer position for Dist between Jacobsdaal and Luckoff as follows: Dec 18th. 700 Tranvaalers to Luckoff. Jan 3rd 800 Kronstadters to Luckoff. Jan 4th 300 Jagersfonteiners to Roidam. Can you ascertain.”

“Jan 8th I 40. Native reports Laagers as follows: Freestaters and Transvaalers.
At Bergs Farm 1100
At Kimberley Rifle Ranges 900
Free Staters at Alexandersfontein 400
Free Staters at Bernandfontein 200
Free Staters at Olifantsfontein 300
Free Staters at Susanna 1100 and 2 guns. Can you verify.”

“From Chief Paymaster, To Kekewich. D F 154. Bank of Africa informs me that under your orders they have advanced you £35,000 pay of troops. Stop. Please confirm. Stop. Send detail by corps giving amount issued each. Stop. My books show advanced you to date £20,000. Distribution received amounts for £9881.16.6. How does this agree with your accounts.”

“From Alliance, To Kek. Your telegram 7th we approve transaction but treasury officer here says he has heard nothing of it and cannot settle till he does. He is wiring. We will wire again when settlement. Deliver Cooper Banking Corporation.”

“From Chief Paymaster, To Kek D P 156. Your message re transaction £70000 received. Matter will be adjusted with banks by the point charged your accounts pending distribution to troops being received. Amount expended in paying bills will be adjusted when communication is open. I think all information asked for has been in previous wires.”

“From General Manager, Bank of Africa, to Kekewich. Please inform Kimberley Branch bank of Africa Controller treasury has no advice regarding GALEAVERAT CALLEAVERAT.”

Small parties of the enemy were seen this evening at different points at and near the redoubts on Carter’s ridge. This is the first time I have seen more than a couple of his vedettes on this ridge since 28th November.

In Ladysmith:

All was ready to receive another attack, but the Boers made no sign beyond the usual bombardment. One of the wounded—a Harrismith man—says there is a strong party in favour of peace, men who want to get back to their farms and their families. We have heard that tale before, but still, here the Boers are fighting for freedom and existence if ever men did.

To-day's bombardment nearly destroyed the tents and dhoolies of our field hospital, but did little else save beheading and mangling some corpses. The troops were changed about a good deal, half the K.R.R. being sent to the old Devon post on Helpmakaar road; half the Liverpools to King's Post, and the Rifle Brigade to Waggon Hill.

At night there was a thanksgiving service in the Anglican Church. I ought to have mentioned earlier that on the night before the attack the Dutch held a solemn supplication, calling on God to bless their efforts.

In Mafeking:

Rained hard. Shelling went on as usual, and my usual sniping ground destroyed by four shells, and the occupant fatally injured. Shrapnell fired over the women's laager.

From the diary of William Watson, Ladysmith, January 1900:

Very little doing today, only a shell now and then. I think the rebels over exerted themselves on Saturday. Major Evans, N.M.R. tells me the rebels took one of the Light horse, prisoner, and strangled him. They are treacherous barbarians, and deserve no quarter. — The Rifle association and town- guard, mustered 128 men, out of a total of 135 for the battle on Saturday. Captain Molyneux, who commands them, is much pleased with his men. — We had 400 killed and wounded on Saturday. The rebels are said to have had 1500 killed. Such returns, when published by an enemy, are never reliable. Even Bonaparte’s account of Waterloo, was far from true, and Thiers’ account of the same battle, is a pack of lies. Lever has left us an infallible rule for finding out the value of an Irish female’s fortune. He says, “take half the sum specified and divide it by three. The quotient will be a flattering representation of the sum sought for.” This rule, will apply to all accounts of an enemy’s losses in battle.

1900 - From the diary of Trooper A J Crosby, Natal Carbineers

Jan. 8th Roused 4.30, going through usual routine. During the morning rode over to the I.L.H. lines meeting Maddon en route (he was not in the fight being on the sick list.) Looked up C.S. Mann who was in the thick of the battle, as also Clem Webb, the latter giving me a graphic description of the fight. The attack on their position was about 2 a.m. when one of the 4 vedettes on duty at the sanger below the enemy heard some one approaching. Shortly after two men appeared. At first he thought they were their own men as two had gone forward reconnoitring. When within speaking distance he challenged, getting “Friend!” in response to this, he ordered one to advance to give the countersign, and one came forward and shot him within a few yards. A sergeant who was down at the bottom visiting the outpost, came across 4 Europeans, also thinking they were his own men, until he heard their conversation, one saying, or words to the effect, “he be d..... if he was going to be moved down with grape shot.” and retreated and he went on the hills, but gradually widening the distance eventually making a detour to the right, where he managed to get the picquets out before the enemy gained the summit. Had it not been for this the loss of men would have been fearful, as they would have been caught asleep, as the whole of the vedettes had been laid hors de combat. Webb who was in charge of the burial party, went down to the Boers and had breakfast with them. They shook hands and treated him well. They acknowledged they had failed in their attempt, but would not admit having been beaten. They still think they will take Ladysmith (I don’t). He met one of the Manbys from Elands River, Harrismith, who was on the ambulance staff, having a long chat. He told him they had lost two Commandants and 4 Field Cornets, that the storming party at this point of attack consisted of 500 picked men from Harrismith and Heilbron districts, but not more than half went forward. It is said that these men were induced to volunteer on a promise of returning home, successful or not. From a telegram taken from one of the Commandants, he was ordered to take the position at all costs. The Gordons lost 16 men, including a Major, the I.L.H. 29, Royal Engineers 2 Officers, 1 Serg., 2 Corporals and 2 Sappers. The Devons all killed. The Devon undoubtedly saved the position. Col. Cunningham of the Gordons died this afternoon from Saturday’s wound.

Thanksgiving Service at “All Saints” - most impressive service. At the close, on singing the Te Deum, Sir George White and staff came up to the altar.

1900 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

No word of Buller yet. we rather expected another attack on Ladysmith today, but everything is quiet, with the exception of a few shells from our friend on the Umbulwana into the town. They evidently thought the wounded had been taken to the Town Hall again, for they put three round it and one through the roof.
Again it entered one of the lavatories, where a man was found lying dead. I have never heard the particulars of the case. Some people seem to think that he had been there for some time unknown to anyone, and others say he had been put there awaiting internment, but at any rate all is very quiet about it. No one seems to know the truth of the matter.

We have many narrow shaves at the Volunteer Hospital and two pieces of shell have fallen in the yard. I would give anything if the line was open before such a thing happened. This sickness is awful. Every day we have eight to ten patients sent in and we are always sending them on to Indombi. They have four hundred patients now and four of their nurses are ill. Mama has enteric fever, but it is only a slight attack as far as the doctor says, but she is very sick and run down.

There is so much enteric but fortunately it is not a bad or severe form. We have 55 patients tonight.

1900 - From the letters writer by Lt Col Park in Ladysmith

I have been through the most terrible experience of my life since I last wrote. Thank God for His great mercy, that He has brought me safe through it. On Saturday, the 6th, the Boers made a most determined attack on Caesar's Camp and Waggon Hill, which is a long flat-topped hill running East and West on the far side of the town. It is all one ridge, the east end being called Caesar’s Camp and the other Waggon Hill. The Boers crept up at both ends before dawn, and got to the edge of the crest, and held on all day, sometimes gaining, and sometimes being pushed back, both sides firing heavily and with terrible losses. We had five companies out occupying various posts elsewhere, and I was left with three companies in camp, the officers being Lafone, Field, Masterman, and Walker (Somersets, attached). At 4 p.m. I got orders to start for Waggon Hill at once, with every available man, to help Colonel Ian Hamilton who was hard pressed. I had the men under arms and we started within minutes, and got there about five, just as a most terrible thunder and hail storm burst over us, drenching us to the skin. I reported to Colonel Hamilton and asked what he wanted me to do, and he said, “Well, Park, there are about fifty Boers holding a small ridge of rocks just right in front of the line we are holding here, and only one hundred yards off; they have been there all day and are picked shots, and we cannot get them out. We have men almost on three sides of them, but they are all under cover of the rocks and pick off our men, if they show even their heads. If you can turn them out, we will give you anything in the world. The only way is to rush them with the bayonet; can you do it?” Of course, I could only answer that we would try. We settled details, and I then formed up the companies in column, close behind one another, as there wasn’t room to form line in the little hollow in which we were. We fixed bayonets and charged magazines, and I explained to each company exactly what we had to do, and when all was ready Colonel Hamilton said, “Go on, and God Bless you”, and away we went, the men cheering and shouting for all they were worth. The first few yards we were under cover, but when we reached the top of the crest line we were met by the most awful storm of bullets. I have never heard such a hot fire in my life, and can only compare it to the crackling of a dry gorse branch when thrown into a fire. We then saw for the first time what we had to do. The little ridge of rocks which the Boers held was right in front of us, and between us and it was 130 yards of open flat grass without the smallest cover or shelter of any kind. The men behaved most splendidly; every man went as straight and hard as he could for the enemy’s ridge, and there wasn't the slightest sign of checking or wavering, though, as I ran, I could see men falling like ninepins on both sides of me; and then at last, to my intense relief, when we were within about fifteen yards of them, I saw Boers suddenly jump up, turn tail, and fly down the hill for their lives, and the position was ours.

After a minute or two, when we had got settled down in the position and I had time to look around, I realised that not only had we lost heavily in the charge, but that we were still exposed to a heavy cross-fire from both flanks, from which we suffered severely. Just then Lafone remarked that he wished someone would tell the Imperial Light Horse fellows, who were holding a little ridge behind us, to fire at the Boers on our left front, and, without a word, Masterson jumped up and ran back across the open through the hail of bullets to give the Imperial Light Horse the message, and though he was badly hit at least three bullets in both thighs, he managed to reach them and give them the message, before he collapsed. It was a splendidly brave thing to do, and I have strongly recommended him for the V.C. Very soon after that I was watching Lafone, who had got a rifle and was sniping at Boers, when I suddenly saw a little hole come in his head just above his right ear, and he just sank down as he sat. I crawled over and found him quite dead, poor old fellow, and a little further on I found poor Field, also lying dead. Walker (of the Somersets) had been shot dead during the charge, and about fifty-two men were either killed or wounded, and I was the only officer left. It was then about 5.30 or 5.45, and there was nothing for it but to hang on where we were till dark. The rain and hail had poured down all the time and I had no coat of any sort, and I lay behind a rock fairly blue with cold, and my teeth chattering so that I could hardly speak. It wasn’t funk; I own I was in a horrid funk just before we started out, but that all went directly we were off and never came back again, and I felt myself as cool and steady as possible. It was sheer miserable cold. The men had their thick khaki serge greatcoats, and were better off. After a bit I spied a blanket lying rolled up a little way off and crawled off after it, and to my joy found there were two and a waterproof sheet, so I took one, and put the other and the waterproof sheet over three of the wounded men who were close alongside me, one of whom I had bandaged up. The time passed somehow, and never was darkness more longed for, and when at last it came the Boers gave us a final burst of firing for about a minute, which did no harm, and then bolted down the hill finally beaten, and their attack had failed. I expect you will have seen in the papers all about the attack, and how the day was saved by a gallant bayonet charge by the Devons, and that Lafone, Field and Walker were killed; but you may not know that I was there and commanded it all, and have come through it without a scratch. As at Elandslaagte, before beginning, I just asked God to help me to do my duty and to keep me safe from harm, and here I am. At dark I posted outposts along our front, and leaving the companies to help in collecting dead and wounded, I went off to report to Colonel Hamilton, who, I found, had just gone to rest and get some food at the 60th mess shelter. He thanked me most heartily and said how splendidly we had done our work, and was most dreadfully cut up at hearing our terrible losses. The 60th fellows gave me a jorum of hot broth, like good Samaritans, and then I went back to the companies and found that Ravenshaw, whom I had left behind to get some rations and water brought up, had arrived and brought a warm coat for me, and we settled down for the night under two rocks. It kept fine and was not very cold, but the ground was very stoney and rough, and the rocks very uncomfortable, and I was thankful when dawn came and we could move about again and get the remainder of the dead carried down. I got a dry ship’s biscuit given me, which Ravenshaw and I shared, and some water from my bottle for chota haziri, and at seven I went to get orders from Colonel Hamilton. He said Sir G. White was coming up at eight, and after that I could return to camp as all was quiet. I was relieved and thankful, and got the companies collected and everything ready, and then some bully beef and biscuit came up for the men's breakfasts, after which Sir George came round and called me up and shook hands with me, saying “I congratulate and thank you for the splendid work you and your men did yesterday. It was magnificently done. I am afraid you suffered very heavily, but you must remember that such work as that cannot be done for the Empire without loss.” Those are, as near as I can remember, his exact words. I thanked him as well as I could, and a lot of the staff came round and said how splendid it was, and how the honours of the day were all ours, and so on, till I began to feel quite uncomfortable, and escaped and took the companies back to the camp. We brought back the three dead officers, and they were buried the same evening.

I cannot at all get over Lafone’s death. It is such an utterly irreparable loss to the regiment. Ever since he joined he has always been the same bright, clever, witty fellow, good at everything he turned his hand to, and the most popular man possible with everyone. I can’t think of the regiment in barracks without him any more, and I feel that a success bought at the price of his life is a very dearly bought one for us. Field also was a very clever, nice fellow, and an exceptionally good and keen officer. We have now lost all our senior subalterns, and have actually at duty just eight company and five staff officers, and we started with twenty-nine, and had at one time thirty-one.

I have recommended Masterson for the V.C. for great bravery and heroism on Saturday, and Colour-Sergeant Palmer, of F. Company, for the Distinguished Conduct Medal. I am sure both Colonel Hamilton and Sir George White will back up any recommendations I may submit, and I am also pretty sure that they will recommend me personally for something good, so that I hope my brevet is now assured, if I am spared, and perhaps some decoration as well. This p.m. General Hunter sent me a telegram from Sir R. Buffer to Sir G. White: “Congratulations for whole force on your brilliant defence, and specially to Devon Regiment. Hope to meet you soon”. which is nice of him.

Everything has been quiet yesterday and today, so I hope the Boers are not going to try and attack again. I hope Buffer will really come in soon and end this weary waiting. It is bad enough to wait quietly, but to be attacked and harassed as well is worse, and we cannot afford to throw away any more lives. Marvellous to say, my ducking and sitting out, wet through, all night, seems to have almost cured my weak inside, as I am certainly much better now than I have been for a week past, and am eating meat and other things much as usual.

Lafone’s youngest brother in the 4th Hussars has just given me a little leather travelling medicine case of his as a memento, which is exceedingly kind and nice of him. I wanted some little thing of his and this will just suit. It is flat and takes up little room, and is solid brown leather and unbreakable. I hear that the Boers’ losses on Saturday were very heavy, and that they are much disheartened, and that that particular commando have had quite enough of it and say that nothing will induce them to attack again, all of which is good news. Can’t write more now. Pray always hard, as I know you do, that God will keep me safe and bring me back to you soon. May he always keep you safe, and grant a quick ending to this most terrible war.

1900 - From the diary of Major George Tatham, Natal Carbineers

Went round outposts with Major Bru de Wold. Nothing unusual happened. Wales returned to mess from hospital.

About breakfast time a Long Tom shell struck a cart and horses, injuring two to such an extent that they had to be shot. Archdeacon held a Thanksgiving Service - very impressive.

Raining heavily all night.