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 Malec & 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.
Tuesday April 30^th
No orders as yet. Skipper goes ashore w. Williams,
Robson & S.M. 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 2 a.m, so plenty
of time. Visit Rev Tees, West S^t , Durban,
Presby. minister; leave sermons there.
Entrain at midnight, Town under martial
law; all pubs close at 9 p.m. & civilians indoors.
[[?]] Train starts at 2.a.m
Wednesday May 1^st
Arrive Maritzburg 8 a.m. 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 ab^t me. I have no
requisitions. Draw rations for men, &
get their swags to Show-Ground Ass^t
Q M Fairweather. Arrives at 3 p.m.
Go to Ordnance stores & fix up to call tomorrow
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 Q M S 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 [[?]]
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 C O stating 3 trains coming 1st up at 8 p m. They
arrive & I board the last:|
Saturday May 4^th
On past [[Willow?]] Grove;
Chieveley (where stopped & saw Lieut Roberts grave);
Colenso & place where Long lost guns & Roberts killed
thence to Pieters & see Pieters Hill, & hill on w^h Boers
had placed Creusot, 16 m. from Pieters: 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
[[?]] at 1 o'clock p.m., first since 6 previous night.
See Dundee about 4 miles on right of lines. Get
tea at Newcastle. Right on.
Sunday May 5^th
Through Langs Nek; & into Charlestown
passing Majuba Hill w^h is about 4 m.
from Charlestown; 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 Cap^t in
police; himself Lieut, & Serg^t Brown a Lieut. Oliver
did great work w. 12 men when himself, Campbell &
Glen wounded. Orders for Pretoria.
Tuesday, May 7th
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 app^td
Q.M. & 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 & adj^t 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 almost 9 p.m; take
2½ hours 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
[[?]]; Camp 6 miles out
Monday May 13^th
Set out as advance guard to [[?]]
5th M.A., ILH also w. us, as also
artillery & infantry. Chase waggons;
come across [[?]] loaded up at a
farm. A 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.
xx Return to camp; & at 10 p.m. 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 a.m; warm scrap at plantation
Charge on horseback w. bayonets fixed.
Boers clear; burn Louis Botha's waggon
& shoot his trek oxen. Facey shot [[?]]
bullocks; 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 commandeered
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 sprint from
a farm house; self & Rule wounded.
Retire, place horses under cover & advance
in skirmishing order; when over sprint
McConnell comes with orders to take my
men to reinforce Campbell on right.
Rule & I lie down w. Green to wait for
ambulance. Two mule waggons pass ^under Lieut Brown; Rule
gets on one; I wait w. Green 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 Jones & 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 communication
w. Boers. Something very wrong w.
works this day; bad management
somewhere. Get Tony Jones  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, Grey 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 w^h our fellows are taking.
report that a shell of ours has killed
9 I L H 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 w^h I lie.
Saturday May 18^th
Feeling ripping, altho' pains across
back of loins w. lying down. Got
arrowroot last night & arrow root
& 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 W.A who are advance guard

today. Little hope for Blank &
Corp^l Bollinger (5^th) Full up of
lying down. General [[?]] Blood in
Carolina & Col. Poulton is on our right
Report that Boer convoy moving towardsLake
Chrissie. Lot of Boer women w. our column.
Enquiries by General ab^t Cap^t 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 B.E.H. very
kind indeed & also Jacob the cooley - he cuts up
my tobacco &c. Cunningham (6^th) & Kennedy (5^th)
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 on a tonga; very jolty after dooley.
Sent letters to mother & Gipsy last night. Fearfully
cold this morning. Camp at 11.45 a m.
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 carcasses 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 K R R's who
are to form a depôt ^[[half war?]] Our fellows will be
away 2 days as have to escort convoy of
^prisoners back. Rumor 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 ab^t NW; instead of as previously
SE. Evidently [[?]] towards Barberton,
Hear that General Pulteney now on our
left has surrounded huge mob 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 in gun,
12 pounders & pom-pom. Bay horse bad w.
cold; black mare looking splendid. Probably
rejoin troop today.
Friday May 24^th
Out of Hospital; Major gives me 6 bottles of stout,
Discipline in contingent very bad xxxxx Set
on march ab^t 8.30 a.m. So 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 [[?]]
Saturday May 25^th
5^th & 6^th go out w. 2 waggons & 2 days
rations to escort convoy from 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 carcasses & 100 tongues.
Likely to trek to-morrow; country in
front of us very rugged; goes down & r to
[[?]] 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 ab^t 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 a.m. 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 6th W.A. Major Bridges now in
command of 5th & 6th. Orders come
out for Australians to escort convoy
back to Carolina, a 4 day 'trek'.
Column remains her 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 & [[?]]
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 I L H;
loses Hawkin's mare in I.L.H. lines;
I L H 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 [[?]]
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 Bushman's
Kop in a [[?]]; 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 cam Lekker Loup. Write to
Con Hickey, Duncan Mac & Lexie
yesterday. Get a hare to-day.
Sunday June 2nd
Terribly cold wind this morning early
blew down hospital tent. Get in
[[?]]. 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 [[Kornalie?]] 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 Holmek where camp for
some days. Fearfully cold
all day w. wind. Holmek is
on high veldt. Peebles the Provost
marshal says Brown of 3^th recommended
for V.C. (?).
Monday June 3^rd
Our [[?]] 30 men w. part of column move
off at 10 a.m. towards Holmek (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 Spring 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 [[Macl?]] who w. Clifton
 

commands the 30 men At present
under command of Cap^t of Devons. Are
to rejoin our men at Holbek.
Wednesday June 4th
Move on to Three Spirit (6 miles) where
camp at foot of hills w^h lead to
high veldt.
Thursday Wednesday June 5^th
Advance up hills past Inniskilling
Dragoons & Scots Guards, part of COl.
Poultons 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. Spence 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 Holmek. Get a letter from Gipsy
dated April 10^th. Horses broken up
& lot of men ill. Serg^t Paull & Corp^l
Gast went into hospital yesterday
Robeerts the guide & his boy both killed during
this convoy escort to Carolina. Corpl
McKinnon (5th) 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. past Three Spirit; very dark &
all Kits falling off waggons. Camp
W.I.L.H. & men to at same camp where I
was last in Hospital. Row w. Frank
at night over his orderly leading
horses.