Diary and letters relating to the service of Stanley Spencer Reid, 1900-1901 - Part 6

Friday April 26^th
Whitewashing horse-stalls, Expect to reach
Durban on Monday. Have written to Jack,
Boyd, Ethel Shaw, mother, Mrs Mathieson & Grace
Sadlier & Rev. Crow.
Saturday April 27^th
Ordinary routine; Clifton hunted up & down for
not standing by Males & McCormick
Sunday April 28^th
Church service 11 a.m Preparation of Kits.
Orgy at night; Hawkins run to earth stark
naked: does not end until 4.30 a.m. Very sore
heads.
Monday April 29^th
Sight Durban 2 p.m; come to anchorage in
harbor abt. 5 p.m. very pretty place, with sloping
hills almost down to sea all dotted w ^white houses
& further away green tea & sugar fields. Sp
Tuesday April 30^th
No orders as yet. Skipper goes ashore w. Williams,
Robson & SM. Phipps. Skipper (Campbell) returns in
evening. Visit "Torrens" w. Frank. "Surrey" steams
out. Skipper brings orders for officer & 14 men
to proceed to Maritzburg to draw equipments. I
picked on as officer. Reach Durban
by launch. Train goes at 2 a.m, so plenty
of time. Visit Rev Tees; West St, Durban.
Presby. minister; leave sermons there.
Entrain at midnight. Town under martial
law; all pubs closed at 9 p.m & civilians indoors.
I Train starts at 2.a.m
Wednesday May 1^st
Arrive Maritzburg 8 am. Exceedingly pretty
place & soil very good; quite contrast to
Free State & Transvaal. Can't get any
instructions; finally go 1½ to Irregular
Corps Depôt; wait till 11 for CO.
He knows nothing abt me. I have no
requisitions. Draw rations for men, &
get their swags to Show-ground. Asst
QM Fairweather arrives at 3 p.m.
Go to Ordnance stores & fix up to call to-morrow
at 10. This place also under martial
law. Rest probably come on to-morrow.
Thursday May 2^nd
Go w. men to Ordnance Depôt; hand in requisition
which they check & have everything
ready by 3.30 p.m Mess up about the
unit, do not come & no word about it.
Terrible lot of stuff drawn. Telegram 

from QMS Cobb saying he was coming
but did not do so. Ordnance also got a
wire saying unit was coming but they did
not do so. Sleep on station platform.
Friday May 3^rd
Draw rations at Ordnance near Fort; two N.S.W.
men joined us last night, had missed their
company. Get vouchers & all things ready - rifles, bottles,
belts, canteens, so that men may draw en route. Telegram
from CO stating 3 trains coming 1st up at 8 p m. They
Saturday May 4^th
arrive & I board the last;| On past Milton Grange;
Chieveley (where stopped & saw Lieut Roberts grave);
Colenso & place where Long lost guns & Roberts Killed
thence to Pietérs & see Pietérs Hill, & hill on wh Boers
had placed Creusot, to rake Ladysmith. Aret to
breakfast at Ladysmith, 16 m. from Pietérs: Reach
Ladysmith 10 a.m. No breakfast; to get it
at Glencoe. Ladysmith pretty little place
commanded by high hills. Lots of graves
all round. Reach Glencoe Junction & get
tucker at 1 pm o'clock; first since 6 previous night.
See Dundee about 4 miles on right of lines. Get
tea at Newcastle. Right on.
Sunday May 5^th
Thro' Liangs Nek; & into Charleston
passing Majuba Hill wh is about 4 m.
from Charleston; zig zag railway all
about Majuba w. reverses, then breakfast
at Charleston; on again to Volkrust
where officers get meal at 10 a.m Border
bet. Natal & Transvaal just after
Charleston. Stay at Standerton all night,
as country too risky for night travelling;
small parties of Boers being about.
Horses disentrained & men camp at
Rest Camp. Rum ration
Monday May 6^th
Start at 7.15 a.m; meet Connolly at
Standerton; told me that Oliver a Capt in
police: himself Lieut. & Sergt Brown a Lieut. Oliver
did great work w. 12 men when himself, Campbell &
Glen wounded. Orders for Pretoria.
Tuesday, May 7^th
Move towards Pretoria, get to Elandsfontein, near
which the Cape Town railway joins the Durban line.
Reach Elandsfontein; draw 2 days rations
stay there for night. 

Wednesday May 8^th
Reach Pretoria abt 10.30 a.m. & get orders for
Middleberg, horses lost condition fearfully
since entraining. Stay all day in Pretoria w.
orders to start next morning. Am apptd
QM & Paymaster. Meet O'Brien of 2^nd who
comes w. us to Middleberg to join 5^th. Tells
me Harris a Major in Cape Town's & adjt to
Otter. Tells me of Campbell's wound down in Cape
Colony.
Thursday May 9^th
Start for Middelburg in trucks about 7.30
& reach destination about 9 p.m; take
2½ hours to disentrain. Rest go to camp,
I w. a party stay w. baggage at
station.
Friday May 10^th
Got fixed in camp; accoutrements issued.
To join 22 I Gen. Kitcheners Column
Saturday May 11^th
Prepare for marching

Sunday May 12^th
Start about 10.30 a.m. along line towards
Monderfontein; Camp 6 miles out
Monday May 13^th
Set out as advance Guard to column;
5^th W.A., ILH also w. us, as also
artillery & infantry. Chase waggons;
come across their loaded up at a
farm. w. lot of women & kids, burn
waggons; retire to camp about 6
miles; but before that go back w a
group to farm & am fired at by
5 men who chase us. Get away.
Sx Return to camp; & at 10 pm go
w. Capt. Campbell & 40 men to see
if we can find men at farm. Men 
all gone; no sleep; no scoff. Boy gives
information that a Boer laager 4 miles off
Farm called Bosmansfontein
Tuesday May 14^th
Capt Campbell with 28 men sets out for laager
about 5 am; warm scrap at plantation
Charge on horseback w. bayonets fixed.
Boers clear; burn Louis Botha's waggon
& shoot his trek oxen. Facey shot thro'
buttocks; 2 horses wounded. I go out 

to reinforce him; get 500 head of cattle.
Join column, & move on to about 6 miles to
camp. Seems to be no system or cohesion
in column.
Wednesday May 15^th
Don't move until 12 noon. Have now commandeerd
a Cape cart for doctor, but can't
get mules harness. Camp after a short
stage.
Thursday May 16^th
Set off under Capt. Campbell w. A Company on
right flank; about 4 miles out scouts report
Boers; am told to advance on left flank.
Boers open fire while we in a spruit from
a farm house; self & Rule wounded.
Retire, place horses under cover & advance
in skirmishing order; when over spruit
McCormick comes with orders to take my
men to reinforce Campbell on right.
Rule & I lie down w. Greer to wait for
ambulance. Two mule waggons pass ^under Lieut Brown; Rule
gets on one; I wait w. Greer to try & get
help for dead & wounded whom Frank
tells us about on right. Boers open
fire on us so we mount & cut; they
pursue; guides horse shot; get him on
behind me; get under cover & go out in
skirmishing order. Order to retire
I take off my arms & go to ambulance
waggons to find wounded. Casualties
heavy 4 of ours (Page: Semple: Fischer &
Adams; 2 of 5^th (Tony Forrest & Sergt Edwards)
killed, while about a dozen
badly wounded, amongst them Blank
(mortally) Cunningham (dangerously); Rule
& self (seriously). While of the 5^th 
Corp Bollinger & Pte Kennedy (mortally) & 5 or
6 others more or less badly. Frank
did splendid plucky work under fire
one Boer firing at him point blank at
40 yards. He had a lot of conversation
w. Boers. Something very wrong w.
works this day; bad management
somewhere. Get Tony Forrest shot
thro' head about 150 yards to left of
where I put Rule in mule waggon
Daley & Hackett did splendid work
after they left me, Greer stuck
to me gamely all through. 

Had a very fortunate escape w. my
wound; just missed the intestines &
thigh bone.
Friday May 17^th
Allowed no food, for fear intestines are
ruptured, only a sort of beef 'jelly'. ¼
spoonful an hour; am terribly hungry
The Surgeon - Major very kind: w. Bombay
Field Hospital & am carried in a
dooley. Firing can be heard on rear-
guard wh our fellows are lurking.
Report that a shell of ours has killed
9 ILH by mistake. Kitchener a bit of
a messer I am afraid. Travel about
8 miles & camp at 1 p.m. for night.
Cooley washes hands & feet in true
Eastern style. Frank's red cross
cart right in front about 100 yds of
the E.P. tent in wh I lie.
Saturday May 18^th
Feeling ripping, altho' pains across
back of loins w. lying down. Got
arrowroot last night & arrowroot
& cocoa this morning. Trek abt
6.30 a.m. & camp for night at 1 p.m. Are
doing very easy stages. Big guns going
on our front & Frank tells me it
was our other column shelling
the 6^th WA. who are advance guard

to-day. Little hope for Blank &
Corpl Bollinger (5^th). Full up of
lying down. General Bindon Blood in
Carolina & Col. Poulton is on our right.
Report that Boer convoy moving towards Lake
Chrissie. Lot of Boer women w. our column.
Enquiries by General abt Capt Campbell's
action the other day. Bollington & Blank died
this evening. Furlong of 5^th still missing; he
makes 9 deaths.
Sunday May 19^th
Funeral this morning; ^Surgeon Major Jones of BEH very
kind indeed & also Jacob the cooley - he cuts up
my tobacco &c. Cunningham (6^th) & Kennedy (5^th)
both doing pretty well. Travel about 12 miles
& camp at 1 p.m. near where column
on our left including Scots Guards &
Inniskillings had camped night before
Young has charge of my division, &
has collared my carbine & bucket. 

About 8 men surrendered last Thursday
to Boers; all stripped & turned loose.
Young was among them also Corp. Shaw of
Benson.
Monday May 20^th
All sick & wounded (24) sent into Carolina
early this morning; I the only one left.
Ride in a tonga; very jolty after dooley.
Sent letters to mother & Gipsy last night. Fearfully
cold this morning. Camp at 11.45 am.
8 mile stage only. Commandant Smutch reported
to have passed a week previously, w. commando &
convoy & big herd of beasts. On full diet.
Tuesday May 21^st
Still lying in tonga; plenty tucker now.
Move off at 7 a.m; camp for an hour at 12.30.
Evidently livening up after Smutch. Missing
man Furlong (5^th) reported to have turned up at
other column. Passed Lake Chrissie yesterday.
Seem to be just travelling straight
thro' country now, destroying no farms or
even scouting widely. No Boers apparent.
About 40 of our men walking for want of
horses. Very well grassed country we are
passing through & well watered.
Lying on my back in tonga what I take
to be old ploughed field proves to be
the old carcases of thousands of sheep,
covering acres of ground. Move on 8 m.
after mid-day camp. On camping
Major Jones tells me our 2 contingents have
branched off to right ^towards Carolina with KRR's who
are to form a depôt. ^half war Our fellows will be
away 2 days as have to escort convoy of
^prisoners back. Rumour also that some of our men
scuppered by Boers to-day, 2 of an
outpost of 3 having ridden into Camp
reporting that 3^rd taken. Major still won't
let me walk. Still stiffness over wound.
About 3000 in our column altogether
including, 600 odd ILH; Devons; KRR's &
ourselves along w. 5 in. gun & a battery of
12 pounders.
Wednesday May 22^nd
March at 10 a.m. Our course now changed;
going abt NW; instead of as previously
SE. Evidently bent towards Barberton.
Hear that General Pulteney now on our
left has surrounded huge mobs of cattle 

Three Commandos of Boers also about.
Camp at 1 o'clock; only doing 5 miles.
Waiting for convoy under our fellows. Carolina
now on our left (nearly due W.)
Thursday May 23^rd
Our fellows w. convoy arrived late last
night. Camp for day here. 5^th & 6^th go out
to supposed Boer laager along w. 5 inch,
12 pounder & pom-pom. Bay horse bad w.
cold; black mare looking splendid. Probably
rejoin troop to-day.
Friday May 24^th
Out of Hospital; Major gives me 6 bottles of stout.
Discipline in contingent very bad xxxxx Set
on march abt 830 a.m. Go about 6 miles & camp.
Write & despatch letter to Cantor; also write applicn
to War Office for Commission as Chaplain
Lot of men off color; a lot without horses
a lot [[pouting?]]
Saturday May 25^th
5^th & 6^th go out w. 2 waggons & 2 day's
rations to escort convoy fr. Carolina.
I left in charge of Camp. 'Neary' Miller
transport officer of 5^th. Wound feeling grand.
Sunday May 26^th
Church parade 10.30 & Communion. Get
wound dressed. Very high wind & a little
rain. Fellows return little after three.
To-day Devons let loose among mobs of
sheep brought in & Kill 4,000, two men
go & get some carcases & 100 tongues.
Likely to trek to-morrow; country in
front of us very rugged; goes down into
Komatie valley; rumour that we bound
for Amsterdam instead of Barberton
as Boers have trekked South. Lot of
men off colour. Men returned from
escort to convoy abt 4 p.m. Our contingent
lost its name altogether since disaster
& bayonet charge on horseback by C.O.
Frank insists' on pack horse & gets it.
Monday May 27^th
Orders to ride in Hospital ambulance.
Trek at 7 am. Country very rough.
Wright in hospital w. dysentery
Huge sick parade this morning.
Have to walk great part of way
as road so rough. 

Travel 8 m/ & camp.
Tuesday May 28^th
Join my division & go out w. them.
Convoy only travels 3 miles. Most of
day lying down letting horses graze.
Evidently "Ichabod" can be written
over 6^th W.A. Major Bridges now in
command of 5^th & 6^th, Orders come
out for Australians to escort convoy
back to Carolina, a 4 day 'trek'.
Column remains here to-morrow.
Surgeon-Major orders me into Hospital
again. Wound on hip not closed
yet. Will probably keep Greer w.
me. Mail goes w. convoy to-morrow;
write to mother & Gipsy
Wednesday May 29^th
5^th & 6^th march at 7 a.m. Keep Greer w.
black & bay horse; also look after
Wright's horse, who is in Hospital
w. me. Camp here to day in Hospital.
Lieut Evans of I.L.H. also in Hospital
w. malarial fever.
Thursday May 30^th
Lieut Evans orderly comes in; draw rations
for him & Greer. O'Neil of B2 turns up
had been leading Lieut Hawkins black Boer
mare, & Keenan's horse; had gone ahead
of column & joined himself to ILH;
loses Hawkin's mare in ILH lines;
ILH advanced from their camp 4m.
away, another 8 miles this morning.
Friday May 31^st
Report that 25 of WA returned last night
as escort to General, but can't find
them. Very monotonous here. Evans
nearly well & Wright improving
Find our 25 men under Clifton & McCormack.
Permission to ride
Saturday June 1^st
Go ahead of convoy w. Greer & get
pumpkins & 2 grey mares; iron grey filly
& fat mule. Stay night w. Hospital
Only trekked 5 miles today; Swazis
brought in 7 Boers last night; had
killed 1 & wounded 2 others on their
border. Three families of Boer 

women in waggons other side of Bushman's
Kop in a kloof; are going to leave them.
Main road from Natal to Barberton a
mile off; signs of trekking towards
Barberton on it, evidently Boers.
To rejoin our fellows on 4^th. Camped
at foot of Bushman's Kop to-night,
last camp Lekker Loup. Write to
Con Hickey, Duncan Mac & Lexie
yesterday. Get a hare to-day.
Sunday June 2^nd
Terribly cold wind this morning early;
blew down hospital tent. Sit in
spider; Column move on 5 m.
Greer & I go down again to yesterday's
hunting ground; get 3
donkeys. Swazis relate killing
of Boer. See plantation away
over Komatie R.; Get 2 Swazis
to guide us, they are in a terrific
funk; say a lot of Boers there.
I run back & reach camp
about 1 p.m. Give donkeys
to Major Jones of Field Hospital.
Pass about 700 sheep in mealie
patch. We have ^thus been into Swazi
land. Our next camp will
be Holnek where camp for
some days. Fearfully cold
all day w. wind. Holnek is
on high veldt. Peebles the Provost
Marshal says Brown of 5^th recommended
for V.C. (?).
Monday June 3^rd
Our f 30 men w. part of column move
off at 10 a.m. towards Holnek (3½ m
to-day): I with orderly go w. them.
Wright stays in Hospital. Most persistent
rumours that we leave this
column; no authority for it.
Tuesday June 4^th
Camped at Elands Spruit last night; have
last night's tea & this morning's breakfast
w. Capt Walton Transport Officer.
Very uncomfortable as no cooking utensils.
Don't cotton to MacC. who w. Clifton 

commands the 30 men. At present
under command of Capt of Devons. Are
to rejoin our men at Holnek
Wednesday June 4^th
Move on to Three Spruit (6 miles) where
camp at foot of hills wh lead to
high veldt.
Thursday Wednesday June 5^th
Advance up hills past Inniskilling
Dragoons & Scots Guards, part of Col.
Poulton's column on to Bonnie
Braes (12 miles) where camp. Potatoes;
sweet potatoes; pumpkins & mealies
at farm; get bag full. Fellows to
arrive to-morrow. Get Capt Walton's
gun & go out after partridge, get only
one.
Thursday June 6^th
Our men w. convoy arrive about
9 o'clock. Spencer dead at Middelburg,
also MacGregor of 5^th. No tobacco
in fact no jam or rum either. 30 men
left w. Lieut Young at Carolina to
get remounts. Also 10 men left
at Holnek. Get a letter from Gipsy
dated April 10^th. Horses broken up
& lot of men ill. Sergt Paull & Corpl
Gast went into hospital yesterday
Roberts the guide & his boy both killed during
this convoy escort to Carolina. Corpl
McKinnon (5^th) shot thro' hand & taken prisoner,
stripped & released.
Friday June 7^th
Row w. Williams & C.O. last night; divisions
down to about 8 or 10 men each. Terrible
row during escort bet. Lieut Williams of
5^th & Capt Williams 6^th; former is reported
to General & to W.A. All men stand to arms
this morning from 4 till 5. Trek at
2 p.m at hour's notice, 12 miles
back past Three Spruit; very dark &
all Kits falling off waggons. Camp
w. I.L.H. & new to at same camp where I
was last in Hospital. Row w. Frank
at night over his orderly leading
horses.