Diary belonging to Archibald William Lawton Wookey, 1900-1901 - Part 3

New Year
1901
Tuesday Jan 1^st 1901
Shifted camp from near
station ½ mile out
of town no sooner got
settled than we received
order to intrain & then
proceed to Warrington about
80 miles south and started
at 6.30 pm arrived at
Taungo at 8.30 half way
attended at the concert
there & gave the war-cry,
left 4 am next morning
xxxxxxx Jan 2^nd
Wensday Jan 3^rd arrived at fourteen
streams 7/am & camped
½ mile from station, about
1,000 men here more
expected
Thursday Jan 3^rd Fine day
quite well Heavey train
Friday Jan 4^th Heavey Train Thunder bolt killed xx & OK
this afternoon about
4 inches of water all over the
canopy 

Saturday Jan 5^th Still at
Fourteen streams fine day

Sunday Jan 6^th left Fourteen
streams for Christxxiana
with a convoy consisting
of 80 wagons with provisions
250 mounted men including
ourselves 200 infintry two
fifteen pounders 2 pom poms
2 Maxims we travelled 12
miles this morning & start
again ^in the morning
Monday Jan 7^th Arrived at
Christxxiana 9 30 am this morning
after travelling from 3 am
plenty of Dutch men about 
heard fire on the town
every other day leaving
for Fourteen Streams
tomorrow at 2 am nice
town a few prisoners
kept in the Church here
plenty of Diamonds found
by the niggers working 
for the Officers
Tues Jan 8^th left a 2 Am
this morning arrived at 

Fourteen Streams 8 pm on the

road back captured 3 Boers

600 sheep

Wed Jan 9^th. camped at streams

Thurs Jan 10^th left Fourteen Stream 5-30

half at the time Crossed over ^the river to

Warrenton on the train & 

camped for the night leaving

here for Kimberly tomorrow

Friday Jan 11^th Left for Warrenton

at 2am this morning & trained

till 8am left again 2 pm.

camped at 6 pm at Windsorton

Road Station

Sat Jan 12^th left camp at x at daylight &

went looting & took about

5000 Head x H.6.2. met the Column

at 8 pm 7 miles from Kimberley

Sunday Jan 13^th started at 3am

arrived at Kimberley 9-30 Am

& camped 1 mile from town

mail no letters

Monday Jan 14^th Hot day

Tues Jan 15^th 1 month pay

Had some fun in town last 
night

Wensday 16^th left Kimberley for

Boshif on at 4.30am camped

with a large convoy (60 wagons)

& camped at 10am left 2pm

then travelled 8 miles &

camped at 9 pm

Thursday 17^th Been attacked

the scouts & killed one

we went to get his body

but could not find it

Friday 18^th plenty of Boers

in the pass expect plenty

of fighting when we move
very Hot. Sharp fight lasted 3 hours

Sat 19^th arrived at 12 pm last 

night pretty town well

fortified

I love one & only one

And that one is you,

If you love one & only one

Let that one be me.

WW                     

Hand drawn sketches - see original document

Sunday Jan 20^th left Boshof

for Kimberley at 4.30 am

camped 4 miles out for Breakfast

& then travelled till

Monday Jan 21^st arrived @

Kimberley at 2pm went

up town & stayed till 2am

had a good time plenty of

fun

Tues Jan 22^nd fine day

ordered to Smiths Drift tomorrow

wrote five letters to B I & M A R

Wensd Jan 23^rd Orders Canceled

Methuen expected in a 

day or so paying a visit

tonight to Bn

Thurs Jan 24^th left Kimberley

10.30 pm this day for

Cofferfontein camped 18 miles

out.

Friday Jan 25^th Very hot

left camp 5-30 pm & camped

at Mudd River 9-30 and'

all next day

Sat Jan 26^th left 5.30 Am

& travelled till 9-30 am

passed through jacobsdal

& camped at Modder River 

till 4pm
Sunday Jan 27^th 3.30 Am Went looking

to day 3 or 4 girls at farms

camped at Modder River

where the Battle was fought

at 8.30 arrived at Cofferfon

6pm

Monday 28^th fine day

fresh meat extra.

Tuesday 29^th leaving for

Kimberley 4 am camped

at 10-30 after 4 hours

severe fighting three wounded

12 Boers killed & wounded

Wensday 30^th hot day

sharp fight Boers

Thursday 31^th Heavy fighting

Boers on Kopjee It was

nearly surrounded with

six others Pom Poms opend

opened in time to save

us

camped at 10 am at 

a Boer farm plenty of fruit

Feb Friday 1^st left to guard

the farm & took 4 prisoner

Captured Peternsburg by

firing a few shells 

& then started at

6 am for Kimberley

on Sat Feb 2^nd

camped at 9 am at Pardeberg

where Cronje was captured

left at 4-30 pm boers

took 5 or 6 sheep but

got them back camped

at 12pm

Sunday Feb 3^rd left camp 

at 6 am camped at

10 am at a large farm

got plenty of loot

Started at 2-30 &

camped at 7 pm five 

miles from Kimberley

Monday Feb 4^th

Started for Kimberley

at 5.30 Am arrived 

at Kimberley with 24,000

head of stock at 9 Am

went up town & payed

a visit to some friends

had some great fun

Tuesday Feb 5^th arrived

at camp 2 Am this morning

Wed Feb 6^th went up

town & enjoyed myself

with some lady friends

Thursday Feb 7^th very windy

Heavy rain all night

& I stayed in camp for

a wonder

Satur Feb 9^th Column left

Kimberley for I went into Hospital

Saturday Feb 10^th pretty well

still on milk

Monday Feb 11^th: going out

to day Camped by remounts

Tuesday Feb 12 very rough

day

Feb 22^nd Friday Convoy

not back shifting camp to

Beaconsfield very convient

March 9^th Sat. Still at

Kimberley Lieut McMillian

came up from