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

[[?]] [[?]]  you the [[?]] [[?]] [[?]] ray
Of stars, gleaming, on the rippling bay,
I felt at peace; twas closing of the day
I stood with him
The moonbeams oer the water still do shine,
The beauty gone; alas ! - no hand in mine.
No voice to hear - no eye to see; I pine
afar from him.
Ah ! shall those moonbeams seem so bright; as when
We gazed together ? all was beauty there;
Perhaps so, if perchance I see again
That scene with him
Biesjespoort   30 Oct. 01
-------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Ask me leave [[?]] [[?]]   [[laugh?]]  [[I longed?]]
As the morning Breaks & Evening shadows fall
J[[?]] ! I answer yes;
V[[?]] ! from your pure heart
Can you an answer [[less?]].
Under dark African sky
My every thought of thee
May I but have one hope
In this xx you think of me.
Neath T[[?]] [[say?]] [[?]] [[place?]] 
God willing, we shall meet
Some day - our parting now
[[?]] [[Should?]] [[?]]
[* W. Victoria Road Stⁿ 
8-11-01 *] 
 

Jack Orr.
Shot at Redpoort
2 bullets body.
18-11-01
Pte Moore
17 Lancers
Shot through R. thigh
   “        “     left to Right Side
through thorax came out back
left clavicle
Shot through head with
Mauser revolver bullet
Sgt Spurling - Scout
Shot through lower thigh
& through head - all
articles taken from body. 
 

I lend that thou mights
S [[?]]
With which there may [[?]]
[[?]]
Instead of [[?]]
[[?]]
[[?]]
[[So read it well?]] [[to?]] [[?]]

H E Barron 
 

Oct 29^th 
Arrived Biesjespoort - about
50 unmounted men in camp
Column after Boers 15 miles away
Rained all night (pouring) no shelter
Oct 30. 8-a m Had splendid coal
fire (about 1/4 cwt)  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 Miss
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 a m, pipe splendid company
got up a m 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 hard work & not
able to go further.
Got Remount. Black Mare
with white points (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
Saddle she was off like 
 

a shot and turning
suddenly  I was landed on
my back on the ground, which
made me breathe quickly –
- back very painful
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 (Gatacre Reverse scene).
Nov 9 (Sat) Wrote home, no
information as to leaving here,
had bath in splendid
natural basin about 6 ft
by 2½ had shirt etc, washed
went without till dry, very hot.
------------------------------------------- 
very hot
Nov 10^th Lazy, lazy, day very
hot strong wind (whill) with
dust  found Mickey Strang
played – football a good
while soon got tired.
Nov 11^th Very cold wind
all day very chilly all
night. wrote home
Nov 12^th Wrote to Vons &
Miss C. warm pleasant
day. very cold evening & night
[[night?]] had just got into bed when
the Col came & ordered cart to pack
up & go at once to Stn there to
entrain Got up seen carts ready
& off to stn then went to sleep
in the open, awake most of
night with cold 
 

Nov 12^th  Posted letters - up
at. 5 a m  had horse fed
by boy, saddled up, & made
for Stn (1 mile) had cat in
front of saddle, very troublesome
pup running along side, also
troublesome wanted to go back
to camp every few yards
Got to station had breakfast, Mac
& biscuit - coffee - enjoyed it
well,  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 in an open coal
truck (nice is it not?) Moves
off at 9 a m.
------------------------------------- 
Bevan 122
Emery 153
Parks, 217

12-11-01
Deelfontein Hospital
Sun very hot all day
lay under cart most
of the time reading
Robt Hardy's 7 days. (Sheldon)
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 [[even though?]] the
 

noise & jolting was great
Nov^r 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 &
then went on again
arriving at our destination
at Stormberg Junction 1.30 p m
where we emptied [[wastes ?]] &
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 Train - I had one
drink of coffee while there
Nov^r 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?]]
& [[Swan?]] taking charge of all
wheel transports , to move
off at 5 a m in the
morning
 

Nov^r 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 Barcleay
east 4 days - at present
about 23 - about 20 miles from
there expect to be in
tonight  Have in ambulance
Rhejan Dysentry – Page
fall from horse
Nov^r 18th Arrived Platefontein
Boers all around
in Kopjes - column divided
were told to proceed
---------------------------------------- 
to farm about 2 miles
Redpoort & see wounded
Dr E & Boy  with stretcher
galloped as fast as
possible & found one
of our own men first
John Orr about 20 who
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 willow and
[[?]] which gave [[?]]*]
 

[*Nov^r 15^th Moved off 6
a m treked 12 miles
camped for dinner
camped for night treked*]

Left two
G F C troopers in charge
& went to look for the
others found one a
scout of the 17^th Lancers
wounded ^Cpl Moore dead then had his
brains blown out with
Mauser revolver- buried
him at once (Black boys
were told there was [[ano?]]
another near farm at
dam - went & found
him shot twice & more
the same as the last
-------------------------------------- 
Sgt Spurling son of Prof
Spurling of Oxford
College - his boots &
hat were gone pockets
turned inside out &
every thing taken - the
others were not rifled
Next day the Tasmanians
made a beautiful
job of Jack Orr’s grave
cementing it over - putting
wire enclosure - headstone
with inscription
& made three beautiful
wreaths of willow and
[[?]] which gave [[?]] 
 

 [[?]] [[?]] [[?]][[?]]
[[?]] Xmas. We have reached
camp at last after a trek of two
months almost without any
spell. Thankful to have a
rest; but this is a horrid place
no wood 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 raining
We have had a very hard
time of it since leaving Stormberg
two months ago - all  in
very mountainous 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 - y you will
have some idea of the work
we had to do when 29
horses - good ones - 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 range - & we went
on without Knowing about it
right up to Basutoland
border where we mistook