Letters of John Kelly and Michael Kelly to their family - Part 2

Mrs J E Kelly
C/o M Kelly Esq
Tenterfield
New South Wales
Australia
[* From Pte Kelly J. N S Wales

Mtd Rifles, on Active

Service*]

 

PR82/055.ADDI 

we are now, five or six miles
from Johnnesburg and the
Boers are cleared out to Pretoria
wether they will fight much
more it is hard to say if they
do it will be nearly all
Artillery fighting. Any way I
hope it will soon be over as we

have all had enough of this
war, and I for one will not be
sorry when we set sail for Australia
I had not seen anything of
the Bushmen since their arrival
they are gone a different way
altogether to what we are travelling
likely we will not see them till
it is all over, There has not
been near so much sickness
since we are constantly on the
march alway. most sicknes
when we are in camp for a
[*PR 82/055 ADDI*]
Florida
Thursday May 31^th 1900
My Dear Sister
Just a few lines to let
you know that I am well.
I have not received a letter from
Australia this six weeks, but
that must be expected, has we
have been on the move since
the 1^st of the month and we have
had plenty of fighting. I told
you in the last note that I
wrote you about M^cAlister
being wounded since then we
have had only one wounded in
our company, that was Lieutenant
Onslow, he was the best officer
we had with us. Well dear Nell
I think the war will soon
be over we crossed the Transvaal
Border five or six day ago, and
 

I remain your
Affectionate Brother
Jack
 

week or two, I like being
on the march much better
my self always something fresh
I have wore out three horses
since the we left Cape Town 

I had a splendid black
horse at first and then I had
a Boer poney and it lasted
very well carrying me for about
three months, we commandeered
her at Ramah, and I have
got a pretty one now but he
is nearly done, so if every
body used has many horses
me, there has been a good many
thousand horses used up during
this war. Well Dear Sister has
the mail closes in ten minutes
I have not time to write more
So good bye give my love
to all except the same to your
self 

2

been cut off. you will be
very glad to hear that the
Australians were the first
troops to clear the way to
get into Pretoria. The N S 
Wales Mtd Rifles and the
Western Australians under
Colonel De Lial were the first
to sight Pretoria, and, we got
great praise from Lord Roberts
the Boers did not make much
of a stand at all at their
Captial. Old Om Paul has
cleared out goodness know
were, We marched through Pretoria
the day before yesterday it
is a very nice place some
grand buildings but it is
only the size of a good
country town in N. S Wales
On our march to Pretoria
 

Pretoria
Thursday June 7^th 1900
My Dear Sister
just a few lines,
to let you know, that I am
well, and that we have
reached Pretoria at last
after a very long and fast
march from Bloemfontein
in fact from Cape town but
I am sorry to say the war
is not all over yet the Boers
will not stand to make a
big fight at all, but all they
will do is, to stand and
fight for about a half day
and then clear a few miles
further, but I think they
are on their last legs now
has all there supplies have
 

only that I have not 
received a letter of any
description this two months
but if we stop here a few day
we are bound to get a few
sack bag full has the train
runs right to hear from Cape
Town already it dont take
our men long to put the line
in repair considering the way
the Boer blew the line to pieces
I will now say good bye
back, I hope so any way
hoping to get plenty of letters
very soon I will not say
any thing about coming [[?]]
give my love to all except
the same to your self X
Remain your
Affectionate Brother

Jack
Same Address as \

last
3

we passed Johannesburg, but

war not right through the

town there so it is as big again

has the Captial we camped

just out side of the town

for a day, but I had the

misfortune to be sent with

a party out 15 miles to a

mining town so I did not

get a chance of seeing Johannesburg,

but might on the way

back. I hope so any way
after all our marching.

We are now camped about

12 miles from Pretoria, but

are likely to be on the march

at minute, our horse are

badly in need of a rest

Well dear Nell I dont

think I have any thing

else particular to tell you
 

x Gand River
Tuesday May 8^th 1900
My Dearest Sister
Just a line or two in
great haste, to let you know
I am well, Thank God
for I know you like to hear
from me, we have been fighting
all this last week, and
yesterday we came on the
most of the Beor force and
we had a very heavy day
Sergeant Mayor M^cAlister
was wounded in the leg
but not very serious. and
another corporal in our Company
that makes ten casulties in
action, and three dead
from fever. I think there 
is a lot of fighting to do
 

yes, I trust we will come
out of it all right. We are
on the main railway line
to Pretoria, and about
one hundred miles from
it. The Boer are destroying
the line all along blowing
up bridges and likewise
So that will keep our
convoy back a lot, I have
not time to write more Dear
Nell but will always write
a line when I get a
chance I will say good
bye with love from
Your affectionate 
Brother Jack
 

2 Try and save these
stamps that are
on the letters
I am getting full up of this sort
of life, the fighting is not the worst part
of it by far, for when you are not fighting
you always have to be on the watch
and you do not get a minute to
yourself. I do not know where we
will go from Bloemfontein, you may
depend there will be a big move on
before long, which I think will
about crush old Om Paul,, and his
army. There is some talk of General
Hutton Division, which we belong to
now going back to Port Elizabeth
or East London, and then go around
to Deloga Bay, if we do we will
not be far from Pretoria. Well Dear

Nell I am not going to write you
a long letter now has I have not the
time. I will try and write to you
again, as soon has we get to Bloemfontein
We have had only wounded, since
I wrote to you last, and one of my
 

Address In B Coy

Pte Jack Kelly

N S Wales Mtd Rifles

on Active Service 

South Africa

Spytfontein

Friday April 20th 1900
My Dearest Siter
Just a few lines to let
you know that I am alive and well
Thank God wrote to you about
three week ago, from the same place
that we are now, that is about 20
miles from Bloemfontein, we have been
this last three weeks or more, but we
are going back to Bloemfontein tomorrow
as I belive, going to have a rest for
indeed we have earned on, for we have
been on duty every second night since
we came hear, the enemy are very active
in this part and we always have to be on
the alert, turn out and saddle your
horses nearly every night, we are also going
back for fresh remounts, and a new
rig out, for all our clothes are getting
the worst of ware. Dear Nellie will
not be sorry when it is all over for
 

3

best friends over here, had his horse shot
under him one of the Swans, I think
mentioned him before to you, And you
have no doubt heard before with regret
the death of Billy Bender on of the
Tenterfield boys , Im in Bloemfontein
Hospital from enteric Fever, which is
raging over hear now, Poor Billy was
liked by every body for is nice quite
way and the way he done his work
even when he did get bad he would
not go and see the Doctor, M^rAndrew
had to take him to Dr, he died in
Bloemfontein without a soul near
him that he knew Poor fellow, Charlie
Lee and Harry Dawson are also in
the Hospital with enteric, I hear they
are doing well, all the rest of the
Tenterfield Boys are right, But we
have dwindled very much indeed
out of the one hundred of us that left
Cape Town there a not 60 hear for
Duty, so it makes it all the harder for
 

those that are well, up to the present
we have had 8 casulties in Action 1 Fatal
and all the rest are in the Hospital or
some where else Dear Sister I got a letter
Pat Kelly the other day also one from
Bid Manie and a paper from Father
and three Tenterfield papers, and I
had is going for Alderman again, I
hope he will give old Woodie a good
beating letters and Papers Nell are
a God send over hear, so write often
like a good girl, I wrote to Manie
and Pat Kelly, but have no time to write
more yet. We are with the 2^nd contingent
now, and Colonel Knight is not such
a good man Capt Antill, he has
got very little pluck if he as any
turns up out in the middle of the night
for nothing at all I will have to
say good bye now give my love
to all brothers and sister and
except the same to your self
I Remain your
Affectionate Brother
Jack
[*PR 82/55

AUSTRALIAN

WAR MEMORIAL*] 

Sunday
April 1^st 1900
Dear Sister
As I had no chance of posting
this letter when I wrote it I will
all a few more lines, We left Bloemfontein

as I said we were going to on the
following day. Our first day was a quite
march, we were not troubled by the
enemy, but the next was quite the
reverse for we were fighting our way
along the greater part of the day
But we were again very fortunate
for we had not one casulity, although
shells and bullets were pretty thick
amongst us, one young fellow from
Inverell got his haversack shot clean
off of him cutting with a piece of shell
it cut every thing that was in the
haversack to pieces, but indeed he was
very lucky to escape with his life,
The casulities of the British on one side
was very heavy indeed, no less than 60
men out of one company were killed