Diary of Ebenezer 'Edward' Barron, 1901 - Part 2

Lads remember you are
Britons
Sworn to serve your country’s
King -
Do your duty, do it nobly -
On your name no black stain
bring
We are weary, yet our hearts beat
At peace from all lifes care & strife
ere manhood had begun
Left here but with in his comrades hearts
he still shall live
fond memories 

In youth cut off before the
flower had blown
To serve the Mother country & his
own
Lives on [[ they are tomorrow ? ]]
He left his home, & all he loved
so dear
Alas! to die
A patriot; ne'er never a sign of fear
And To died, with no one there near to shed
a tear
In youth cut off - before the flower 
had blown
To serve the Mother country & his
own
28-12-01  Dordrecht 
 

Violets sweet, the the heads
now drooping
Never more to rise again
whisper to me but her
message
Whisper to me but her name
3
Thou went once adorned
with beauty
Laughing sweetly to the sky
Glading with thy sweetest
fragrance
Hearts of all that passed thee by
When she plucked them did
her eyes cheat
Did her lips a name repeat
Did her heart one pulse beat
flutter
With a thought of love
for mine
             2                             1      3
Now those heart beat one must beat glad
the
and that heart be none
My heart for a Little while
but mine
Make me feel her ever
near me
With her gentle child like innocent loving smile
Dead thou art to other gazes
Life in thee I'll always see
For is not to think of Janine
Life & every thing to me
2
Did her lips but murmur
"cigaresta"
Did her eyes with pleasure
shine.
Did her heart one pulse beat
flutter
With a thought of love
for mine 
 

Notes taken when treking in
South Africa, on active service
with the 2^nd Tasmanian Imp
Conting^t Bushmen
Jan 7^th(Mon) went into Camp
at New Town Hobart  was there
for 3 wks before knowing whether
I was selected, given a beautiful
chestnut horse ^(not a horse chestnut) 3 years. first time
I got on him with spurs he bolted
I wanted to go one way, he another
we went; he then stopped dead
I also stopped, not of my own wise
but by the ground -
Nothing of importance happend
during our long stay in camp,
we were very comfortable, had plenty
to eat, good but roughly cooked
which I considered was good food
spoiled. - Met some very nice 
 

people in Hobart, & altogether
enjoyed myself while there
After being passably proficient
in drill I was put in charge
of Hospital P.H.O having
another orderly to do the work
I had really very little to do
but walk about -
I had to help D^r in selection
of raw recruits.
About 2^nd week in Feb had
accident to left thumb; while
tying my horse up, he took fright
and ran back the length of halter
rope, & my thumb being in the knot
the top of first joint was wrenched
completely off, bone snapped clean
while knitting (June 23) it is not
altogether healed.
We had at last to make
some attempt to do something
for the money we were
getting so made a start by
going on board S S Chicago -
Wed March 27^th
After the long stay of 10 wks
camp we at last embarked
going on board the troopship
which was to take us to far
Africa, there to do or die as
was our fate -
Before ten oclock people
began to arrive from all directions
was & by the lining the piers from
all points of view, bunting
was flying everywhere & the
town & people were gay as
could be
As the troops marched
down on the pier alongside the
vessel (2,50) (the horses having
previously gone aboard)
It was a splendid sight (also
a sad one) to see so many
men, the flower of Their
manhood leave theem. 
 

land of their birth, the
land of their love, their
dear ones, and their home
to fight for that dear old land
England, from where, which, nearly
every one of those brave men
had first to thank for their
existence - At 12 oclock all
visitors had to say the last
farewell & leave the ship
and by one pm on a perfect
day the huge mass left the
pier amid the ringing
cheers from thousands of
throats which mingled with
the hurrahs of our own men
and the sound reechoing from
the bold rugged front of M^t
Wellington in the background
There were a few men
who were very quiet for some
time, many could be seen with
moist eyes, and a few with
falling tears which came
from a heart, probably
thinking of dear ones left
behind, perhaps never to be
seen more.
Every thing went well
until we reached the heads
when the swell soon thinned
the decks of the men as one
by one the took their turn
at the ships side and after
hing any cargo glided 
 

softly down the narrow
& steep steps to the deck where
the horses were housed, the
odour of which made many
discharge cargo which they 
thought they had got rid of
above
For a few days after
it was a pityable sight to
see the men in all their good
clothing lying about in scuppers
where the water was washing
backwards & forwards with
the heaving of the ocean.
Some were all right in a
few days others were sick
all the way to our destination
On the whole we had a
splendid voyage, and a splendid
ship which rode gaily over
the heavy swells which we
met occasionally
Wed 3^rd April - lost sight
of land, West Australia
Most of the boys all
right again, & enjoying
themselves in different
ways, deck qu^oits smoking
reading yarning etc.
Services were held on the
ship every Sunday morning
when all who were not
on duty had to attend 
 

the officiating gentleman being
Lieut Bisdee V C – who
performed the ceremony in
an able manner -
We had also a few
concerts in the evenings
which took very well
the talents on board
pleasing all with songs
recitations etc and
helping to pass the time
away which was now
beginning to drag heavily
most of the boys being
anxious to get ashore
either to have a good
round feed or to give
the Boers a few battles
I really do not know
which -  
July 23^rd Liewtnut Stn
 "   24^th Treked 8am passed
thro Molteno 10.30 - camped
12 am treked, 3pm - camped
for night Rondavel - 4.30.
25^th Treked 7.30 passed Marshmoor
& Lesfontein - halted about 10.30
for few minutes halted again for
4 hours at 11am  Boers often
farm - Treked again at 3pm halted
4.30 - Sent out after horses
Camped at Leeuwinfontein - got 
 

26^th  up at 6 am treked 7.00
halted 9.15 [[ out opened ? ]] for water
off again 15 minutes - camped outside
Dordrecht ^(about 10 miles) 10.45 - treked 3 hours (I ga
& rested
camped about 6 oclock  7am Boers
passed thro here an hour before
we arrived - expecting to locate
them tonight may have to get
saddled & off 12 or 1 oclock
very cold snowing & hail
with cold wind all afternoon
camped about 6pm at Noorgles Station
Snow all night 2 or 3 inches
in most ^Some places 6 to 8 inches
28^th ^awakened at 6.50. Treked at 7 am - done
some mountain climbing snowing
all the time walked most of
way halted at 11am
had dinner treked 2pm
camped 
3pm -
near Stormberg
Klipfontein N^r Stormberg
Stranger pass not by without
one thought
Of those whose bones beneath
this mound now lie
They left their homes yes all they
loved & fought
as brave men fight, and died
as heros die
Their graves are not with lovely
laurels strewn
Nor flowers put there by hands
of those once dear
a simple cross by trusted comrades
hewn
Marks their last bed beneath the
rocks so drear
They rest in peace their work of
valour done
In prime of youth & manhoods
happy state
Beneath the starry sky & southern
sun
They passed away alas! twas
but their fate 
 

29^th Treked [[?]] [[hour ?]] camped
about 12 oclock - Boers rep
near - firing heard  went along
with D^r & Tasmanians - climbing
steep mountain sides - down them
very steep & dangerous – horse
had to jump down over ledges
sometimes 3 ft almost perpendicular
- all got down safely
looking for Boers, saw none,
Cantered about 5 miles dusk
went to farmhouse for butter
Paid 1/-  lb & troubled by goose
in to bargain - lost column
in dark, had to track after
by moonlight - cantered after
them for about 3½ miles and
at last met some officers -
camped - for night no blankets
not a bit of biscuit – coffee
etc boy killed sheep - ate half
among 4 of us - made large
fire - put sheep skin over
feet & slept beside fire
for about 5 hours - very
seedy next morning - got 3 fowls
30 Treked 9 am and reached
main column about 12 am
had good feed ½ duck which
I had cooked in ambulanceX
Boers were fired on by our
men at another place whilst
we were out we lost 1 man
killed & 3 wounded 1 serious
3 bullets chest 1 leg - Boers
2 killed & 1 wounded for whom
they commandeered a cape cart
to take him to hospital, he
however died on the way when
they buried him & left cart
[[D^r ?]] curry over horses  head bag
30^th Treked 9 Osler - reaching
main column about 12 am
had good dinner ½ duck 
 

which was in ambulance
cooked - Boers not far from
here - Got word to go to
- the place they were making
for came over rise, when
a beautiful sight met the eye
a large fire raging over the
plain & up mountain sides
beautiful, lighting up the surroundings
had the moon not been
at full & a beautiful night
it would have been even
better - camped about 7.30
had goose & 4 fowls plucked
upon a bed roasted potatoes
in ashes (good) - went to bed
10.30 - up xx 4 in Ambulance
31^st Treked 7.30 had to go
cross deep drift – Ambulance
[[ out useful ?]]  - [[ Scotch cart axxxt ?]]
champagne - whisky & brandy
Bovril Cornflour etc
all was well - on dusk
resting peacefuly on top of
hill - writing free from all
worry & care - still after Boers
Sgt Wise 3 28 - 30 -
Aug 7^th 
__________________