Letters of John Kelly and Michael Kelly to their family - Part 1

Fredifort
Tuesday October 16th 1900
My Dearest Sister
I received your ever welcome
letter this morning which you
wrote about the end of August
I also received the other one
that you wrote on the 10^th
of August about a week ago
and was very glad to here
that you were all well when
you wrote .as I am at
present. Well Dear Nellie I
am glad to tell you that
we have been getting our
mail pretty regular lately
And news from home is better
than a glass of whisky for

2

getting your spirits up. When
you are fairly full up of the
whole consern, as most of us
get pretty often now, as this
war is lasting so long, but
I donot think it will be
long now before we are on
our homeward journey. Well
Nell you will have to forgive
me for not writing before for
it is nearly two month since
I wrote a letter, I though it
would be no good of writing
for I expected to be home
before this, but I think I
better keep writing untill
we set sail for home. Well
Dear Nell when we left Pretoria

(3)
last, we marched about 50
miles west of Pretoria, and we
had one battle close to Heckpoort,
we cleared the Boers
out of that place, and then
retired for about 20 miles
and then camped for a few
days, and then hopes were
raised very high, for the N.S.
Wales with some more of the
Australian troops were again
sent into Pretoria, and we
packed into the train the 
same as we arrived there, and
sent xxx ^down the country, (it was
the first time we have been
in the train since we came from
Cape Town) how hopes of 

going home were soon dashed
to the ground, for we soon found
out that we were to have another
chase after De Wet, that slippy
Boer General, who destroys the
lines and xxx captures the
supplies, and it is my firm
belief that he will never be
caught, it is about six weeks
since we came down the line
and we have been after him
ever since, we have a bit of a
skermish with him now and
again but he will never stand
to fight so there is not much
hope of catng catching. Well
Nellie as I am fairly fed up
of the War I not going of

(5)
tell you no more of about it,
I was very pleased to here
of Polly Kelly marriage I think
she made a very sensible match
give her my congratulations I
am to far away to send her
a wedding present and have
not got much of a chance of
getting one unless I commandeer
one. I also got letter from
Pat from Parramatta about
a week ago, he expects us
home for Christmas but
things will have to take
a sudden change for us to
meet it I forgot to tell you
when we left Pretoria to go
west that half of the

Regiment, had no horses
so they had to be left behind
and while we were away
they were sent up North - 
Where most of the fighting as
been of late. We have not seen
them since, I will now
conclude, with best love
to all accept the same
to your self
I Remain your
Affectionate Brother
Jack Kelly

PR 82/55 (1)

AUSTRALIAN

WAR MEMORIAL

2

has just been filled up with
every thing new, fresh remounts
in fact every thing a soldier
requires for fighting so it look
like staying here for some time
yet, you will see by the address
that we are once more back
in Pretoria and likely to
go much further. Well Nell
since writing to you last
we have done no fighting to
speack of, although we have
done some of the worse marchs
since we came out here
go to bed at 9 or 10 oclock
and get up in a couple of
hours and on the the track
again After De Wet always

Pretoria
Tuesday August 29^th 1900
My Dear Sister
In answer to your ever welcome
which I received a few days
ago, and glad I was to here
that you were all well as it
leaves me at present, I have
had splendid health. ever
since I came to South Africa
in fact I am heavier now
than ever I was so you see
I am pretty well broke into
hard biscuits. Well Dear Nell
I am sorry to tell you
that there are no prospects
of us coming home yet, as
the whole of the regiment

3

after De Wet and no hope
of catching him for he seems
to get away like a bird. We have
came to Pretoria this time for a
rest but how long we will be
let stay, it is hard, to say, you
may depend it won't be for long
for the N S Wales Mtd Rifle seem
to be in every thing that is going
Well Dear Nellie you will be glad
to hear that I have run up
against Mick in Pretoria, and
that he is well although he has
been laid up for a couple of
weeks in the Hospital, he did
not tell me what was the matter
with him, but he is in good
nick now, he is almost has

stout as Joe used to be. He is petty
well fed up of fighting already.
What will he be when is out here
has long has some of us fellowes
Well Dear Nell I am sorry to tell
that I have lost one of my men
that has been with me ever since
we left Sydney. he left the
Artillery with me, he is to go back
to Australia invalided, I think
mentioned his name when writing
to you before Swan, The name
of that other young fellow that
I got my Photo with he's Hopkins
he his also from the Artillery We
were going to get tinker again
in Pretoria but we could not
find a place open, so we had
PR 82/55

AUSTRALIAN

WAR MEMORIAL

have a minute to spare I
also received one from Mabel
by the same mail as yours
So Pat has got a daughter
give him by congratulations, for
he is a lucky dog, for if he want
married he would sure to be
over here, Well Dear Sister I
will now say good bye has I
have not time to write more
for we cannot write of a night

for we camp in the open air

and there is always a lot to do
in camp. Give by love to all
and accept the same to your

self I Remain your
Affectionate Brother
Same Addres  Jack

I forgot to tell you that I
met Captain Thomas, with some
of the Bushmen they were locked
up, surrounded by the Boers for
ten days and they had a very
hard time. Poor old JimMitchell 
was with him, and it was there
he got killed, which you will
have heard of before now
Our Regiment was in the
relief of them, and Glad I

was to be in the relief of some
of my own townsmen. Good bye
once again hoping to be back
soon J.K,
I think we will be
here for Christmas so send us
a piece of Christmas Pudding

5

put it off to some future date
Fancy Bid and Maggie getting
married I was not surprised
to hear of Maggie getting
married but I thought Bid
was going to be and old Maid
I think Maggie made a very
poor match in marrying Jim
Herbert, but I expect she would
have her own way. So you say
you are going to be the old
Maid, but I dont think
so but if you do of cause I
will be the old Batchlor
I got Carrie's letter enclosed
in your and very pleased was
I to here from Carrie, I will
answer it by this mail if I