Diary and letters relating to the service of Stanley Spencer Reid, 1900-1901 - Part 7

Saturday June 8^th 
6.30 Reveillé; go to Field Hospital & see
Wright; also Major Jones. I.L.H. here went
out last night across Komatie towards
Swazi land. We a useless lot w. such
a brainless & selfish C.O.; do absolutely
nothing. Wright rejoins his troop to-day.
General Kitchener at last campd
digging trenches all round & barbed "wire
entanglements", same as Scots Guards &
Inniskillings under Pulteney.
Sunday June 9^th 
Complete friction bet. C.O. & ourselves. I feel
sore over his despatch stating I was driven
in at Brakpan (Gruebler's Regt). Joyce tells
me that Bell & self recommended to General
Kitchener. Discipline & management of Contingent
horrible; only thing is to sit tight
& say nothing - if possible. I.L.H return
to-day from their foray; have a lot of
Cattle & prisoners it is reported. Field
Hospital; Devons & guns move off this
morning towards Bonnie Braes. We 

alone in camp w. 2 pom-poms until I.L.H
return. Three big gun reports just now
on road up to high veldt towards Bonnie braes
evidently some of guns of those who have
just moved out. I.L.H. have been across
Komatie in Swazi land. Oh: for a transfer
Col. McKenzie comes in w. ILH &
16 Boers, also abt 12 women. Boers
belong to Carolina Commando & are the
same lot as gave us the drubbing at
Brakpan; Frank & Nankivell recognize
several of them; one had gone
about 1½ w. them to point out dead
& wounded. I.L H. doing good work.
Great advantage in being linguists
Major Royston of I L.H. taking
Major Bridges place (sick) in command
of 5^th & 6^th.
Monday June 10^th 
Field Hosp News came last night
about 12 Boers near Bushman's
Kop abt 6 miles away. Col. McKenzie
takes 120 of ILH. & 40 

of our men with Campbell, Maley,
Bell, Woodrow, Bardwell & Hawkin
& sets out about midnight. Result
very hard work & Knocking out
of horses & only one Boer captured.
We trek. The Devons &
Field Hospital here at 6 &
we with rest of I L.H. at 7.30
back again to Bonnie Braes,
where Col. McKenzie joins us by
a short cut from Bushman's
Kop. 5^th along w. General
Kitchener have gone one. Camp
here for night; day has been
miserably cold, misty & rainy.
Get tucker on coming in w. Inniskilling
officers,
Tuesday June 11^th 
Orders came out last night that we
to be attached to I.L.H. under Col.
McKenzie. Have only about 80
with us. Many of I.L.H. are
time expired & we to receive 

their horses, as ours very bad.
Trek at 9 for Holnek. Reach
it about 12 noon. No wood
whatever; take party out w. waggon
& 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 lost 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 to day, very
exceptional weather for this
time of year. All I L.H's time
is up by the 17^th.
Wednesday June 12^th. 
Trek at 10 a.m. Get remount of a sort.
Put black in sick lines & give bay
to Nankivell; branch off Carolina
road South towards Clarence.
With I.L.H & Scots Guards. Trek abt
8 miles & camp; hear that General 

Kitchener w. 5^th & 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. household
goods in it. Feeding well;
get goose, duck & fowls.
Thursday June 13^th 
Trek at 8; join General Kitchener w. 5^th &
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 14^th 
Stand to arms from 4 till 5. Am orderly
officer. 5^th & ILH. trek at 7; we at
8 as escort to convoy. Advance
towards farm & camp on right of it.
Pulteney w. Scots Guards & Inniskillin 

Dragoons camped at farm plantation.
Orders to march at midnight - all guns
& mounted men; a 5 days trek
Saturday June 15^th 
Reveille 11pm; march at 1 a.m.
Very hard & cold trek; surprise
Boer outpost of 6 abt 9m, out.
On again & sniping. Rest for hour.
Birch shoots Boer nigger at 1500
yds while shooting geese w. Frank
Frank & Dr Flynn bury him.
On again & 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
volleys, Plan of attack by
Major Royston splendid. Sent
by him to take farm in valley
& bring in sheep. Do so, but
have to leave sheep as att
12 miles to camp. Reach it
w. all horses Knocked up 

at 7 pm, 18 hours in saddle.
16 Boers 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 now
joined; Babington on our
right
Sunday June 16^th 
March at 9 a.m; waggons remain.
Go out abt 6m.; sent on left flank
fired on pretty stiff by Boers, main
body looting a farm on right. Over
100 Boers in front. Return to farm,
splendid place belonging to Schalk 

Mezer; lot of women (fair widow);
get a plant full of clothing.
Go w. Major Royston & Capt Alexander
bok shooting; get abt 9
bles bok & several spring bok.
Return to same camp abt 5.30.
This was a beautifully furnished
farm.
Monday June 17^th. 
A Company march at 7 a.m. to get
3 submerged waggons abt 7 m. away
Very uninteresting day; get box
buried w. watches, clothing &c. My
share a silk band & watch given
me by my division. Capt Williams
w. B Company out w. Col. McKenzie
also after waggons wh they
burnt; they went past Mezer's
farm wh we were at yesterday.
Orders come to rejoin Kitchener
who is about 10 m S of us. 2^nd 
ILH under Major Royston w. pom:
pom march at 5.30; we w. Col
McK. at 7.30. This place 

called Coalbank.
Tuesday June 18^th 
Trek at 7 a.m  w. Col McKenzie thro'
Smithfield, 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
Smit's farm; get women one just
on confinement. Rearguard action
fairly stiff; abt 40 Boers
Lieut Sherard of 5^th in command;
I leave division & go w. him,
Camp at Holbank after crossing
Vaal. Join Kitchener & remounts
from Carolina 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 "bxxxxy old 

bxxxxr". Also of English officer
who asked in best English for
eggs, & to whom B,. woman
retorted "Footzak you bxxxxr"
War seems fearfully cruel now but
still their own fault.
Wednesday June 19^th 
Heard abt week ago that De la Rey
had got on to English somewhere near
Machadadorp; 150 Yeomanry in front
of a battery & attacked by Boers,
guns cd not fire on a/c of I.Y.
I.Y. 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 & Essex charged
& bayoneted the Boers; VMR also 

in it. Trekked at 8. a.m &
got within 4 m. of Ermelo; were
rearguard to waggons. Very
uninteresting. Remounts dealt
out; only get 2 of which one had
to be shot 5m. out. C.O. something
fearful.
Thursday June 20^th 
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 for clothing &c & mails.
Wound paining a little so ride in
Major Jone's spider. Camp abt 6 or
7 m. out of Ermelo. Rearguard
sniping. Boers come into Ermelo
¼ hour after rearguard left. Good
deal of useless loot here. Rations
getting very short. Major Bridges
again in command. I am 

awfully full up. In orders come out
that I no longer QM or Paymaster;
private pique of Campbell ∵ I
Complained abt his messing w.
money I was responsible for.
Name of camp Dryhoek. Send letters to
Gipsy mother & Cantor by Wright
to Carolina
Friday June 21^st 
6.30 trek in orders, but have to wait until
mist clears 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 Kopje. 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 jnr. Was abt 8 p.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 & self 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 22^nd 
Go out w. the 2 divisions at 6.30 a.m. On a/c
of insufficient information take wrong road.
But on left I hold the right Kopje. Instead
of north we branch off almost due west to
Bethel. Plenty Boers about. Only travel about
7 miles & camp. Big gun fires a shell from
camp onto Kopje on left. Were advance guard
to-day. Tommies strike a plant covered
w. earth & sheet of iron turns out to be
a coffin. Orders for mounted troop
to march at 5. a.m on reconnaissance;
column halts here to-morrow.
Sunday June 23^rd 
Set out w. 2 colts & all mtd Infantry & 

two companies of Devons. Halt under lee
of Kopje wh we shelled yesterday.
Sent off under Campbell & Williams & 6
divisions (100 men) to Kaffir Kraal
where Boers seen clearing from into
mealie patches. I sent forward with 13
men & a sergeant to pursue; exp 
expect others to support; while rest
water their hoses horses. Get to Kraal
leave 4 men under cover follow on w. 9
men & sergeant to right of mealie patches
wh are some miles in extent, Fire 6 or 7
shots at couple Boers on skyline. to
hurry up our supports; on to old
farm, then left wheel & send out
scouts to crest, where few more
Boers are seen; open fire & long
for supports, ^I keep Mounted scout on
right & left, & dismount men near
old farm on telegraph line ^on the
far side of mealie pacth
from Ka Kraal & again open fire
to hurry up Supports; alas nowhere 

about they they volley the eight of us
Shooting me in stomach first;
Killing Clifford & Westcott to wounding
Mills (Sergt 3 places) & Hackett.
I order them to surrended. 30 Boers
dash up & after 30 more; Terrible
management of Campbell surely. 

Back cover of diary - see original document 

[*PRO4267*]
Mrs H Mathieson 
3 Gurner St
St Kilda; Melb.
Rev. Tees
Presby minister
West Street
Durban
Rev Gould-Smith
Maritzburg
Rifle buckets
  "      slings
Blacksmith's Materials
[*21*] Cr West & Church St
[*227 *]
[*11*]
[*20
20
20
20
20
20*][*8*] [*109*] 

Irregular Corps Depôt
Capt Tucker Adjt
Carbines & Revolvers, Drill Tunics,^✓Hats;^✓ 
Under-clothing, Khaki forage caps; riding-pants^✓ 
10 0'clock.
Tuesday 56 p.m
Wednesday
See C.O 
Rifles 214     11 cases   10 w. 20     1 w. 14
                       2 Webleys; 2 swords cav. 
A (1) case w. 14  2 Webleys; 2 swords cavalry
(2)      "     w. 20  all correct
B Pouches 214, 1bugle 1trumpet; revolver lanyard 
Belts.
Frogs 214
C Small packet  Cont. bugle, Histy sheet, whistles &C.
Waterbottles 61 M 100 118
Ammunit sacks 8
Rifle slings 213 (short)
11 sam brown belts; 9 revolver pouches belts & holsters
19 Carbines; 20 revolvers; 19 ^oil bottles & 19 pull throughs
13 cleaning rods