Picked this up off
Facebook
, Somerset West didn't have a good war either:
"from Peggy Heap's book 'The Story of Hottentots Holland' (1970):
'One day alarming news spread through the village like wildfire - a Boer column was approaching down Sir Lowry's Pass! Houses were hastily shuttered, locked and bolted, the streets cleared, the Town Guard was called out and mustered in front of the Court House. Commands were barked, the guards stood rigidly to attention. But the excitement was too much for someone. A trigger was pressed accidentally and the guard scattered as a shot rang out. Surprisingly, no one fell to the ground writhing in agony, and the only damage done was a bullet hole - a scar which remained for many years - under the arch of the Court House entrance. Order was restored, and everything possible was done to prepare for the defence of Somerset West. A deep and slightly shame-faced calm fell on the citizenry when it was discovered that the approaching enemy column was nothing more war-like than a herd of oxen (!) Mrs. Hewat, the Doctor's wife, who had been in Cape Town for the day and unaware of the rumour, returned home to find that her servants had hidden her silver, china and glass!'
Now, that is the sum total of Somerset West's involvement in the ABW! Except to mention that a Mrs. Morkel, during the ABW, prevented her carriage horses - to whom she was devoted - from being commandeered by the British Military, by deliberately laming them."