Diary of an unknown Boer War soldier, October - November 1899

Diary front cover - see original document

 

guardsmen to Dundee a/c
24 Oct 1899
[*PB05050*]
J. G. Briga]]
Boers
Middelburg Com
[*PR05050*]
 

[* 1899*]

[*8Oct 24 *] Dundee taken by the Boers virtually

 taken by Lucus Meyer's

force - fight lasted from 5 am

till 4.15 on Friday 22^nd -.
no help from Comdt Erasmus -

Could not understand it as he

was reported to have been there

at the time - Had he helped no

Englishman could have escaped-

as we could have hemmed them

in Entirely and prevented them

escaping for the old Grey town

road. God helped me wonderfully

and released me from the hands

of my enemies who had taken

me prisoner near our men
who were fighting hard -

Nos 13000 English with 60

Cannons
3000  Boers with 8

Cannons from

[*PR05050*]

Cannon ammunition gave

up at about 11 o'clock &

the Mausers did the rest.

under God's good guidance.

Comdr. Trichardt no good.

has no head nor any inflective 

resource - our F.C.

or C. Faurie would have

proved far abler Commanders - 

The English are no

cowards by any means &

fought well up the hill but

the Boer marksmen picked

them off sometimes by twos

& even threes. Saw 12

officers (their Colonel included) 

laid out in one little room

& about 60 others dead at

the farm. Terrible.- poor
devils! not their but the
Capitalist's fault But they

have to obey the orders of

their powers just as I must.

I wish this matter could now

be settled. Victory is also

dreadful _
The Coolies looted Dundee -
we shall get the blame -

we only took food and such

clothes as we absolutely

required. But there are

some of our Boers who

do not observe any of

the General's orders.-
[*Oct 26.*] Official report last night to
Gen. Lucas Meyer states that

the English loss registers

1400 Killed & wounded, amongst

whom were 130 officers

including 1 General and

6 Colonels.

We are still following the
English up to Ladysmith - expect

they have reached it by this

time; - do not care - as our
Cannons are not yet with us,

and these we must have.

Several reports current that
Ladysmith has surrendered.

but do not credit, since

we heard no special fighting. 

We are still 5 hours

away from our destination

Col. Trichardt not yet in position - 

hence our delay -

[*27*]  We heard today that the

Cape Colony, Free State, Natal
and the South African Republic 
had been proclaimed as a
South African Republic.

How it was done, if done,

I cannot understand, unless 

the S.A.R. joined itself 
to Natal, and proclaimed
both conjointly with

the Cape & Free State.

Had bitter rains - wet to

the skin again - now the

9th time -

[*28^th*]  Slept in the rain in a 
little Kaffir Kraal; can
go back if I want to,

but wish to finish off

Ladysmith to see if that

will not settle this unjustifiable 
war. Feel very
sorry for the poor English
 

soldiers who are bound
to carry out the Chamberlains

policy - In my opinion

had England followed

the Salisbury policy, this

war would most certainly

have been avoided
as our Govt. would have

conceded a lot more

in kindness - but would

not be coerced. For years

I have been fighting for

small, necessary reforms

in our Govt. without avail.
Now have to fight for the

upholding of our independence 

But I do

this gladly, because England 
has been following 
out a very galling policy

for an Africander - After

this war, if spared, am
going to continue doing

very best towards organizing

a proper Govt -

broadminded and guarding
the independence

of our little state. May

God grant me my life

with a knowledge how

to use it in the interests

of my country and to
His Glory -

Poor Pistorius could

hardly say "Good morning"
to me this morning -
he seemed very much

out of sorts. Some of

our men are beginning
to distrust Lt Moorhead.

Sun just coming out.

Glorious - thank Heaven!

Two hours from Ladysmith

Hope our Generals will

decide to tackle her at

earliest opportunity, so

that we could settle

matters -.
Still got very bad cold.

Rheumatics giving me
fits, especially when
on horseback -. The

two Innaloos - Coenic

& Nicho - are fine lads

to have for messmates.

Four provision waggons

left in turf by Column 
flying to L. Smith fell

into our hands this morning

we got nothing - the other

Comos taking every thing

barring one tin of "Klinkers"

not bad for hungry stoms.

Cannot understand why

this flying column was

not intercepted and

cut off before getting

into L. Smith. This

could very easily have
been done -.
Have just taken our position
in a little "Randje"

about 3 miles or so to the

East of L. Smith - our entire

force is now circled round
the place, and I do not

see how the English can

possibly get out of it - we

have cannon on three

sides of them. Storming

the Koppies this side of

the big round this side of

the town was very ticklish

work, especially as a large

force "trekked" out of town in
our direction. Vercucil's
field cornetcy had to patrol

the ground first before

the Commando would

come out on the hills. This

is perfectly correct, as one

must be careful in the

Enemy's ground.

Gen. L. Meyer has now
arranged very much better 
than at Dundee - I suppose
owing to good advice from

other Generals. Am of opinion
that the English are very much
in difficulty, and will not show

much fight, as it appears to

me their chances are very meagre.

However, one does not know

until things have happened -

and such very strange things
do happen.

Have suffered terribly with sore

chest and terrible cough through the

best part of the night. Am very ill.

Vercusil will let me go back, but I

do not feel up to it, unless somebody
could go with me. Lost my breath
a few times, through terrible cough - .

[*29*] Got notice and orders from our
Comdt. to ride a report and
take sealed orders to our Camp

at Buffelriviers drift calling up

all our capable men. Horses

are giving in but men still
in splendid form.

I very sick of Rheumatic

and my chest absolutely

inflamed so that I can hardly

get my breath.

10.30 evening.

Arrived at Dundee -Slept

in Royal Hotel with Comr

Von Levitson - Left early

without Breakfast - have

½ a tin of Strawberry jam
very nice but no volume
for hungry stomach -  

Went all over the scene of

the Elandslaagte Waschbank

battle. Boers Hollanders

and Germans must have

fought well - they having

absolutely no cover. Saw

Van Dans Dr Coster dead

a good strongminded man

gone. R.I.P.

Capt. Schiel not dead - shot

through hind quarters -

flesh wound. Gen. Hock's

right leg shot off and bad

wound through shoulder

about 2 inches right below

arm pit - very serious - not
expected to survive - wife

passed through to meet
and nurse him. Two

Uys boys dead - one of Piet

Uy's (daug) and cousin.

- (Dundee).

105 Lost 23 Killed rest

wounded & prisoners.

[*30^th*] 12.5 pm. arrive at our

Camp - dead broken up

horse and all - horse wont

eat being completely knocked

up- -Splendid animal - Piet

Borman's. Chaps all glad

to see me. Did my

duty by all - Leaving

for Middelburg with

orders to get leave from

Landdrost to proceed to

Delagoa Bay if necessary

to watch movements of

Portuguese There privately -

Ever since sunrise this
morning can plainly

hear heavy firing at

Ladysmith. Judging from

sound there must be some

100 Cannon firing together.

Our positions are
fairly good under the circumstances

and unless
the English very far more

than doubly outnumber

us they cannot withstand

the siege very long -

9 a.m.  Firing still continuing

- terrible roars.

We are some 50 miles

away. Strange that
sound can be so plainly

distinguished at such
a distance. Can plainly

hear our Big "Vaale"

belch forth destruction.

[* Nov 1. *] Saw wires at Volksrust today

stating
1300 English captured by the
Free Staters at Ladysmith and

500 killed by Cannon among

which are 42 officers. Gen

Sir George White mortally

wounded.  Many more

killed by small guns -
This will be terrible news
for England.

 

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