Letters of John Kelly and Michael Kelly to their family - Part 3

Well Dear Sister, When the Boars did
not make a stand at Bloemfontein
most of us thought the war was
pretty near over, but worst luck
I think the worst of it is to come
for I think they will be some
very heavy fighting yet, and I
think it will be many a long
before we see sunny N S Wales
I will now say good bye again
I am quite well, my thumb is alright
I Remain your affectionate
Brother Jack
I think the best address is
36 Pte J Kelly
N S Wales

Mtd Rifle
On Active Service
South Africa

[*PR 82/55

AUSTRALIAN

WAR MEMORIAL*]

2

that I got the paper he sent me,
alright yesterday, and very glad
indeed was I to get a paper
like that. Well Dear Nellie New
South Wales must be in quite
a war fever, judging my the
number of troops she is sending
over here, We are attached to the
second contingent of Mounted
Infantry that came over, Captain
Antill did not like going with
them at all, for he his only second  
in Command now it was hardly
fair in a way, because they get
just as much credit ^∧as we do, for being in
engagements, that they were not
in at all. I was glad, for I do
not go to much on Capt Antill for a
Commanding Officer, And lot of old
chums of mine in the Mt Infantry Vince
Tyrrell Amongst them I was greatly
surprised when he road up to our
camp one morning I did not know
[*AUSTRALIAN 

PR 82/55 WAR MEMORIAL*]
Bloemfontein

Tuesday March 27^th 1900

My Dearest Sister

It is with pleasure I answer

you long for letter which I received

on 25^th. And I was glad to hear

that you were all well, as I am 

at present. All that has been the

matter with me since I arrived

in South Africa, is that I had

a bad whitlow, on my right thumb

this last ten days, I would have

wrote before only for that, has we

have not been doing any fighting

since the surrender of Bloemfontein

the Capital of the Orange Free

States, My thumb is pretty near right

now, Thank God there has been 

nothing worse the matter with me

I was glad to hear that you

got the little presents I sent

you, and that Pat sent you

my likeness alright, And tell Dad

4
I trust is right, and the this cruel

war will, soon be over, and we will all

be back home, There has been a terrible

loss of life on both sides, but I think the

British losses have be far the heavier, for

the Boars are always on the defensive
and we are always the attacking party

they get on top of kopjes and wait for

us, (kopjes are what we call hills in Australia)

and of cause they have much the better

position, Well Dear Nellie I have not

time to tell you much about the war,

and if I had, I do not care writing

about it, I write just a few lines to

let you know that I am well, Thank God

We have been on full rations this last

week or more, so we are pretty well

now, although there as been a good

many cases of Fever out of the one

hundred that they were there is about

thirty away altogether. There are a lot

N S Wales troops here, The Army

Medical Coy., is here and they have a

great name Lord Roberts says it is the

3

that he was coming, and I can tell you

I was glad to see him, We joined them

on 9^th of this month, we have not

done much fighting since, that was

on account of the surrender of Bloemfontein

but, they were in action before we met

them, they have had about 15 casulities

and we have had seven, six wounded

and one killed, a poor young fellow from

Bega, he was shot dead at Abrahams

Kraal on the 10^th, singular that his name

should be Abrahams, We have been

camped about two miles from Bloemfontein

since the 14^th but we might as well be

on the march as far getting eatables

are concerned, and what you can get

is like eating money, sugar is from 1^s

per [[?ton?]] and every thing else at very

high rate. I think we are moving on

from this place tomorrow, but I do

not know were we are going to

Lord Roberts seems to think there

will be very little more fighting

best equipped and manged Abulance
Ambulance corps in South Africa,
that is saying a good deal for
New South Wales. You say in your
letter that Mick is coming with the
next Queensland Bushman's Contingent
I would like very much to see
some one belonging to me over here,
but, I hope the war is all over before
they arrive, for all I think about
over here is home, I got three letters
the night I got yours, one from [[Mantill?]]
and two from Sydney, not half as
many has I would like to get, some
of the lads get about 5 to my one, but
of cause they have more girls than
I have. You would not belive
how anxiously we wait around
while the letters are given out, So
Bid was in Melbourne when we were
going through I am very sorry I
not spot her, I would like to have
seen her, but I did not luck to see

any of my relations. I wrote to
Mat & Jack Curry about three week ago
you can ask them did they get my
letter I will now conclude with
love to all except the same to your

self I remain Your Ever
Affectionate Brother Jack
Excuse this scribble as my finger
is not been ust to work latley I
will write again on the first opportunity
Once more good bye but I hope
not for long JK

plain, at day light to attack a
force of Boar that held a position
in a long row of kopjes, about
four miles in width, the advance
guard got within a quarter of
a mile of these kopjes, when they
were met by a sudden rifle fire
and they at once retired out of
range two of the poor fellows were
shot dead at the first volly and
several wounded, and then a
advance was made on foot, but
we were driven back as fast as we
approched these hills, time after
time, all the enemy had to do was
to lay up on top of these kopjes
xx behind the rocks and blaze
away at us, a soon has we got
into range, The Mounted Rifles

got up pretty close, but like the

rest, they were forced to take shelter 
behind any bit of bush or ant

heap that you could find, or laid

flat down on the open veldt

Banks Drift

Monday February 26th 1900

My Dearest Sister

Just a few lines to let you know

that I am still alive, and well

at present, Since writing home last

I have undergone and passed through

the greatest of danger. I think your

prayers for my safety must have

saved me more than once, for at

times the bullets, and pieces of shell

were falling as thick as hail around

me. When writing to Mabel last I

think I complained of not being

in any big battle, well dear Nellie

I have seen plenty of it now, to

do me, I have not had a chance
of writing to you, and even if I
did I would not have been able

to post it, On Sunday 11^th Feb.

was the first big battle that I

was in. We started across & open

gone 3 miles when the General sent
forces, and took us right from the

rear to the very front, And you will
have seen by the papers Dear Nellie
along ago, how the Mounted Rifles
took the kopjes under terrible heavy

Artillery and rifle fire, again we
were very fortunate only one of us
getting wounded, this was a grand
bit of work, but we still had to

be in the move, and we were under
fire all day, so Friday passed with
out any more casulities to us, next
day Saturday 17^th was some thing
the same only the firing was not
so heavey heavy but two of us got
∧wounded on this day. We turned in to camp
on Saturday night horses and
men pretty well done up, for we
had very little since we left camp
two oclock on Friday Morning, rest
day Sunday, a terrible big battle
was fought and the loss was
something terrible on both sides, they
were 1200 killed and wounded of

[*PR 82/55 AUSTRALIAN

WAR MEMORIAL*]

3
xx about six hours in the blazing
sun and then we were forced to retire
under a perfect hail of bullets. It
was nothing less than a merical
that half of us were not shot, instead
not one of us were hit, on that day
The night came on and the Boar
still held their position, and we
left them there for what reason
I do not know. We travelled to
one oclock on Monday morning
after having nothing but a couple
of biscuits Since 5 oclock on Saturday
evening, but that was nothing
I found out since. We were
on the march to 16^th and then
we left our transport, carrying
with us three days horse feed
and three days rations for
ourselves so imagine what a
load our horses had. We were
placed in the rear of a column
of about four thousand and
we were all performing for being
put behind, but we had not

 

[*I have not got any letters this three weeks

and not likely for a while yet as there

is no mail here*]
of the British and the Boar
loss was reported to be even greater
The Boars are still position, but
are surrounded, but their position
must be a very good one. They are
supposed to be entrenched, but
I think they must be under
the ground altogether, for this
last week all kinds of Artillery
have been poring in their [[?Has?]]
on them, so that is the state
of this battle up to the present
We are with Lord Roberts
Column, and on our way to
Bloemfontein the Capital of the
Orange Free State, where it is
expected one of the bigest battles
yet fought will take place, and
the rate we are going it will be
Christmas when we reach there
Rations and horse feed are
very scarce, we are on half ∧rations and
 

so are the horses, two and half
biscuits per day, no vegetables, and
not to much meat, will not make
a man fight much. I am no more
than 9 stone now and all the
rest are pretty well the same
Well Dear Nell no more about
the war, and I hope to God
it will soon be ended.
I was very glad to hear
that Captain Thomas was coming
with the second contingent and
that Charlie Lee got his Commission
back he is liked by everybody.
I cannot not write any more
as I am writing in the [[broiling?]]
and we are out- minding our
horses on grass so imagine what
it is to write I will now conclude
with love to all except the same to yourself
I remain your affect
Brother Jack
Same Adress
c/ Ballard 

Address (36) Private Kelly Jack

New South Wales

Mounted Rifles

c/ W H Ballard

Post Office Box 731

Cape Town

South Africa

night and arrived there at half past three we waited about

half hour for day light And then the shooting commenced 

and lasted nearly all day on and off. We did not find

out many how many of the enemy were killed but we

captured three wounded one old fellow had no less

than four bullet wounds, and he was pretty well

[[trounced?]] when we left Prieska. Things were pretty quiet

for a few days and then we got information that there was

a party of Boars a few miles out of the Town and a

party of about forty of us went out and captured

seven more and we brought them in to Prieska

and they were locked up in the local gaol untill

we left there and then I was one of escorts that brought

them down to Britstown. There was four of us, and no

less than three old Tenterfielders Dave M^c Alister

Charlie Miller and my self And didn't we have an

day We went to an Hotel for dinner and I passed

my plate back a half a dozen times and indeed you

would do the same if you was living on six hard [[ration]]

biscuits a day and coffee once a day sometimes, still

we are all happy and most of us in good health

I never had a days sickness since we arrived in -

South Africa thank God We arrived left Prieska

[*PR 88/55

AUSTRALIAN

WAR MEMORIAL*]

How Water

Wednesday 17th January 1900

My Dearest Sister

I received your kind and very welcome

letter yesterday and was very glad to hear that you were
all well in dear old Tenterfield. When I say I received

your letter yesterday you will see the time that it was

chasing us about. I should have received it nearly

a month ago, before I left Cape Town. Well Nellie dear

our New South Wales Mounted Rifles have not been anything

very great as yet, although we had a go in on

the 9^th January after riding and walking just one hundred

miles. We reached Cape Town on 25^th of December and
there we  had 500 miles railway journey to De Aar

and we stayed there to 30^th December from there we

proceeded to a small town called Prieska it took

us four days to do the journey. Our horses were

carring from 16 to 20 stone a very good load you

would think and we could not go very fast and

had to walk a good part of the way We started
from De Aar with 80 men and horses  but Captain

Antill was picking them out at every stopping

place. keeping the best men has he said I was one

of the lucky ones that seen the trip right through

and had a bit of a lash with the Boars, We started

from about 15 miles from Prieska at half pass ten in