Diary and letters relating to the service of Stanley Spencer Reid, 1900-1901 - Part 7
Saturday June 8th
6.20 Reveille; go to Field Hospital & see
H right; also Major James. I L.H. here went
out last night across Komalie towards
Swazi land. He a useless lot W. once
a brainless & selfish C.O.; absolutely
nothing. Wright rejoins his troops to-day.
General Kitchener at last camp
drifting trenches all round& barbed wire
entanglements; came as Scots Guards &
Irish killings under Pulteney.
Sunday June 9th
Complete friction bet. C.O & ourselves. I feel
sore over his despatch stating I was driven
in a Brakpan (Grueller's Regt) Joyce tells
one that Bell & sef
lf recommended to General
Kitcheners Discipline & management of contingent
horrible; one thing is to sit tight
& say nothing - if possible. I.L.C return
to-day from their foray; have a lot of
cattle & prisoners it is reported. Field
Hospital, Devars & guns move off thus
morning towards Bonnie Braes. We
alone in camp W, 2 pm [[?]] until I.L.H
return. Three big gun reports just now
on road up to high velde towars Bonnie Brae
evidently some of guns of those who have
just moved out. I.L.H have been across
Kanabie in Swazi land. Oh for a transfer
Col McKenzie comes in w. IL H &
16 Boers, also abt 12 women Boers
belong to Carolina Commando & ar the
same lot as gave us the drubbing at
Brakpan; Frank & Nankwell recognize
several of them; one had (one
about 1 1/2 w. them to point out dead
& wounded. I.L.H. doing good work.
Real advantage in being linguists
Major Royston of ILH. taking
Major Bridges place (sick) in command
of 5th & 6th.
Monday June 10th
Field Hosp News came last night
about 12 Boers near Bushman's
Kop abt 8 miles away. Col. McKenzie
takes 120 of ILH & 40
of our men with Campbell, Malez,
Bell, Woodrow, Bardwell & Hawkin
& sets out about midnight. Result
very hard work & knocking out
of horses done & only Boer capt.
used. No Trek The Devons &
Field Hospital here at 6 &
we with rest of IL.H at 7.30
back again to Bonie Braes,
where Col. McKenzie joins us by
a short cut from Bushman's
Kop 5th along w. General
Kitchener have gone one. Campe
here for night; day has been
miserably cold, misty & rainy
Get Mike on coming in w. Innis -
killing officers,
Tuesday June 11th.
Orders came out last night that we
to be attached to I LH. under Col.
McKenzie. Have only about 80
with us. Many of L.L.H. are time
expired & we to receive
their horses as ours very bad,
Trek at 9 for Homer. Reach
it about 12 noon. No wood
whatever; take party out w. to allow
& get a little. Return too late to
get remount from I.L.H, black
mare had slipped a foal last
night & bay horse very poor &
weak. Boxer last night before
last: quite feel loss of him. Get
about 50 horses from ILH in
exchange for our broken downs,
but these not much better Miserably
cold & wet today, very
exceptional weather for this
time of year. All ILH's time
is up by the 17th.
Wednesday June 12th.
Trek at 10 a.m. Get remount of a sort.
Put black in sick lines & give bay
to Nankwell; branch off Carolina
road South towards Clarence
With I.L.H & Scots Guards trek abt
8 miles & camp, hear that General
Kitchener w 5th & our convoy from
Carolina, 4 miles ahead on right
front. McCormack & Clifton w it.
Tobacco & mail reported W. Convoy.
Hawkins sent out last night w. 10 men
to bring in a waggon; reach camp here
with load of forage. Capt. Campbell
discovered cave on our left w house
hold goods in it. Feeding well,
get goose, duck & fowl.
Thursday June 13th.
Trek at 8; join General Kitchener 5th &
rest of our men & convoy about 7 or 8
miles on. Botha w. 400 men & 2 guns
said to have camped at farm 4 miles
ahead yesterday Res 7 or 9 more of my
division came in. Young still at Carolina
No mail or tobacco on convoy.
Friday June 14th
Stand to arms from 4 till 5. An orderly
officer 5th & ILH. trek at 7; we at
8 as sent to convoy. Advance
towards farm & camp in right of it.
Pulteney to Scots Guards & Inniskillan
Dragoons camped at farm plantation.
Orders to march at midnight - all guns
& mounted me, a 5 days trek
Saturday June 15th
Reveille 11pm; march at 1 a.m.
Very hard & cold trek; surprise
Bali outpost of 6 abt 9m. out
on alarm & sniping. Rest for hour
Birch shoots Boer nigger at 1500
yds while shooting (use w. Frank
Frank & Dr. Flynn bury him
On alarm & pom-pom speaks,
attack range of Kopjes overlooking
a valley on right of wh. B
Kop; several small parties of
Boers in valley; long range
valleys, Plan of attack by
Major Royston splendid. Sent
by him to take farm in valley
& bring in sheep as abt
12 miles to camp. Reach it
w. all horses knocked up
at 7 pm, 18 hours on paddle
16 Bers was total capture for
day & all determined fighters
Also Boer families, oxen &
sheep Everyone dead tired,
Frank gets any amt goose, fowl
& pig Heard this morning
that despatch had come
from Major bridges fr. Carolina
stating that tobacco &
mail on board, & that White
of A4 mortally wounded Ought
to meet convoy at end of this
trek Pulteney & Kitchener
joined; Babington on our
right
Sunday June 16th
March at 9 am. waggons remain
Go out abt 6m; sent on left flank
fired on pretty stiff by Boers, main
body looking a farm on right. Over
100 Boers in front. Return to farm,
splendid place belonging to Schalk
Nezer; lot of women (fair widow):
get a place full of clothing.
Go w. Major Royston & Capt. Alexander
bad shooting; get abt 9
bles bok & several spring bok.
Return to same camp at 5.30.
This was a beautifully furnished
farm.
Monday June 17th.
A Company march at 7 a.m. to get
3 submerged waggons abt. 7 m away
Very uninteresting day. At box
buried w. watches, clothing &c. My
share a silk hand & watch given
one by my division Capt. Milleans
w. B company out w. Col McKenzie
also after waggons wh they
burnt; they went past Nezlis
farm wh we were at yesterday.
Orders came to rejoin Kitcheners
who is about 10m S of us. 2nd
ILH under Major Royston W pom
pom march at 5.30 we w Col
McK. at 7.30 This place
called Coalbank.
Tuesday June 18th
Trek at 7 am w Col Mckenzie this
Southfield, picking up at one farm
61 women & kids, many of women
heavy in child, one kid only 3 days
old, advance & get 3 Boer ponies
Sniped at. On again to Ben
Smits farm; get women out just
on confinement Rearguard action
fairly stiff; abt 40 Boers
Lieut Sherad of 5th in command,
I leave division & go w him,
Camp at Holbank after crossing
Vaal. Join Kitchener & remounts
for Carolines under Young, also
Major Bridges returns. Some
of Boer women swear fluently
in English Capt. Alexander of
ILH tells good tale of a Colonel
in charge of Boer women, wants
to know what to do when a Boer
woman calls him "bxxxxxy old.
bxxxxr". Also of English officer
who asked in "best" English
for eggs, & to whom B. Woman
retorted "Footzah you bxxxxxr"
War seems fearfully cruel now but
since their own fault.
Saturday June 19th
Heard abt. week ag that De lakey
had got on to English somewhere near
Machordordorp: 150 Yeomanry in front
of a battery & attacked by Boers,
guns cd. not fire on a/c of I.L.
I.V retreated & guns captured.
Nearly all gunners killed & Lieut
Hallett wounded. Refused to show
Boers how to work fuse of guns
to play on English so shot dead.
along w. some of gunners. Officer
had previously shot gun horses so
Boers cd not get guns away. Cost
Gen. Dickson 39 men killed &
130 wounded to recover guns.
Dublin Fusiliers & Gisec charged
& bayonetted the Boers: VMR also
in it. Trekked at 8 a.m. &
got within 4 m. of Ermelo; were
rearguard to waggons. Very
uninteresting Remounts to duel
out; only get 2 of which one had
to be shot 5m. out C.O. something
fearful.
Thursday June 20th
Trek at 9; Col McK w. ILH at 8;
Go thro' Ermelo; pretty little town w big
gaol & church; abt 41 families there but
no waggons to carry them away in. Great
row w. Campbell this morning over
tobacco money. Wright sets off for
Pretoria paining a little so ride in
Major Jones spider. Camp abt 6 or
7 in out of Ermelo. Rearguard
sniping Boers come into Ermelo
1/4 hour after rearguard left Good
deal of useless loot here. Rations
getting very short. Major Bridges
again in command I am
awfully full up. An orders come out
that I no longer QM or paymaster;
private pique of Cambell: I
complained abt his messing w.
money I was responsible for.
Name of camp Dryhoek. Send letters to
Gips mother & Cantor by Wright
to Carolina.
Friday June 21st.
6.30 trek in orders, but have to wait until
mist clear away about 7.15 Maley & self
on right flank. Short trek abt.
5 miles. Wiggy Weyland after horses
comes in at gallop: abt. 28 Boers
had dashed out from Ropje. Report to
Bridges & set outpost who see abt.
20 or 30 & fire on them. Camp near
at hand wh we reach abt 10 a.m.
Outpost remain until sunset.
Confirmation of report that 300 Vics
w. 2 pom poms captured or wounded
at Grobler's Regt. by 150 Boers under
Viljoen jun. Was abt. 8p.m & were
receiving rum ration after just
coming in, & outposts had not
been properly fixed. This will probably
alter all our movements. Orders for
McCormack & itself to go out w. our
divisions ^ at 6.30 & hold ridge abt. mile & half
from camp along road wh Column
to travel to-morrow. Rest march at 7.30
Rum ration.
Saturday June 22nd
Go out w. the 2 divisions at 6.30a.m. On a/c
of insufficient information like wrong road
But on left I hold the right Ridge Instead
of north we branch off almost due west to
Bethel. Plenty Boers about. Only travel about
7 miles & camp. Big gun fires & shell from
camp at Rohje on left. Here advance guard
to-day. Tommies strike a plant covered
w. earth & sheet of iron turns out to be
a coffin. Orders for mounted troops
to march at 5 a.m. on reconnaissance
area; column halts here to-morrow.
Sunday June 23rd
Sea ord. to 2 colts & all mtd by country &
two companies of Devons but under bec
of Ropje wh he shelled yesterday
Sent off under Campbell & Williams &6
divisions (100 men) to Kaffir Kraal
where Boers seen planning form into
medic patches. I sent forward with 13
men & a [[?]] team to pursue;
expect others to support; while rest
water then xxx horses. Get to Rival
leave 4 men under cover follow on to 9
men & sergeant to right of mealie patches
wh are some miles in extent Fine box of
photos at couple Boers on PR line. I
having up our supports, on ^to old
farm, then left wheel & send out
scouts to crest, where few more
Boers are seen open fire along
for parapets. ^I keep mounted scout on
right & left, & dismount men near
old farm on telegraph line over the
far side of mealie patch
from lea Broad & again open fir
to hurry up supports, alas nowhere
about the the valley the eight of us
shooting me in planned first!
Killing Clifford & Misteni & wounding
Mills (slight 3 places) & Hackett.
I order them the surrendered 30 Boers
dah up after 30 more. Terrible
management of Campbell surely.
Back cover
Mrs ^K Mathieson PRO4267
3 Gunner St
St Kilda : Melb
________________________________________
Rev. Tees
Presby minister
West Street
Durban
______________________________________________
Rev Gould Smith
Marstybuns
________________________________________
Rifle buckets
" slings
Macksmith's Material
fr West & Chancht.
227
Irregular Corps Depot.
Capt. Tucker, Adjt.
___________________
Carbines & Revolvers, full Taries Flats
Under clothing, Khaki forage caps; riding pants
10 0'clock
________________________________________
Tuesday5 p.m.
Wednesday
See C.6
_________________________________
Rifles 214 11 cases 10 w.20 1 w.04
2 Webleys; 2 own to cas
A 1. case w. 14 2 Nebler: 2 swords cavalry
2. " w. 20 all correct
B Ponches 2.4, coyle & trumpet, revolver damaged
bllts
frogsb214
C Small packet Cont bugle, Histl shot, whuckes &C.
______________________________
Waterbottles xxx xxx 118
________________________________________
Amount sack, 8
Rifle slugs 213 (short)
___________________________________
11 sun brown belts; 9 revolver pouches belts & holsters
19 Carbines; 2 revolvers; 19 ^old bottles co 19 pull through
13 cleaning rods
___________________________________________
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