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

which was [[completely?]]
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 sight
it is [[?]] been even
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
Went to Burghersdorp Hosptl

Augt 31^st. To [[Karnar?]] port
Sept 7^th to Deelfontein
Sept 11^th Left Hospital
Oct 17th for Steynsburg
arrived there Oct 18^th
Stayed in & [[?]] camp
until
Mr Swan to send up ₤3 - to
Sgt Moore Steynsburg - 

 

Aug 11^th Left Column with
Dr Rush & 2 ambulances - took
4 men to Steynsburg

Hospital
went to Smiths to have Amb -
repaired stayed over night.
Slept in ambulance - have
Scoff with  Hospital staff men
of Guard bearer compy
Mon 12^th Amb repaired [[Dr ?]]
brought another for repairs sent
other out to camp [[?]] &
stayed to get other repaired
Smith too much work - xxx have
to wait till tomorrow got
some provisions for Dr [[?]]
In went out with Ambulances
4 pm - Slept in [[?]]
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  [[ Sham.?.]]

which ^ our column left 6 am this [[morn?]]

very dark a stampede of horses, but although

occasional shots were fired all
night long by ours  at Boers

we were not molested altho

a few shots were heard to 

[[?]] iz  - 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  [[?Spenks}} on own

trek after Column about 7.30

a m . Got on right road &

treked them by  spoor on road

travelled at the rate of 8 ml

an hour sometimes more &

got on well ( good route) have

to give mules a spell for an

hour- about 15 miles from 
Blanks -10.30 to 11-30 had

scoff & set off again on our

journey across  [[Jolmins ?]]  up  &

down mountains & across [[sheer? ]]

drifts etc about 2 pm

we came to farm where we

[[ignited?]] of Col when Col had

parade & he told us that that

very day they had had a

scrap with the Boers. & done

a good deal of Damage

[[?]] at  Haylen  [[Connain?]]

in [[cheeps?]] 1 Trooper  CP seeing

2 men slightly wounded

We picked up one commander

wounded  who died that night

One more seriously & one wound

through lung 1 Capt P.S.major

wounded & 3 Boers that we

knew of ( information from Dr H

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
3.30 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 stay

and off we went again & [[?]]

& 5  138  Boys all told 11 horses &

11 miles later 11 mules as one
 had eaten too many mealies & had

to be shot so on we went

gaily, a small party  there in

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 Boer column were

camped there, so our leader

(self installed) private at that

who knew the country as much

as we did said they were

heliographing 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 & O G..Boys

( ☠  motto) with whom wxx

No 1 company^of ours have been

working so that we were with

some one we knew when we

camped for the night ^ B Coy Having

done at the last 45 miles that  day

my little pony was very tired  as if

[[taken?]] to a mule with exaggeration

& went inside.
Thursday 15^th.  Got up at 7 am (late)

saddled up & went along with team

as they were going in direction & five

columns. went about 10 miles when

we ( our little column) branched 

off on a side road & we were again
on our own wandering thru the

^mountain passes & over plains  at 12.00

we came to [[Anderson's?]] farm

he was an Englishman.  This 

farm was quite an English one.

He treated us very well  Orangeade

milk & cake est 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 BCoys  had coffee

which we enjoyed the most [[down?]]  [[?]]

Bon 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 latter of

which I only saw once ( one
striking bolt) previously  down

comes the rain &  falls 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 back  it. but  it 

had enjoyment to satisfy any

ordinary man. Just as the [[?]]

was [[?]] & we had cantered

3 miles from the farm - I was aware
of a horseman  galloping after me

splashing through mud etc  & shout out

as he passed me 18 Boers  . & we 

were so low ( 3 of us being by this

time at farm 2 miles distant.

Being in this position I left with

1 man who carried arms. there

was nothing left for me to do but

wonder if they were really Boers

or even our men & just dodge on

as before going out of [[?]]

being  dangerous both toa man

& least, it being as slippery,

Well they ^gradually got nearer some going

to head us off  others coming along 

for us & at last I saw they were

Kaffirs ( but that is nothing
to go by as some of The Boers

also [[?]] which made us

pretend with doubt

We went like this for about
a mile of at least  [[?]]

we were with [[?]] from

another as [[?]]

pouns at  [[?]] We came

up to the farm house together