Diary of Ebenezer 'Edward' Barron, 1901 - Part 3

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 side
beautiful, lighting up the evening
had the moon not been
at full & a beautiful night
it would have been even
sketch - see original document 

Went to Burghersdorp Hosptl
Augt 31^st To Karnar post
Sept 7^th   To Deelfontein
Sept 11^th  Left Hospital
Oct 17^th  for Steeynsburg
arrived there Oct 18^th 
Stayed in Doctor’s camp
until
Mr Swan to Send up ₤300 - to
Sgt Moore Steynsburg - 

Blank pages in this item have not been scanned 

Aug 11^th Left Column with
Dr Roach & 2 Ambulance - took
4 men to Steensburg Hospital
went to Smiths to have Amb -
repaired - stayed over night -
Slept in Ambulance - had
Scoff with Hospital staff  men
of Guards bearer compy.
Mon 12^th Amb repaired Dr Mattei
brought another for repairs sent
other out to Camp Shanks &
stayed to get other repaired
Smith too much work, have
to wait till tomorrow got
some provisions for Dr [[E?]]
M went out with Ambulances
4 pm - Slept in streets [[?]]
heavy -
Tues. 13^th.
Had breakfast - went
down to station had look 

at Armoured train - bullet
marks etc where they had been
hit by Boers in night [[?]]
fairly all round here done by
night. Orders are : fire on any
one after dark, without halting
which makes it dangerous to
travel 1 mile after sundown -
No 1 Company camped here today
Left 3.30 pm for Shanks camp
which ^our column left 6 am this am

very dark & stampede
our horses - but although occasional
shots were fired all
night long by ours & Boers -
we were not molested - altho
a few shots were heard to
ping by – not far above our
heads striking an iron shed
in the rear of us - I went to
bed about 11 pm & Slept
well all night 

was going on further when
Cptn Boss Remounts sent
trooper after us with orders
to return to camp as it
would be dangerous to go
on - he having received word
to that effect from Sburg -
We went back. & camped
for the night - about 7 pm
the fellows in Block House 

had a lively time of it firing
being incessant for about 2
hours, with occasional
volleys. We in the meantime
were all in readiness if they
should attack Remount
Camp even the Black Boys were
armed - in all about 75 men -
who had to guard about 500
or 600 horses - the Captain had
fears that they would attack
it being very dark & stampede
the horses. But although occasional
shots were fired all
night long by ours & Boers -
we were not molested - altho
a few shots were heard to
ping by – not far above our
heads striking an iron shed
in the rear of us - I went to
bed about 11 pm & Slept
well all night  

Wed 14^th Left Shanks on our
trek after Column about 7.30
a m - Got on right road &
treked them by spoor on road
travelled at the rate of 8 m
an hour, sometimes more &
got on well ( good road) had
to give mules a spell for an
hour - about 15 miles from
Shanks - 10-30 to 11-30 - had
Scoff & set off again on our
journey across plains up &
down mountains across [[st?]]
drifts etc - about 3 pm
we came to farm where we
enquired if Col when Col had
passed & he told us that that
very day they had had a
scrap with the Boers & done
a good deal of Damage
English [[?]] Nayler wounded
in cheek - 1 Trooper 6 Pursuing
2 men slightly wounded 

We picked up one Commandant
wounded who died that night
One more seriously & one wound
through lung  1 Cape P.S Major
wounded & 3 Boers that we
Knew of (information from Dr R.
as I had not the pleasure of
attending to wounded or seeing
the fight - on we went still following
our column & came to a farm
where we got some bread & one
small piece mutton - but being
9-30 we made up our minds
to go to next farm & camp
there for the night having then
travelled about 30 miles
or over. We made another start
and off we went again 7 Soldiers
& 5 BBoys all told, 11 horses &
12 mules - later 11 mules - as one
had eaten too many mealies & had 

to be shot so on we went
gaily, a small party through
Boer infested country - just
when we were thinking of
striking camp our notice was
attracted by a heliograph about
4 miles on our left & we
saw through the glasses that
a good sized column were
camped there, so our leader -
(self installed) private at that
who knew the country as much
as we did said they were
heligraping for us, so on we
went turning back to our
left over the veldt & when
about a mile from them
we were told that as our
column’s position was not
Known to them we had better
follow them & camp where
they were & stay for the night 

at all events, So with much
mutterings about the said
Column which happened to
be the 17^th Lancers, DoG. Boys
( ☠  motto) with whom our
No 1 Company ^of ours have been
working - so that we were with
some one we Knew, when we
camped for the night ^8 pm having
done at the least 45 miles that day -
My little pony was very tired so I
tied him to a mule in the waggon team
& went inside -
Thursday 15^th Got up at 7 am (late)
saddled up & went along with Lancers
as they were going in direction of our
column - went about 10 miles when
we (our little column) branched
off on a side road & were again
on our own wandering thro the
^mountain passes & over plains - at 12 am
we came to Anderson’s farm 

he was an Englishman & his
farm was quite an English one
He treated us very well - Oranges
Milk & Cake etc. - but as he was
rationing himself for the members
of his family he could not give
us too much. We then went outside
where the Bboys had coffee brewing
which we enjoyed to wash down some
Boer Bread & Bully beef. We then
saddled up (1 pm) & made tracks
for the next farm (5 miles)
where our Column had camped
the night previously - We had
not long started when a great
big storm arose - Thunder which
echoed for miles among the hills
& Kopjes & Lightning, the like of
which I only saw once, (over
Edinburgh) presently down
comes the rain & hail in torrents
and the wind blowing, it was 

really a treat to face such a storm
by good luck we only caught
the last of the hail it, but I
had sufficient to satisfy any
ordinary man - Just as the storm
was abating & we had cantered
3 miles from the farm - I was aware
of a horseman galloping after me
Splashing through mud etc & shouting
as he passed me 18 Boers - & we
were [[?]] now (3 of us being by this
time at farm 2 miles distant -
Being in this position & left with
1 man who carried arms, there
was nothing left for me to do but
wonder if they were really Boers
or our own men & just dodge on
as before  going out of walk
being dangerous both to man
& beast, it being so slippery.
Well they gradually got nearer some going
to head us off others coming straight
for us & at last I saw they wore  

Khaki ( but that is nothing
to go by as some of The Boers
also wear it) which made us
proceed with doubt [[?]]
We went like this for about
a mile & at last found out
we were with scouts from
another column and our
minds at rest  We came
up to the farm house together
& went inside no one being at
home - On we went again
and found that part of our
transport was only 5 miles
ahead - and when we reached
the top of a Kopje - we could see
dust rising, and made good
headway to try & catch them
which we did just at dark
and followed well in rear 

for about 12 miles landing in
camp at 10 pm - having been
in the saddle from 7 in the
morning with 1 hours break -
travelling for the day being
about 45 miles at least -
Friday 16^th 
Went to bed last night
11.30 - up again 12.30 & saddle
up - treked at 2:30 a m and
Crossed Orange river in the dark
about 130 a yds wide  & in place
up to the horses shoulders where
we crossed the water was up to
Saddle girth - I got my feet wet
Rode on till about 12 oclock &
camped for Bfast or dinner I
do not Know which - treked
again 2.30 & made Q for camp
having seen no sign of Boers
Every Flower Garden is deserted
In [[hoping?]] one looks is any thing 

living to be seen - though
looted over & over again as
one column after another has
passed through - Beds broken
Barns broken up for firewood
etc & every thing breakable
broken & smashed, pictures etc
(every thing, no matter what)
Beautiful homes were desolate
3 Oct at 6 pm orders were
Saddle up - & off we went
again to cross the River
But just as the gums were
going to cross we got the
order to return to camp
which was only about 1 ½ 
miles  stayed in camp all
day  Transport gone to
Norvalspont
Sunday 18^th  Still in camp
Transport gone to Norvals - 

Pont - G F C had Concert  Sang
Old Musketeer -
Mon 19^th Still in camp (reading
up) getting ready to saddle up
& move off - 3 pm - Transport
came on - trek 3 pm - about
12 miles camp 2 miles this side
of Venterstad – 
Tuesday 20^th Treked 7 am -
Passed through Venterstad
treked 20 miles & camped at
1 pm - for day at farm -
Wednesday 21^st treked 7 am -
Went about 23 miles & camped
for day
Thursday 22^nd Treked [[?]]
Camped [[?]]
[[?]]
[[?]]  

Friday 23^rd Treked 7 a m
about 23 miles - camped at
farm on side of Railway line
Lang fontein - Remounts issued
Kept old Cleery poor fellow - good
horse -
Saturday 24^th Still at above farm
Rained very heavily - went into outhouse
& slept comfortable [[?]]
Sunday 25^th Left at 7 a m -
treked about 4 miles  camped
at Khapdar - on line - washed
Pony with Sheep dip – 
They told me thou wert dead -
Well ! such to all must come,
I simply bowed my head
I swoon - dumb -
Thou wert my faithful friend
For five long months or more
Together we did fend
On Africa’s Shore
With rations scant & short
When food was short & scant  
We each a biscuit shared 

On duty or at sport
We likewise fared
But now, alas ! thou’rt gone
Dead by [[?]] ! by cruel shot -
Thy bleaching bones alone
To mark the spot
Always dids’t thy duty well
Alxxx  xxx  xxx xxx  xxx
Thou wert as good as best
My pony good as best
Thy faithfulness  I’ll tell -
Now you thour’t at rest
Biesjespoort 3-11-01