Diary of Ebenezer 'Edward' Barron, 1901 - Part 4

 

[[?]]  

[[?]]

I felt at peace  [[?]]

[[?]]

no voice to hear  [[?]]
[[?]]
We [[?gazed]] together?  It was beauty then
Perhaps so, if perfect "that amount of fun
[[?]]
As ^ {/]] me [[?]] the morning Breath xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[[?]]
 

 

Jack Orr

Shot at Rietpoort
2 bullets back
18-11-01
Pte Moore
17 Lancers
shot through R. thigh
    "           "        left to Right loin
through that xxx came out back
left of [[?]]
Shot through head with
Mauser revolver bullet
Sgt Spurling - Scout
Shot through lower thigh
& through head all
articles taken from body.

[* I [[?lent]] that [[?mights]] *]

Jack Orr

Shot at Rietpoort
2 bullets back
18-11-01
Pte Moore
17 Lancers
shot through R. thigh
    "           "        left to Right loin
through that xxx came out back
 
 I [[?]] that [[?]]  

Oct 29th 
Arrived [[?Bronkhorstspruit]] - about
50 unmounted men in camp
Column after [[?Been]] 15 miles away
Rained all night (pouring) no shelter
Oct 20. 8 -.a.m.  Had splendid coal
fire (about 1/4 [[?]]) cooked
B.fast - Severe hailstorm
(thunder & lightning) hail so large
(many of which were half an
inch in diameter( that they put
fire out & filled frying pan not with meat
but water in 5 minutes.  Column
returned about 12 am rained
all day in torrents wrote to [[Majo]]
C. rigged up awning 6 pm
wet through - no fire - took
off socks wrapped putties round
feet & went to sleep in cape cart
(sitting) one Blanket, awake most
of night. rain eased about
2 am, pipe splendid company
got up am as fresh as a
daisy dried socks etc. at
fire had a wash & felt
as comfortable as possible
Pony shot about 8 days ago
- through lazy work & not
able to go further.
Got Remount. Black mare
with white joints (a beauty)
- unbroken
Nov 2^nd Crossed to other
side of line better camp
very little wood. Got on
pony to go to Stn but
before I got properly into
sadle she was off like

a shot and turning
suddenly I was landed on
my back on the ground, which
made me breathe quickly -
- back my [[?panifin]]
for two days.
Nov 7^th Thursday struck camp
9 am. treked 8 miles halted
for dinner (2 hrs) treked
again 3 pm. arrived at
Victoria West siding where we
are suppose to entrain for
Stormberg (Gatacres  Reverse [[?]])
Nov 9 Sat wrote letter home, no
information as to leaving here,
had bath in splendid
natural basin about 6 ft
by 2½ had a [[shit?]] etc, washed
went without till dry, very hot.

very hot
Nov 10^th Lazy, lazy day very
hot strong wind (still) with
dust found Mikey Strang
played football a good
while soon got tired.
Nov 11^th Very cold wind
all day very chilly all
night. wrote home
xxxxx Wrote to [[? Von]] &
Miles C. more pleasant
day. very cold evening & night
xxx had just got into bed when
the Col came & ordered camp to pack
up & go over to Stn. there to
entrain Got up seen carts ready
& off to stn Then went to sleep
in the aftn, awake most of
night with cold

Nov 12^th  Posted letters - up
at 5 a m  had horse fed

by Coy, saddled up & made

for Stn (1 mile) had [[?cot]] in 

front running along side also
troublesome wanted to go back

to camp every few yards

Got to station had breakfast, Mac
& biscuit - coffee enjoyed it
will  about 8 a m. Got

horses & carts on board And

are now standing in Stn

I wish the train would move 
off & get to our destination

which I expect will be 2 days

and that is an open coal

truck (nice is it not?) Moves

off at 9 a m

Bevan 122
Emery 153
Parks, 217 
12-11-11

Deelfontein Hospital
Sun very hot all day

lay under cart most

of the time reading

Robt Hardy's 7 days.  [[? Stationary]]
stopped at all sidings to let

more trains pass - arrived

at De  Aar 3 p m

took horses & mules from

trucks & watered them

then gave them feed -

went to sleep at [[?dark]]

about 8 p m  slept most

of night although Par

 

 

[[?]] & [[?]] was good

Nov 13^th  Got up at 8 a m
found that in night mules

had been taken on by

another engine & wagons  put

on our train instead.  Got

to Steynsberg about 10 a m
watered & gave hay to horses
waited about 1½ hours &

they went on again.

Arriving at our destination

Stormberg Junction -1.30 p m

where we emptied  waste &
took all baggage to camp

about a mile away.

Had Mac &  Damper  for

breakfast  Mac & Bread

for dinner. Bread & Jam

for tea a few cakes I bought

at Steynsberg ½ lb cheese

consisted of my food  on

board &  [[?]] - I had one

drink of coffee while  there

Nov 14^th Stayed in camp

today, Went 3 times to Stn

on business - posted  feathers

home. to bed 8.30. Part of

Scobells column 2000 strong

moved off at 9 oclock p m

for night march -  Col [[?Lasens]]

of  [[?Gens]]    taking charge of all

what transports , to move

off at  5 a m in the

morning

 

 

Nov 15^th - Moved off 6

a m treked 12 miles

camped for dinner

camped for night treked

3 days to Jamestown
camped there for 2 hours

treked again for Barclay

east 4 days  at present

about 20 miles from 
there expect to be in

tonight  Have in ambulance

Rhejan Dysentry - Page

fall from  horse
Nov 18th Arrived Platefontein

Boers all around

in Kopjes. column Drivers

were told to proceed

to farm about 2 miles

Rietpoort & see wounded

Dr E & Bry  with out [[?]]

galloped as fast as

possible & found one 
of our own men first
John Orr scout 20 [[?]]

had been scouting &

shot twice one through

left thigh coming out on

right side of abdomen

the other was probably

through heart & going straight

thro from left to right

[*with  inscription

& made three beautiful
wreaths of yellow and

[[?]] which  gave*]

 

[*Nov 15th  Moved off 6

a m treked 12 miles

camped for dinner

camped for night treked*]

Left two

G F C troopers in charge

& sent to look for the

others found one  a

scout of the  7^th [[?]]

wounded ^Cpl Moore dead then  I shot

brown flares out with

Mauser revolver- buried

him at once  Black boys

were told there was  [[?]]

another near farm at

dam - went & found

him shot twice & more
the same  as the last

  of Prof

Spurling of  [[?]]

College - his boots &

hat were gone pockets

turned inside out &

everything taken  the

others  were not rifled

Next day  the Tasmania

made a beautiful

job of Jack Orr of [[?]]

cementing it over grating

wire with care : headstone

with inscription

& made three thoughtful

wreaths of yellow and

[[?]] which  gave

 

 [[?]] [[?]] [[?]][[?]]

[[?]] Xmas. We have reached
camp at last after a trek of two

months about without a

spell. Thankful  [[? to have]] a
rest  but this is a horrid place

a worse bad water etc
There is a beautiful lake here

where we go bathing - water

horses etc but is not fit

to drink owing to the refuse

that runs into it when  moving

We have had a very hard

time of it since leaving stormberg

two months ago - all  in 

very monotonous country

from early morning till

late at night climbing up

to a summit only to find

after a mile of level or descent

another mountain stepper than 
the first - horses & men were 

nearly all knocked up when

we got here - f you will

have some idea of the work

we have to do when  29

horses - goodones had to be 
shot & left behind unable

to walk further - through

hard work & short rations

Towards the end of our trek

we were after Fouches & his

men but by some means or

other he doubled back on the

other side of the range - & we went

on without knowing about it 

right up to  Basutoland

[[?borders}} where we mistook