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11 – Letter to Mary Ann Smith from Frederick Smith, 23 Feb 1900

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[FS/2/2/4/2/11]

Queenstown

23 Feb 1900

[Salutation Redacted]

[[1]] I have just arrived here, the other side of Cape Colony (just above East London) after travelling incessantly since I last wrote to you viz 19 Feb — I had intended to fully describe my journey, but the fact that the [1 word struck through, illeg.] mail goes to morrow[sic] & I only have a short time to night[sic] to write it [1 word struck through, illeg.] precludes all notion of giving you a detailed account of all my adventures – I just did a long train journey through the heart of south africa[sic] & a God forsaken place it is. Nothing but desert nothing but stones, & hills, after Natal it was positively [illeg.] dreadful & reminded one more of the Soudan[Sudan] than anything sl else. Where they have water [1 word struck through, illeg.] town & veritable oasis is constructed & here everything is green fruit abundant & a perfect garden of Eden, but the line of demarcation between  that & the desert is as absolute as anything can be for two nights & a day & a quarter did I do this scenery further towards Craddock, which was my objective, matters improved a little & here ostrich farming help[s] to relieve the monotony of the view, those dear children would have liked to see those beautiful birds running about wild, lovely plumage I must try & buy some for you, but they are very expensive.

At last Craddock was reached. It is a small town very Dutch & therefore very disloyal I found 2 companies of the Sherwood Foresters[1] here & they made me most comfortable, the Boers were expected the day before I arrived, but had not turned

[[2]] turned[sic] up. They were rather nervous about their appearance as it was impossible to hold the place with a handful of men & nearly everybody in the place was a Boer sympathiser they openly boasted of having 10,000 men ready to rise, but if they could have produced 1000 I should have been surprised. I  remained at Craddock a day & a half & then owing to the Boers being in possession of the northern part of the line I had to drive from Craddock to Queenstown over 90 miles in a Cape Cart. I took Morton & was glad of it but what a shaking up we got for 50 miles

The road was perfect h– it is impossible to describe up & down hill, in ruts over stones, boulders & rocks, through the dry bed of rivers, through streams, down places that made you gasp as you looked at them & this went on from 10 one morning until 2 am next day, by that time we had only done 53 miles, but I am anticipating.

It was a Dutchman who drove us & of course a Boer sympathiser. I had my revolver & Morton Carbine & should have blown out his brains on the spot if he had tried his games on, I was suspicious of him for a long time as he kept looking out right & left for miles, bear in mind we were within 20 miles of the Boers a distance easily covered by them on two horses. As night came on & we got no nearer our destination I still more sus-pected[sic] my man at last it got quite dark the thundereder  rolled & a heavy storm came on, it was so dark that I could not see Morton in front of me not two feet away. We got out tried to find the road on our with our hands but no use. We could hear the noise from a waggon[sic] in front & a friendly flash

[[3]] of lightning showed a bullock waggon[sic] just ahead of us. The driver confessed he could not see the road & asked Morton if he could. Well he & the driver crawled under the waggon[sic] for protection. I rolled up in my waterproof bag on the seat of the two wheeled cart hulled up like a [illeg.], the wind howled, the rain came down in a perfect deluge & this lasted for four hours, a pale moon then rose & we continued on our way & finally reached Tarkastad a very Dutch centre seething with disloyalty. After much difficulty we woke up a man in the hotel & demanded stable & bed. His idea was we would all sleep together so he took us to a three bedded room but I drew the line at that. My first experience was finding seven B flats[?][2] stuck in the candle just after they had been impaled with a pin! I at once scratched myself back & front, made a search of the bed & walls, the latter bore full external evidence of much slaughter, this was enough for Morton he elected to sleep in the cart outside. I lay as I was gingerly on the bed candle burning until daylight & I think this kept the enemy away for I was not troubled during the night.

I found the house was kept by a Polish Jew but all S. African hotels are the same, even the one in Cape Town where I lived. One amusing scene occurred earlier in the day. We stopped at a wayside home for tea, it was a shanty of the first water kept by a Dutchman who tried to appear very loyal[,] tea was amassed & I had previously asked Morton whether he would like some & he replied in the affirmative. [“]This way gentlemen[“] said the landlord leading the way to the tea room.

[[4]] Morton followed at a respectful distance — [“]You can sit here & the other gentleman there[“] said the landlord. Morton not yet hearing got in I said, [“]the other gentleman is my servant, you can put him at the end of the table[“]. Profuse apologies from the landlord, who explained that he did not recognise master & servant & otherwise gave himself away, however he wound up by calling out, [“]Come on Mr. Morton & sit here[“]. Cant’[sic] you imagine the colours of Morton’s face!

In this blessed country every hotel Keeper[sic] his wife, children , etc shake hands with you including also Morton who distinguished appearance gains him great attention.

Well, our second days journey was 42 miles, better going but rained heavily passed through flights of locusts which resembled a huge dust storm, never saw anything like it, saw buck had a shot & nearly got it, equids [1 line redacted] & other beasts of sorts) & finally got to Queens town[sic] at 4 OClock[sic]. The place was in great rejoicing they had the news that Cronje[3] had surrendered & that Ladysmith had been relieved, the loyal inhabitants had hung out flags[,] bicycles with flags & other ornaments invaded the streets & every evidence of rejoicing on the part of the loyal inhabitants but they are few, very few. all[sic] wear a festoon of ribbons on the hat red white & blue, all who dont’[sic] & they are numerous are ached[?].

I made up my mind not to stay in a S.A hotel again if I could help it, so worked there show to live in the station & I am now put in a post office railway van, with a plank up it to walk

[No Valediction]

 

 

 

 

(Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study the electronic images of this document where possible)

(https://vethistory.rcvsknowledge.org//archive-collection/fs-working-papers/)

 

[1] Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment of the British Army

[2] B Flats? Could be Bed Bugs?

[3] Pieter Arnoldus Cronjé, (1836 –1911) was a general of the South African Republic’s military forces during the Anglo-Boer wars of 1880-1881 and 1899-1902.

12 – Letter to Mary Ann Smith from Frederick Smith,18 Mar 1900

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[FS/2/2/4/2/12] (1)

Norvals Pont

Orange River. SA

18 March 1900

*[1]

[Salutation Redacted]

[[1]] I am in a fit lest the letter I posted to you yesterday is late for the mail, I quite forgot that the section of this line to Nauport[2] had been damaged by the enemy & that progress is slow in consequence & as you know I brought my Craddock letter with me to post here. I do hope it was in time for you, as I shall like to say I never missed a mail all the time I was away.

Well, I left Craddock the night before last, & though so late in life I really seem to make friends, the fellows appeared to be very sorry at my leaving & the Colonel particularly so as he & I have been on most friendly terms[,] a most cordial farewell at the station occurred, & that night I slept on the floor at Naaupoort station. At 5 am I got into the guards van of a luggage train & after passing Arundel, Reusberg[?] all scenes

[[2]] of recent fighting I got to Colesberg which I intended for my destination, but there were no troops there so I went on to Norvals Pont[sic] where I knew a big force existed. I did not get here until 3 in the afternoon as at most places on the line not more than 5 miles an hour could be done & sometimes we waited for two hours, every bridge & culvert had been blown up, the rails had been bodily torn away & cast on one side, one big iron bridge was lying in the dry bed of the river blown up with dynamite. We crossed in a very dodgy manner. Here is the bridge with the centre spar gone[3] [illustration] How would you have got over. Well they ran the line over the dry bed of the river & up again on the other side to the level of the bridge, but it took two engines to get us up the steep bank. On arrival here I looked out a place to bed down for the night, but the whole place was indescribably filthy the Boers had used the houses to stable their horses in

[[3]] Dung inches in thickness existed on the floors, the whole of the walls were scribbled over with Dutch & English filth, the platform was inches thick in manure & in this mess onions & indian[sic] corn were growing. The whole place was a vast latrine & the filth beyond description. An English store (or shop) had been looted & the shelves & fittings bodily pulled from the wall a billiard table in a bar near the station had the whole of the cloth torn off the rubber cushions torn away & the place full of filth manure & indian[sic] corn. The houses used by the railway people were in the same shocking condition even the kitchen stoves pulled out. The ground was littered with straw[,] filth, sheep skin & entrails, no one can picture the state the place was in. We are now disinfecting & cleaning out the rooms & I am writing this in one of them at present. The filth brings a plague of flies there are myriads where I write this, they get in ones food meat drink everything flies.

There is a beautiful iron bridge over the Orange River

[[4]] At Norvals Pont[sic], they have blown out the two centre spars & we have a railway corps busy day & night repairing it temporarily. It seems such a sin to see two immense spars of this bridge lying in the river, but we have got a pontoon over it & have our troops now in the Free State I crossed by the pontoon this morning it is just under 400 yards long & set foot in the enemy’s territory & then returned.

But the pontoon is 4 miles from here & having no horse I walked the distance in a sun none too cool. I saw Clements the G.O.C this force & had a five minute chat with him. He is a very young man & was originally in the 24th Regt & a friend of Miss Wilkinsons [sic] if I rightly remember.

I have picked up here with a Mr. Gotto who is reporting for the Daily News, he met with an accident on the railway last night & I picked him up & looked after him until a doctor came. He seems a very wise man a gentleman, has lots of good things with him which I do not take, but I have had two cigars

[FS/2/2/4/2/12] (2)

[[1]] [Beginning of page missing] call on her in order to get to known she calls on him & settles the matter. He told me old Admiral Keppel many years ago was bringing home in his ship Governor of Cape Colony [3 lines redacted]
[[2]] [Beginning of page missing] Morton is busy at present cooking my dinner it is not very elaborate only bread meat put into water & steamed down with neither potatoes onions or anything else, but it is <an> excellent diet for a hungry man. He is doing very well but I think prefers the comforts of Craddock to the flies of Norvals Pont[sic].

[[3]] The Free State appears to have had enough of fighting yesterday lots of them gave up their arms & ammunitions from the different farms close by. I think Kruger will fight, but if he does not the game is up.

By the bye it may be interest you to know the Dutch pronounce his name as if it were spelt “Kreer” not as we do. A train yesterday came in from Bloemfontein with Carew[4] & some of his Guardsmen. We hold the country up to that point & captured at Bloemfontein 900 tons of coal & 30 Railway Engines an excellent haul.

There is a rumour to day[sic] that Brabant[5] at Aliwal North about 80 miles to our right has met with a reverse, if this is true there shall be fighting somewhere between here & there & we ought to box them up. I told Clements I wanted to see him fight if it came off, but of course I cannot remain here long doing nothing.
My present idea is to get up to Bloemfontein in three or four days time & get back again.

[[4]] I hope it will come off — good way of seeing the country. I wish you could see this room my belt, bag, valise & Morton’s bundle all flies. on the wall my clock sword revolver & water bottle in the corner his Carbine & ammunition. I sit on a form renewal for the school, my writing table being a three legged iron wash bowl stand with a piece of board on it. He sits outside stoking the fire & making my hash truly a gipsy life.

Did I tell you that Wise of the 13th told me when I was with them that he had written to his wife to have a rockery made in the back garden as the only place he could possibly sleep on in the future! Well I feel rather like this myself comfort demoralizes one!

We had a 9lb Boer gun here captured from them — it is going to Cape Town, there will be a great demonstration I expect

19th March. Last night I spent with my correspondent of the Daily News friend his name is Gotto, he is a man

[FS/2/2/4/2/12] (3)

[[1]] of great culture & can discuss on any subject. He is also an artist, I hope I may see his pictures. He tells me he is a great friend of Whistler’s & other big art men & entertained me for hours with stories of them & other celebrities. He has a pistol given him as a parting present from Cyril Maude the actor. Among other things he possesses a small yacht & is quite a man of the world. I breakfasted with him this morning on steak & onions he did me well in fact if I chose I could go there to every meal. In his cart this morning I drove out to the camp & appreciated the change from yesterdays walk very much. I have wired to find out whether I should go out to Bloemfontein. I hope they say yes. I shall then be content to return to Craddock for a week or so. As to news I have none to day[sic] excepting that our meat is very tough & our bread mouldy.  We tried to buy some rice but they had none, then sago was asked for but they were not having any so that our diet of Morton’s stew of very tough & tasteless draught ox with some jam will form our dinners plus some soup tablets.

[[2]] I picked up a Boer letter in their camp this morning & will have it translated in case it contains any useful information.

24 March. Here I am again at Craddock the evening of the last day I wrote you I received a wire directing me not to cross the Orange River but to inspect Burghersdorp[sic]. So I packed up & on the 20th placed myself at Norval’s Pont[sic]  station for a train timed to leave at 11am. It left at 4pm during which time we had nothing to eat & moreover could get nothing from the supply depot, they had neither bread nor biscuit a lively prospect! However at 4 the train started & Gotto not feeling well returned with me as far as Colesberg. We got to the latter place when it was dark & I determined to feed. The train waited about 2 hours, but no one knows why, & in the interval Morton managed to get a loaf of bread. I then proceeded to my repast in the coal truck where he was lying with my kit & sitting on the floor of this I managed by the pale light of a bad moon & a flickering candle to

[[3]] to pick out the meat from the fat in a tin of bully, get some cocoa from the Engine & wind up with marmalade Excellent repast. The train moved on later & we got landed in Naaupoort [Noupoort] at 12 midnight. [Continuation of page missing]

[[4]] yelled with delight when our wounded were brought into Colesberg. The effect was electrical between them they arranged to burn & scarify her. They fervently prayed she might lose her train at N’poort (for that meant she would have to

[Continuation of page missing]

[FS/2/2/4/2/12] (4)

[[1]] It was made at Norval’s Pont[sic] waiting for the train & towards the end was interrupted by some-one[sic] turning up. However you may care for it & I send it by this mail. I think it a good likeness. You can imagine how well he sketches when I tell you this was done in a few minutes & not a simple erasure was made.

To resume my narrative — [1 word struck through, illeg.] Naaupoort [Noupoort]  being reached at midnight & my train not leaving until 8 am next morning & with no place to sleep I rolled my valise open on the platform & got inside. There was a very heavy dew but I kept dry & slept well excepting when men in the dark fell over my feet, for other trains conveying troops & stores were pouring in all night & there was very little standing let alone sleeping room on the platform. It was bitterly cold so cold Morton could not sleep & had to walk up & down all night. In due course (6 hours late) the train arrived which was to take me to Burghersdorp[sic]. This is the centre of Dutch disaffection & passes through

[[2]] many miles of country belonging to us from which the Boers have only just cleared out. The railway bore evidence of their presence every bridge, every culvert was destroyed, they are now temporarily repaired & traffic is slowly carried on. It is most interesting to see how they temporarily build up the piles of a bridge by means of sleepers or rails arranged on one another in a square & piled up to the required height. In this way the train is carried over. [6] [Illustration]

The iron girders of all the bridges are torn into fantastic shapes like so much paper & lying all over the place. It is a shameful waste of property. Well I travelled the whole of this day the (21st March) & in the evening arrived at Stormberg the scene of Gatacre’s disaster –from here I went by train to Burgersdorp where I arrived at 7pm. The whole of this place was up to a day or two ago occupied by Boers. In contrast to Norval’s Pont[sic] there was not the slightest destruction of property

[[3]] effected the station was clear & altho[sic] the telegraph wires were cut there was no damage of importance

I slept in the station that night Morton not far off how he snored! but[sic] then he always does.

The reason why Burgehersdorp[sic] station was not destroyed was because the whole place is Dutch & full of Boer sympathisers. In fact not a telegraph form or label in English could be got in this place. The Free State had taken the place over & had left behind them all Free State material. I send you with my photo one of their labels & telegraph forms a very simple bit of loot. At 3am on the 22nd we proceeded to Bethulie on the Banks of the Orange River, only a Guards van was obtainable & several of us were packed in there with the mails. We got to Bethulie Camp just south of the river by 9am progress very slow wit owing to the bridges being all blown up, even the signal posts had been shot at part of their arms being cut off which the lamps & coloured glasses were smashed by bullets[.]
[[4]] At Bethulie Camp there is no station I tumbled not in the direction of the tents & soon found a man who directed me to the Transport offices, here I found [word redacted] A.V.O who gave me some breakfast which I greatly appreciated & after I had done my work I went & saw Bethulie Railway Bridge which the Boers had just destroyed. It is a sad sight, a fine iron bridge with five of its spars blown out some lying in the water others drooping like a faded flower. Two miles away is the iron waggon[sic] bridge connected Cape Colony with the Free State, they tried to blow this up but failed. [1 word redacted] in the course of conversation dwelt so incessantly on the hard work that he had performed that I was compelled to remind him that I had heard differently of him at Cape Town where he was in bad odour, for not putting his shoulder to the wheel & ‘bucking’ up a bit. I fear I gave him rather a shock, but I dont’[sic] suppose it will do him any good. [Words redacted]

[No Valediction]

(Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study the electronic images of this document where possible. (https://vethistory.rcvsknowledge.org//archive-collection/fs-working-papers/)

[1] Annotated by Smith with ‘Keep but re read’

[2] Noupoort, South Africa

[3] Illustration by Smith of broken bridge.

[4] Lieutenant-General Sir Reginald Pole-Carew, KCB, CVO (1849 –1924) was a British Army officer who became General Officer Commanding 8th Division.

[5] Major-General Sir Edward Brabant, commanding the Colonial Division

[6] Illustration by Smith of the railway repair technique

13 – Letter to Mary Ann Smith from Frederick Smith, 10 May 1900

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[FS/2/2/4/2/13]

Masonic Hotel. Bloemfontein O.F.S*[1]

*[2]

10 May 1900

 [No Salutation]

[[1]] I am receiving papers regularly from you but belated this I do not mind, I read every word of the papers & learn from them what has been occurring under my very nose without my knowing it. Those letters from L’Smith are beautifully written. I have lent them all to Matthews. Strange to say I saw a review on Beaconsfields letters addressed to Lady Dorothy Neville.[3] You may remember this was the lady I wrote to you about who was sweetheart of the Duke of Wellington.

Read Steevens book from Cape Town to L’Smith.[4] It is his letters to the Daily Mail collected, the account of his death is very touching. Speaking of death this place takes the merry biscuit, no less than nineteen to day[sic] including an officer[,] one hospital lost 9 men in 12 hours!! All enterics[sic].[5] How I wish I had been inoculated. I should have been but for the selfishness of the Colonel! In spite of all this everything goes on as usual & the mixture is incongruous. In one street is met several funeral parties, the corpse sewn in a blanket, the face & nose showing through with painful distinctiveness, carried on a stretcher by his comrades, or rolled along in a mule cart, string upon string of these processions approaching from the dozens of hospitals to be found in this town, & the next minute one meets say a wedding or something equally the opposite. Here babies & children are to be met dancing to the music of the pipes & drums in the market square, while in the road is a batch of prisoners, probably their father or some relation, being marched off under a strong escort; here is a school, all the boys sitting at their benches the impatient voice of the master being heard above their shrill noise, while rolling past the school windows are the dismal ambulance waggons[sic] with red cross flags carrying the mutilated remains of brave men straight from the Field. From this house comes the tin kettle note of the Dutch piano being inflicted either with the fine finger exercise or a selection from the Belle of New York, while in the yard opposite are men lying on the ground in all attitudes waiting for admission to the hospital. The extremes meet everywhere, but no where[sic] so marked as in war. One tries to see the funny & ridiculous side in everything & in spite of its horrors, its suffering & its ghastly wretchedness [1 word struck through, illeg.] there is always something to smile at & someone to chaff[6].

[5 lines redacted]

[[2]] [4 lines redacted] perfectly true story — just look him out in the Army List.

I dont[sic] see much of Matthews, but I think he is friendly — he tells me Gladstone[?] is down with Enteric, so that the expected rupture between him & [1 word redacted] may not now come off.

I expect almost any day now to hear that Rament has gone sick — The Boer shells etc I sent down by him to Cape Town are now in my luggaje[sic] so they are safe. I must next send down the coat of arms from President Steyn’s[7] carriage for it is impossible for me to carry it about. I have not got a Free State flag yet but hope to. Has my Queen’s Medal for the Soudan yet been received? I saw the 21st Lancers got theirs the other day — [5 lines redacted].

I saw a fellow last night just out of Wepener he was there the whole time of the siege & a hot time they had. The boers[sic] shelled them day & night as they were most anxious to capture the garrison who consisted principally of Colonials & they hate the loyal colonists, the last two shrapnel shells they fired had an inscription scratched on, one was “Good bye Cape Mounted Rifles we’ll have you yet” the other shrapnel bore the name of all the Dutch gunners who served this particular gun[.] I am going to see these curiosities. The garrison had little to eat & nothing to smoke, so for the latter they fell back on hay & tea leaves!!!

Brabazon[8] leisurely came to their relief & in his lordly manner told them he did not know they were hard pressed & he could have relieved them a fortnight earlier!! The garrison could not leave their trenches the whole day any man who attempted it was at once shot. They could only go for food & water at night, & even by moonlight several were picked off.

[No Valediction]

(Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study the electronic images of this document where possible)

(https://vethistory.rcvsknowledge.org//archive-collection/fs-working-papers/)

[1] Written on hotel paper, Masonic Hotel, B.Levy & Son

[2] Also annotated as page 4 however this is the only remaining page.

[3] Lady Dorothy Neville, (1826-1913) English writer, hostess and horticulturist

[4] G. W. Steevens, From Capetown to Ladysmith: An Unfinished Record of the South African War

[5] Enteric fever or typhoid

[6] To tease

[7] Martinus Theunis Steyn (1857-1916), president of the Orange Free State from 1896 to 1902

[8] General Reginald Le Normand Brabazon, Lord Ardee (1869-1949)

14 – Letter to Mary Ann Smith from Frederick Smith, 1 Jun 1900

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[FS/2/2/4/2/14] (1)

Johannesburg.

1 June 1900

 [Salutation Redacted]

[[1]] My last letter to you was written just before we sighted Johann’burg[sic] & while fighting was going on on our left. We expected that morning to have a show but there was very little done they fell back on Elandsfontein a suburb of J’h’burg[sic] &  we had a fight for the railway station a pretty little one which resulted in the capture of several engines & a lot of waggons[sic] but before this came off we arrived at Klip Drift where we expected the stand to be made. They had dug their rifle pits but their hearts[?] failed them & [1 word struck through, illeg.] scouts reached Klip Drift station to see the last train steam out with guns etc on board. We occupied their camp a beastly place & containing trunks, pick axes shovels & old clothing. Next morning we pushed on & from the high hills on which we stood got our first view of Johannesburg or rather the gold bearing reefs. The reef runs for 60 miles & has mines all along it, as we stood on the top of the hill overlooking the saddest[?] spot in the world, the staff all cloistered together while the Chief & Kitchener scanned with glasses the whole country two prisoners were brought up one an old Dutchman with a [illeg.] the other a young Jew. The latter had been taken in a neighbouring house which contained Boers. He swore he had never been on Command & he was backed up in this by his wife who accompanied him with a child in her arms. Such a subject for a picture the man expecting to be shot at one, his wife looking distracted, the child in her arms utterly indifferent sucking a piece of chocolate. I do not know what became of him as we pushed on, but I saw General Marshall R.A. take a snap shot of the scene & I hope it may be published. If so you will see me just to one side of the prisoner standing by the side of my horse. We pushed on, paying visits to neighbouring farm houses for food but most of them had been looted by our men the fowls captured eggs & butter gone. I paid 1/- for half a loaf of dough at a house where the mother was sick & full of children, they played with their kittens & little thought what was going on. We left a guard to prevent the woman being disturbed. Would the Boers have done this for us? I set Hallet[?] to work at one

[[2]] place to catch fowls. Can you imagine the miserable[?] Knocked Kneed Hallet catching a fowl? I need [1 word struck through, illeg.] hardly say we had no fowl, but we looted forage for our horses which was very useful for the whole country was on fire, the Boers burned the grass as they went along & for miles the fires raged leaving nothing but a black mass of char [1 line illeg.] the tired dusty troops trudged for miles, the black dust mingled with the brown & their faces & clothing were a sight. At night their fires presented a very pretty appearance. I forgot to say that when we reached Klip River station the last train was going out & the station master set fire to his own house[,] how this was going to injure us was not very clear.

Finally we reached Elands fontein[sic] where the fight for the Railway I mentioned above took place, a train was in the station but could not escape, we got it free & after piled sleepers & stones on the line up & down she steamed like a mouse in a trap while Lee Metford pepper was administered in abundance, finally she gave up the game & surrendered in & the main body of the Boers returned up the hills in the direction of Pretoria there were still plenty of them in Johannesburg. It was nearly dark when the fight was over & we made for the nearest Farm house, by luck we got a nice home used as a barn[.] The owner lived in another a few yards away & here were stowed the Military Foreign attaché with Lord Downe. I slept on the verandah[sic] on a delightful bed of straw of which an abundance existed, such a lovely bed after the hard ground. Every post around the farm was in a few minutes pulled down for fire wood. We sent for the proprietor ordered bread milk & butter, but he could supply nothing. He handed in his rifle & ammunition & though he was safe, when we got there only his terrified wife was to be seen, he & the children were hiding when he found he was not to be shot, he bucked up & did all he could for us. I ordered him to bake bread in his own oven which I told him I would lend him for the occasion, but the oven was already occupied with ducks! for the attaché!

That night & all night long the 7th Division kept rolling up & every man came to this house for wood , it was bitterly cold & the men had neither cloaks nor blankets, they hammered away

[[3]] at the house all night sleep was impossible they tore off the doors, pulled out the windows tore up the floor pulled down the stable, pig styes, dairy & the next morning you never saw such a wreck, excepting the verandah[sic] in which I slept the room occupied by Savage the place was a wreck & beyond recognition, all that was left of the tin dairy was a shapeless mass of iron like a battered kerosene tin.

The whole of the forage in the house we lived in was taken for our troops, my horses lived like fighting cocks. Every particle of wire fence had been pulled down to burn the posts for fire wood. Late at night a fellow of the K O S B’s[1] came & asked whether he might sleep there I gave him a room full of straw, he said he was bitterly cold had no cover & that a brother officer recently recovered from a wound was dying of cold. He went off for their him & they slept with our servants on straw in one of the rooms they described it as delightful. I noticed over the straw bed made by the servants a lace curtain pulled down from the a window!

I had trouble with our Dutch host for finding he was not shot he began to get above himself & the second night of our visit objected to Hallet cutting down a post for fire wood[.] I gave him a good grilling & ordered him to his house. He collapsed & went off. They are curs when tackled. We stopped here two days because on the second day we summoned the town to surrender & out came the commandment to interview Lord Roberts. They could not come to terms & were given 24 hours to reconsider, they said they could not trust the Irish Element of Johannesburg & that they might fire on us in the streets even if the town surrendered. However they thought better of it in 24 hours time but while we were waiting <for> their reply we lost a whole day. On the night of this wasted day as I was warming my feet at the camp fire I heard a voice ask the way to Hd Qts. It turned out to be Churchill who had come in with despatches from Hamilton & with news of French.[2]

We had heard nothing of the battle for two days, Hamilton we knew had been fighting but we did not know the result. The despatches allayed all anxiety. Churchill had ridden from Doornkop a place to the west of Pretoria. He is a wonderful fellow

[[4]] By 10am next day we knew Johannesburg had surrendered & that we were to march through the city & haul up the Flag we started off I on the Chief’s staff as usual & went for miles along dusty roads, such red dust & so think that at times one could not see the man in front of him. In this way I nearly had a nasty accident over two rocks that I suddenly stumbled on in the road but saw just in time as we were cantering & it was a narrow shave. We were now in the suburbs of the city, the whole place was deserted, the houses closed, the windows were nailed up with sheet iron shutters or carefully boarded up[.] The grass grew in the sheets, it was a city of the dead for miles we went & hardly met a soul, I saw a woman in white on a bike she looked at us & rode back hard. There was a black woman on her knees, rubbing her forehead on the ground clapping her hands, shouting & gesticulating. It was a hearty welcome from Boer oppression as we got into the town we went along a street 11/2 miles in length & the people now appeared an enterprising photographer took us as we rode down the street you will see one on the outside of about the tenth row of officers behind the Chief — we rode 5 abreast on my right is Colonel Bunbury[?], next Coney the Parson, then Major Headlam the Gunner I came round with from Natal & then Col. Grierson[?] chief to Kitchener — in front of them were the military attaches

At times we halted to make sure the side sheets were free from assassins as there was a good chance the Chief might be shot at, but at his side was placed the Dutch Commandant & he was carefully guarded on the other. We all kept our eyes wide open for any movement in the crowd of a horrible character but none happened at that time. Slowly we made our way on to the Court House preceded by an advanced guard & let only the City delegates in a cart, at last we arrived we left at 10 am it was now 2.30pm the Transvaal flag was flying the Chief dismounted & went into the court house I dont[sic] know what for. The crowd was now dense, it was with difficulty that it could be kept back & a way made for the troops we all formed up around the flag staff mounted, the Chief returned. The drums & pipes of the Grenadiers arrived everything was ready, at a given signal the Transvaal flag was handed down & the Silk union Jack was run up, three hearty cheers were given, helmets off. we[sic] yelled it was not cheering, a guard of honour had presented arms a God save the Queen was played it consisted of several companies of the Essex Regt. as we cheered the men placed their helmets on their bayonets & such a sound inspiring

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[[1]] sight only occasionally seen in a life time, the men tattered & torn, clothes black greasy & frowning faces black with dust & heavy with beards but bayonets bright, bearing confident & proud no one to look at them would have thought that on their feet they had marched over a large fraction of Africa. It was superb cheer followed on cheer & gradually died away. The First British Flag had been hoisted on Transvaal soil to remain for ever[sic], a second will be hoisted long before you get this letter & at that I shall also I hope be present. I had a fine position on the right of the flag staff about 20 feet away. Several photos were taken of the scene you will see me in the front row to Kitchener’s right — I also saw Melton Prior[3] taking a sketch of it. I will tell you some-thing[sic] about the latter presently. The march past now began & about 15 000 men went by the Chief to music & general exclamation, this of course does not represent [1 word illeg.] of our force but it was sufficient to impress the on looker[sic] with what he might expect if he made himself nasty.

Amid the general cheers there was plenty of subdued hooting from the Boer man, but neither cheers nor hooting had any effect upon us one would have thought we were hauling up our Flag every day in the week so completely indifferent were we in exterior, though God knows proud enough of our work within. When I thought as the business was over that in a few hours you would be reading the whole business in the paper little knowing how intimately I had been associated with the whole proceeding that had taken place. After The troops looked splendid war worn bronzed warriors [,] dusty, very dusty but fit for anything. One Regt departed so far from military discipline as to take off their helmets & cheer the Chief as they marched past him. The bearing of the men was mag-nificent[sic] they are fit to go anywhere. There[sic] appearance astonished the mob. After the review the chief rode

[[2]] to our hotel & got tea, we waited outside, the people came up & offered us cigarettes, remarks were made that now they would have liberty, one man remarked as another muttering some imprecations passed him, Ah Yes, Your day is over my gentleman you’ll now keep a civil tongue in your head. The two were evidently enemies. As the Chief made his way into the Hotel the crowd were kept back but some man forced his way forward & it was thought he was on a dangerous mission for he was soon knocked down & kicked out of the mob.

At the moment this excitement occurred I was out of my saddle talking to Roberts nephew Sherston who is in command of the escort, I at once mounted & felt for my revolver in a second the bold front we put on prevented the crowd taking advantage of the circumstances & in a few minutes everything was quiet & calm. Some curious sights were witnessed during the proceedings. Women were held up to have a view of Lord Roberts & they would ask in the shouts which he was at first one was rather shy of pointing him out in case assassination was the game, but later on as we saw the general tnor was friendly we pointed him out. I saw two women running like hares to get to the head of the procession in order to see the hero of the hour. We left J.h’burg[sic]  as the sun was setting & marched out of the town about 4 miles along a weary dusty road, at last the camp was reached at the bottom of a hill over boulders swamps & long grass & here we had to sit until late at night until the baggage arrived, it  takes a little ingenuity to find your way in the dark over a place you have never seen in daylight, to keep your 3 horses with you among the hundreds present & then to find your baggage. All succeeded however & by 10pm I had completed the first meal I had since 8 in the morning,

A fellow of the 12th turned up to dinner by name he had ridden from Bloemfontein to get in time for the show & lost his way & got into Johannesburg & was made prisoner they treated him well & he was liberated as we marched in.

Among the trains we captured was a Red Cross one full of coal! [Illeg.] will use to put a hospital train

To day[sic] we are eating jam taken from the Boers & very good it is, we are also having a day of rest, hence the opportunity I have taken of writing you this account, I am sorry I have no more paper available [3 lines redacted].

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[[1]] I spoke before of Melton Prior he is the artist for the Ill’[sic] London News[4] & was in search of a picture. I told him I had witnessed [1 line redacted]  Lord Roberts. He at once [3 words redacted] of the interview & I supplied him with the details. He was very grateful and we had a long chat. He surprised me by saying that he thought I must always be smiling. I told him that as a matter of fact I went through life with a very sombre countenance. He was shut up in L’Smith but looks very little worse for it. Another correspondent I met was Battersby[5] who corresponds for the Morning Post. He takes a great interest in the Dept & recently sent a £40 telegram home on the subject of paucity of officers of the A.V.S & the loss of horses as consequence. And I gave him my views very fresh on the reorganisation of the Dept & I hope it may do good. Lord Manners[6] is another correspondent I have met he was taken prisoner the day before yesterday & is now at Pretoria. Bennett Burleigh[7] who corresponds for the D Telegraph I see frequently we met on the other side & are quite friendly. There is also a man of the Daily Mail I see frequently I do not know his name. The correspondents are useful men to keep in with.

I have told you little about myself well my luck is on the turn I was wired for as I told you to go to Kroonstad I let Bridge know & he wired to ask by whose Authority I went up I said the Director of Transport at Hd Quarters. They then wired to Hd Qts to say I was urgently required South of Bloemfontein (I ought to explain that there is friction between the G.O.C lines of communication & Hd Quarters — I really word on lines of communication & under that General & yet I am at the front & under Lord Roberts, an anomalous position). Well the Chief of Staff wired back & asked that I might remain until the end of the operations as I was urgently required with the Army & no other officer here could take my place. So it was settled & here I am on the Staff of the Field Marshal & ride with it wherever it goes & see everything.

[[2]]  It really is great luck & I am sincerely grateful to Bunbury who I know worked it for me it is all due to the successful manner in which I tackled the outbreak of pleuro pneumonia at Bloemfontein so that business was worth the trouble.

After Pretoria falls I expect I shall go back but there is no knowing. They say Kruger has gone to Lydenburg 200 miles from Pretoria if so that lengthens the campaign considerably. We have had some bitterly cold nights in the morning the ice on my bucket of water has been nearly half an inch thick we are 5400 feet above the sea imagine sleeping in the open under these conditions no tents of course. I put saddles around my head & over it waterproof cloak to keep the heavy dew & frost off me.  The ground of course is very hard & very lumpy. I have no mattress simply the canvas of the valise beneath me. My jager[?] cap is the greatest comfort it is perfectly lovely — in spite of the cold my head and body keep warm. My warm coat is a great boon but is not as warm as I should have liked we ought to have lined it with the blanket material. It looks excellent. I take great care in turning myself out well, & am perfectly mounted one of the best looking horses on the staff. Sawyer is equally careful in his appearance & we present rather a contrast to our two medical friends neither of whom wash for days together & never shave.

Here is a story of one of them, yesterday he went into Johannesburg to buy tobacco, a lady served him & as he was leaving the shop she said is that all you want he said yes thanks, she replied are you sure there is a bed in the next room. This to the Professor of Military Surgery at Netley — married man with family & 56 years of age[.] Can you imagine his & our amusement [5 lines redacted]

 

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[[1]] [10 lines redacted]

 

There are rumours to day[sic] of peace & we all look happy but I am sure it is only one of the many camp lies which are truly legion. At Craddock I met a man a foreigner named D’Angers. I disliked & suspected him as a spy. I saw him again at Bloemfontein & being now wanted over a cheque for £800 I endeavoured to get him arrested but he had gone. One of the first men I saw at Johannesburg was my friend D’Angers talking earnestly with the Transport Marshal. I touched the latter on the shoulder & whispered to him that he was speaking to a scoundrel who was wanted. D’Angers at once recognised me & turned pale I asked him what he was doing at J’H’burg[sic]  & why he left B’f’tein[sic] he replied that he had gone to Basutoland to buy horses & was captured by the Boers. I denounced him as a spy & he was at once arrested. He is in our camp now with a batch of prisoners awaiting removal south I hope he will get a long term imprisonment.

This is our second day in this camp, we hope to move tomorrow morning & be at Pretoria in two days after. From there I will send you a wire if it is possible to get one through, but I doubt the possibility. Amongst the loot taken at Parredeberg was Mrs Cronje’s stays, some fellow has them & I believe sent them to Mdme Tussaud[?]. The story is that they were still warm! I forgot to tell you that in the march past [7 lines redacted]

[[2]] to swim, I shall never forget the sight at the seq Court House square of Johannesburg to the longest day I live.

The Chief’s Staff is an expanding one it is built up of the English Peerage a few feet from where I am writing this after lunch is the Marquis of Westminster[8] with his income of £100 per [illeg.] he has no side with him Lords Dudley[9] & Stanley[10] they form one mess & all of us are grouped in messes of four. You cannot turn without rubbing noses with the peerage. Norfolk[11] I have lost sight of since we crossed the Vaal he has gone to Hamilton’s force. He is a most extraordinary man in uniform most unmilitary looking, looks like a sack in Khaki & no neck.

[11 lines redacted] a mail has just brought No 23 of 27 April from you describing your visit to the Palace & your disappointment at not getting a letter from me. Of course it is the fault of the Mexican & not of yours truly I do not think I have ever yet missed a mail. Think of the time I have taken over this communication, the hundreds of interruptions & yet I plod on, as we march to Pretoria to morrow[sic] & I may miss the next mail I hope not I shall endeavour not. A letter also [3 lines redacted]

 

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[[1]] much fun in sending cryptic message to two persons! Pity you let on that you knew of it. Orders just recd  that we march in the morning for Pretoria so I must close this letter at once as I want to post it to night[sic] as we leave very early in the morning. It is not known whether they will fight or not.

A Corporal in the Grenadiers has just turned up & says he is Mortons[sic] Brother in law. I was sorry to tell him Morton was left behind sick & that up to date I had not heard how he was going on.

 

[Continuation of page damaged or removed]

 

[No Valediction]

 

 

(Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study the electronic images of this document where possible. https://vethistory.rcvsknowledge.org//archive-collection/fs-working-papers/)

[1] The King’s Own Scottish Borderers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division

[2] Field Marshal John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres  (1852 –1925), known as Sir John French from 1901 to 1916, and as The Viscount French between 1916 and 1922.

[3] Melton Prior (1845 –1910) was an English artist and war correspondent for The Illustrated London News from the early 1870s until 1904.

[4] The Illustrated London News first appeared on Saturday, 14 May 1842, as the world’s first illustrated weekly news magazine

[5] Harry Francis Prevost Battersby (1862-1949), Boer War correspondent for the Morning Post. Published poet and journalist as H F P Battersby and Francis Prevost.

[6] Lord Cecil Reginald John Manners (1868 –1945), was a British Conservative politician.

[7] Bennet Graham Burley (1840–1914) was a Scottish-born pirate, Confederate spy and journalist. Later in life, he changed his surname to Burleigh and became a celebrated war correspondent for the London Daily Telegraph.

[8] Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster, (1879 –1953) was a British landowner and one of the wealthiest men in the world

[9] William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley (1867 –1932), styled Viscount Ednam before 1885, was a British Conservative politician.

[10] Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby (1865 –1948), styled Mr Edward Stanley until 1886, then The Hon Edward Stanley and finally Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to France.

[11] Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk, (1847 – 1917) was a British Unionist politician and philanthropist. In 1900 he served as a lieutenant colonel in the Imperial Yeomanry in the Second Boer War until he was wounded near Pretoria and returned back to Britain.

15 – Letter to Mary Ann Smith from Frederick Smith, 5 Jun 1900

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Pretoria

5 June 1900

[Salutation Redacted]

[[1]] We have this minute entered the city of Pretoria after one days fighting & are now assembling in the railway station prior to the triumphant march through the town, we have had a very good time of it campaigning with the Hd Qt Staff of a big army in a luxury compound with what I have gone through. Our march from Johannesburg, where I wrote to you last was uneventful the usual farms flying white flags & containing Dutch women & children, the dust, the want of water & the heat of the mid day sun & frost at night have been our common experience for some days[.] Yesterdays fight was remarkable principally for the amount of ammunition expended by the Artillery we shelled their trenches & one of the ports & during the night the messages of surrender arrived & we are now to make our triumphant entry. I can imagine the thrill this will cause in England & in the Croft[1] in particular it is a proud affair to be in & one of the greatest historic importance, In years to come one will be able to look back on the march into Johannesburg & Pretoria with a deep of pride & pleasure. Yesterday will give me another bar to my ribbon [2 words redacted], I hear the medal is duly approved & being mde made fast, the ribbon being red with blue &  khaki, probably you know more about this than we do. Yesterday we shelled the railway station to stop trains going out, to day[sic] one sees the curious sight of trains standing in the station, steam up & each engine guarded by Guardsmen I hope you may see a picture of this[.] As we rode into the station the word ‘Pretoria’ on the platform caused a great thrill of delight to pass through one. Yet unfortunately the campaign is not ended Kruger[2] & his army has gone & he will have to be taken before this show closes. It will add three more months to the campaign. How I wish I could be in London & with you to day[sic] to see the excitement on the capture of Pretoria yet I would not have missed this business for anything. I am writing this on the railway platform while the Chief & staff are discussing the situation having no paper I empty the book of one of the Railway officials & very nice paper it is to write on. [1 line redacted]. We are busy collecting arms & ammunition, piles of rifles are now lying on the platform, & beside me are collecting supplies 1000 bags of grain have been found here, the train which was just off North was rather sold[?] we stopped it going out of the station.

[[2]] 7 June. I left off just before we marched through the city of Pretoria, well it was a fine show at 3pm we assembled at the Railway Station, but before this we had looted the Refreshment room & obtained Coffee & cigars for nothing, Westminster assisted by the Peers of the Realm & a General officer looted a Gramophone which was in the refreshment bar, altogether we enjoyed ourselves while the arms & ammunitions of the Burghers[3] was being piled up in the station, you never saw such a collection of stuff, guns & rifles of all description from the big smooth bore guns to the modern mauser, there were also swords, a helmet & such a collection of revolvers & bandoliers. I got a mauser carbine for you & one or two other things to be mentioned presently. A curious circumstance occurred an old & very ugly woman accompanied by a Kaffir brought some luncheon for Lord Roberts done up like the dinner one sees going to the station for engine drivers it was very clean looking & had a little napkin, she insisted on seeing the Chief of the Staff & Kitchener had to say a few words to her, as a matter of fact the Chief had lunched, but I hope someone made a snap shot of the interview. At 3 pm we left all in the order we marched into Johannesburg, you will see me on the left hand side outside immediately behind the foreign attachés. As we neared the Parliament house a roar went up from the British position mainly comprised of our own prisoners (officers) who had the previous night overpowered their guards & escaped the square was lined by the Grenadiers & the Chief was met with a Royal Salute in a few minutes the flag was ready the little silk one worked by Lady Roberts & it was hoisted to the top of the staff by Westminster I think or Chamberlain, three cheers were given for the Queen & you may imagine what cheers they were. The march past now commenced no one can picture these war worn veterans but those who saw them, the men unwashed, beared[sic], black in the face from dirt & sun, clothes torn, helmets battered, & torn, Khaki black with grease & sweat men carrying firewood strapped on their backs or even in their hands, but marching magnificently & fit to go anywhere the irregular cavalry or rather mounted infantry were really too funny, one man was in a blue jersey another in blue overalls, a third a shoulder of mutton hanging to his saddle, a fourth wore a blue jersey cap & so on these men were colonials rough but good, they have done capital work, the Canadian infantry marched past to the ‘Boys of the Old Brigade’ & looked superb, they marched as well as the Guards & are if anything bigger. The Naval Brigade & C.I.V.[4] met with a great ovation, the latter are as good as regulars. The big guns of the former, which only a few hours before hand been shelling the forts created a great impressions they went by to ‘a life on the ocean wave’[5] they were from the “Monarch” & “Doris”

The cheering as each band was recognised was pleasant. The goat of the Welsh Regt met with a great reception & the stolid British infantry of the line Black & tattered cannot be equalled by any other army in the World. I was a great sight & something to live for.

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[[1]] After the review which lasted 11/2  hours we filed off the Chief leading to our respective billets, we put up at the British Residency. The two doctors Sawyer & myself were billeted on a man & his wife who have a nice but very small house. To fully appreciate the position just imagine the following occurring in the Croft, in comes 4 officers, eight servants two carts, 8 horses. The horses carts & servants are billeted in our garden, you[,] your husband & children have to put in in one room, & find beds & bedding for your unwelcome guests who walk in & monopolise everything in the place, crockery, glass, china, lamps, etc etc. I dont[sic] say we walk off with these things but we use them to the exclusion of the household we burn their oil at 20/- a tin & they have to ask whether they may enter their own room!

Surely the war has been brought home to them, on the Sunday our shells which missed the fort fell just behind the home we are living in, the lady with her 2 month old baby fled to the town, the man a Hollander who had been fighting against us at Colesberg was less alarmed, though 50lbs lyddite shells are not things to play with. They (these people) certainly take our presence in very good part, perhaps for the reason that no other course is open to them, if they objected they would have to leave & we shall remain in possession.

The woman (a Hollander) is young spoke very good English & was terrified when we appeared. She expected to to[sic] raped, in fact that was the impression throughout the whole country by all the women [1 line redacted]  I can only say that they wear a bright & cheery appearance now they now they are safe. They also heard that we did not wear trousers!

The first idea was that 4 of us would sleep in one room, but we soon disabused them of the idea Sawyer & I have a room together, the others have a room each that leaves one room for the lady, her husband, baby & brother, all these four sleep in one room!!

The following day I organised a hospital & by 2 O’Clock every detail was in the hands of the Chief of the Staff, the medicines I commandeered in the town a smart piece of work & I hope it may be appreciated. The Cavalry have about 800 sick & other branches in smaller proportion. I then went to the House of Parliament sat in Kruger’s chair, & made myself a present of some papers from his desk & his pen. The latter will prove an interesting relic. I could have got many things but could not cart them off I should have liked the Eagle over the President’s chair but I would have been detected.

I succeeded to day[sic] in getting a Transvaal Flag from the office of the Chief Magistrate of the City so that is something to be proud of in the future it is a great find. I hope yet to get a Free State Flag when I pass through the Orange State again, or as it is now called the Orange Colony. Our future movements are uncertain, we may remain here & send out flying colours or the army may move on. Everyone is disgusted with Buller’s inactivity, he is simply sulking & had he been energetic this business would now have ended

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[[1]] As it is the affair is not over until the President is driven out of the country or captured. Mrs Kruger is here but no one sees her. We have recovered many of our prisoners & all the officers. They tried to take them away by train & succeeded in getting a good many off including the guns, but we have recovered 3500 men & 145 officers. The officers look pale & wan, they were carefully guarded night & day they cannot appreciate they are now free men. Some had been there for seven months, they had to pay for their own food, the men were practically starved one pound of meat a week only meal from maize formed their chief diet. The officers & men are being seen by the Chief to day[sic].

 

At first the officers got news a telegraph clerk who lived near them used to signal information & they got it before Kruger, later this was discovered & the fellow was nearly shot, he was an Englishman & was helped by two girls to convey news to the prisoners. Finally he was sent to the front though not a Burgher.

The fellows described what an awful life they led in this solitary confinement. The men would have starved but for money subscribed in the town & by the officers which amounted to £800 a month. One fellow told me that the effect of his imprisonment will be to make him very careful how he sentences a soldier to imprisonment in the future.

Shaw of ours I have not yet seen, but I have a job for him when he is liberated by the Chief, for none of them fellows can return to duty until they are weighed off. [3 words redacted] he is very quiet [4 lines redacted]

To night [sic] I hear the Boers have got behind us & cut the line of rail in the Free State, this will give the Militia a chance who are guarding the line. Kitchener has gone down to conduct operations. I am writing this letter in the hope that it may get through some time, but I fear it will miss the mail. I should have wired you from Pretoria, but no private wires are allowed through. It was a disappointment to me & I know it would have pleased you to know I was in Pretoria for the triumphant entry.

During the Battle of Pretoria I was quite close to Roberts & Kitchener, it lasted all day until night. It was very interesting to hear the remarks made by the two & the messages sent. Before During the battle Bobs laid down with his coat under his head & went to sleep. Some of the shells came very close to the Hd Qtr staff so that at one time it was thought we would have to change our position. Battersby[6] the Correspont[sic] I spoke of in my last had his horse shot dead by a Martini, he was standing by its side at the time & the bullet grazed his field glass case, a narrow shave for him. He was greatly depressed at the loss of his horse.

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[[1]] There was a rifle taken from a prisoner the other day I should have liked, he was wood carver & had cut his monogram on the stock & the name of his engagements. Estcourt, Colenso, Spion Kop & Pieters. I could not carry it with me, but it would have been worth keeping as a relic. I saw the man & had a long chat with him about Colenso.

[FS/2/2/4/2/15] (5)

[[1]] I have written all this on one side of this thin paper as my I am grieved to think of the trouble you will have with the Johannesburg letter written on both sides closely, but I have no other paper convenient. This time I have commandeered some from my host. Some fighting took place near here to day[sic] I have not heard the results. Last night they blew up a culvert a few miles out & the day before yesterday they shelled our prisoners at Waterfall[7] when we were bringing them in. So you see they are all around us, but we are perfectly safe. Everyone will be glad when the business is over & the burghers more than anyone else. It is the Hollanders who are keeping up the show & these will all be deported. Over 2,000 rifles have been handed in during the last day or two. I went around the Transvaal Artillery Barracks to day[sic] they have left quantities of harness & several gun carriages but no guns.  One of ours was there but they had destroyed it. The hospital was a sight, our men had looted it, goodness knows what for. Rolls of sticky plaster & splints, medicine spill boxes all over the place, broken stretchers, tents, letters of which I have saved, piles of ammunition & shell. I have not seen our hostess to day[sic] she has fever. This place is reported to be very malarial & I should fancy with truth, there is so much vegetation there being an abundance of water. I have not mentioned the Agricultural Apptmt in my last letter, the subject is still a sore one, but I am curious to know who gets it[8]. Still [illeg.] and I am honest. I would not have missed this show for it. I am thankful I came round from Natal. Buller is sulking & will do nothing or this war would have terminated by this time. He ought to be removed. The men by his side will get very little, all the honours will fall to this army. There is some little comfort in this.

12 June we moved our house yesterday it being too small & took one with 4 bed rooms drawing & dining rooms belonging to a Hollander who is being kicked out of the country. He leaves all his furniture (beautiful) glass, crockery bed & table linens for our use, lamps, cooking utensils etc. We walk in as if the place belongs to us. The man must have been well off for his furniture is really very good & substantial. Our last hostess got very sick she was a very clean woman in her house (the very opposite of the African Dutch) & our men & horse made a beastly mess. Her lawn got worn away, her rooms go could not be cleaned[,] tobacco ash on the floor gave her a fit & the poor woman huddled up in one room was very miserable. She told me that the day we left she would sing & play all day & I believe her. I was really very sorry, but we did not make this war & are infinitely more considerate than the people who fought against us on the other hand I must say considerable looting has been done by our troops, houses have been demolished & reckless damage inflicted. Even

[FS/2/2/4/2/15] (6)

[[1]] the house of Eloff (Kruger’s son in law)[9] has been broken into & things stolen I am sorry for it & ashamed. Some of the places I saw to day[sic] would have disgraced a savage. I saw a home yesterday morning I saw the same place in the evening there was nothing left of it but the tin walls even the flooring has been removed for fire wood. I had less compassion for this man he is still on commando & in his room was a life size drawing of a British Soldier about 6ft high drawn on cartridge paper & painted red & this he had used as a target, it was full of bullet holes.

I got one or two small pieces of loot the other day two crests worn by the Saps (or Pretoria police) in their helmets & an officers throat plume for his horse.

In the Grand Hotel a curious sight may be seen a sentry with rifle & bayonet doing guard over a lady who is confined there as a political prisoner, she is supposed to be a spy. I hear this morning that she succeeded in making her guard drunk yesterday. I’m sorry for the guard!

[9 lines redacted]

Yesterday there was a fight a few miles out & several Cavalry officers were killed among others Earlie. I am sorry for her, she is at Bloemfontein where she went to nurse him after his slight wound at Zand river. Much better if she was out of the country for she will feel the shock all the more having seen him recently. Lord Chesham has also lost a son, in fact the aristocracy suffered heavily yesterday. It was intended as a movement for mopping up Botha[10]’s commando, but it did not come off.

We are still cut off from the world both by wire & rail, but in the hope that this may be restored within the next day or so I intend posting this

[FS/2/2/4/2/15] (7)

[[1]] somewhat voluminous communication, you may be sure that once the postal service is established you will hear from me with my accustomed regularity. I expect Bridge will get me down country as soon as he can, but that does not matter now I have seen the show of shows & all we want now is to get the business over.

My hospital is working well, we have 1200 sick but I have arranged for everything & the veterinary part is most satisfactory. The part assigned to the combatant element is badly done & the C of Staff knows it & further that it has nothing to do with the A.V.D. we in fact shine by contrast.

Pretoria is a pretty place & when matters settle down must be quite a nice place to live in. It has an abundance of water & that is one of the essentials in a South African town. I may send you some photos of the place, several were taken of the ceremony on 5 June. [Continuation of letter missing]

 

 

[No Valediction]

 

 

(Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study the electronic images of this document where possible. (http://rcvsvethistory.org/archive-collection/fs-working-papers/)

[1] Smith’s home – The Croft, Little Heath, Charlton, in South East London

[2] Paul Kruger (1825-1904), President of the South African Republic 1883-1900

[3] Citizens of the South African Republic or Orange Free State

[4] City of London Imperial Volunteers

[5] “A Life on the Ocean Wave” is a poem-turned-song by Epes Sargent published in 1838 and set to music by Henry Russell.

[6] Harry Francis Prevost Battersby (1862-1949), Boer War correspondent for the Morning Post. Published poet and journalist as H F P Battersby and Francis Prevost.

[7] Waterval

[8] In April 1900, Smith was offered a position in the Board of Agriculture, but could not be excused from service in South Africa to take it.

[9] Frederik Christoffel Eloff (1850-1924)

[10] General Louis Botha (1862-1919) commander-in-chief of the Transvaal Boers, and leader of a guerrilla campaign against British forces

16 – Letter to Mary Ann Smith from Frederick Smith, 15 Jun 1900

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[FS/2/2/4/2/16] (1)

15 June 1900

[[1]] [First half of page missing]

A few days ago Grierson (Kitchener’s right hand man) told me he was going suddenly to commandeer the whole town for horses & to help this by supply V/O’s etc for examining them.

It was done suddenly at 1 o’Clock[sic] every horse ridden or driven was stopped, soldiers at

[[2]] [Continuation of page missing] not think it can be overlooked & it possibly [sentence continuation obstructed by pasted corner] promotion — but suppose that promotion took me to India! In that case we would be worse off than ever. However it might take me home through where I have no idea excepting it be Dublin in which case joy & rapture. I would put in my Three

[FS/2/2/4/2/16] (2)

[[1]] land for the purpose lent willing help to take them out of harness etc & tie them up in spite of all remonstrance. Fares were left sitting in their cabs unable to proceed, carts left in the streets without horses, even a hearse was commandeered on its way back from a funeral & both horses taken, by night we secured about 200, but we do not steal them we give receipt for their value & this not being done at the time owing to the hurry[.] for three days I held a pandemonium of enraged owners asking for receipts, others unable to find their horse & so on. I was glad when it was over but I had one little ex-perience[sic], two enraged ladies turned up with a written order from Lord Roberts to return their horses, one was Mrs Commander General Botha[1] the other Mrs General Lucas Meyer[2]. To make matters worse we could only find one horse belonging to Mrs Meyer, whereas we had taken two. I shall never forget the look of scorn & disdain with which she put Lord Roberts order into my hand, remarking that her position as

[[2]] a defenceless woman had been taken advantage of to take her horses away & so on, I did not pay too much attention for she was not the first woman by many who had visited me that day but most of them were quiet & in tears, she was furious & showed it. When I learned who my distinguished visitors were I unbent, of course we apologised for our soldiers having taken the property of two such distinguished Generals, that no stone should be left unturned to find the horse etc etc & the hope she would accept the assurances of my profound considerations. But after a long search it became evident that only one of the horses could be found & I had to break the news to her, at the same moment a happy thought struck me & that was to offer her another & I did so, asking whether there was any other horse she would select in its place, for the first time her face relaxed & looking at me she said in a half incredulous manner, Yes I should like that one — Then, I said, Madam please regard him as yours! But do you really mean it she said smiling sweetly

[[3]] I never was more serious in my life I replied, & in case he does not suit you take another, in fact I will send you up two & you can take your choice.

The victory was won, we talked chatted she came & sat down in a tent with us we sent for her carriage & parted the best of friends.

To day[sic] I made my offered call to know which horse she preferred, she hesitated to ask me in & I chatted to her in the verandah, she then apologised & said what would the people of Pretoria say if she the wife of a Republican General was seen entertaining a British Officer against whom her husband was fighting! I said that but for that remark I had intended paying both Mrs Botha & herself  a formal visit but that for the present I must postpone the pleasure & in this way we chatted for the best part of half an hour, during which time Roberts with Baden Powel[3] rode past (B.P. had just that moment arrived from Mafeking[)]. He returned my salute with it possible extra courtesy knowing not only a lady was there, but who she was for her house is next to his. So all is well that

[[4]] ends well Mrs L Meyer had found at least one British officer who treats her with consideration her idea was that we are all brutes & full of condescension .

There is a little boy by her husbands previous marriage, she told him to repeat his creed to me, it was to the effect that he would wage war against & shoot all Englishmen until his country was free again I told him the sentiment was excellent & in return I would come & play with him at horses in the garden the first spare day I had. She is as bitter as gall & would have liked to enter into a long discussion on the war, she said you are simply fighting for the gold & the Capitalists, I replied no Mrs Meyer the question is a much narrower one that[sic] that, we are fighting to decide who is to be the ruling race in South Africa the English or the Dutch. Still in spite of our differences in political faith we shall get on well together I am sure & I hope to see more of her & Mrs Botha before I leave Pretoria, they are certainly very interesting people to meet. She complained that Black & White[4]

[FS/2/2/4/2/16] (3)

[[1]] Had described her husband as a Hungarian Jew & over this she was most indignant. Still when I come to look at her she in not Dutch, she is spare & tall with a good figure which no Dutch woman has, they have fat round faces big bust & tummy, she has a long narrow face & a suggestively long nose. On the whole though she impressed upon me that she was born in the colony & was therefore originally a British subject she is somewhat Jewish in appearance & her hair is black

 

[Continuation of page missing]

[[2]] fate would put him under me especially as I was on the Natal side & he on the colony show.

We have a big hospital here being badly run by young [Name redacted] lately a prisoner, he tries but has no sense or go [3 lines redacted]. I hear Rayment is sick at Wynberg with dysentery. I am sorry to learn it. Matthews is still at Bloemfontein I keep him posted up as well as possible, but only got my wire off to him to night[sic] relative to Pretoria affairs owing to [Continuation of page missing]

[No Valediction]

(Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study the electronic images of this document where possible)

(https://vethistory.rcvsknowledge.org//archive-collection/fs-working-papers/)

[1] Annie Emmett, wife of General Louis Botha (1862-1919), commander-in-chief of the Transvaal Boers, and leader of a guerrilla campaign against British forces

[2] Petronella Burger, wife of Lucas Johannes Meyer (1846-1902), President of the Nieuwe Republiek from 1884 to 1888

[3] Lieutenant General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, (1857 – 1941), was a British Army officer, writer, author of Scouting for Boys, founder and first Chief Scout of The Boy Scouts Association and founder of the Girl Guides.

[4] Black and White: A Weekly Illustrated Record and Review was a British periodical founded in 1891. It merged with The Sphere in 1912.

17 – Letter to Mary Ann Smith from Frederick Smith, 15 Jul 1900

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[FS/2/2/4/2/17]

15 July 1900[1]

Pretoria

1900

[No Salutation]

[[1]] They told me some curious stories last night of life in Pretoria before we arrived. They had the life of the devil, there were all sorts of secret societies formed for the purpose of finding out the political opinions of people even the women formed a detective society & gave information to the State. They related then an account of the meeting held by the Amazons of Pretoria before we came in. The women met & demanded to be armed the meeting was at 4pm  & most of the ladies were in evening dress & generally very low. They would allow no men to be present as they laughed at them, Mrs Meyer[2] & Mrs Botha[3] (pronounced Bota) were present

They tell me Mrs [1 word illeg] Meyer is a very disappointed woman, she is most ambitious & hoped one day to be Mrs President when she openly gave out she would [1 word struck through, illeg.] lead the fashion & show them how to dress. Poor thing! so long as we are here (& we have come to stay) she will take a back seat. It is rather curious how the extremes meet, the other day a hospital was opened the Palace of Justice having been converted into one. Lord R[4] opened it & signed his name in the book, then Lady R (who is here) did the same, then Mrs Botha & then Mrs Meyer. At the same moment firing was going on

[[2]] to the north of town & Botha & Meyer were giving us a hiding.

in[sic] that engagement Connelly of the Greys[5] & Pilkington of the Royals[6] were killed. I knew them both. Pilkington had been at my Field hospital only a day or two before for over a week looking after men. He had been captured in Natal & had been a prisoner for months. He reminded me that we watched together the first days fight on Spion Kop or where he lent me his telescope. Poor fellow he was very young barely 20 I should think. I told you of a similar case last week in Hobb’s brother.

You once spoke of Mrs Paul at W/wich[7] being well turned out. Paul is here, lives in a tent in the next compound to ours — he is a very good looking man & I think you said she was a handsome woman.

I forgot to send you [words redacted] picture, but I will do by this mail. I have carried it for you for weeks. Plenty of Cattle disease here. Pleuro-pneumonia has broken out again & I am busy inoculating some 4000 cattle. I hope they will do well. I have met the V.S to the Transvaal Govt. but I think I told you of this in my last[8]. He is a Swiss we have engaged him on the Police[?] & I think he will be true to him self[sic]. He is a very decent fellow & a scientist.

[No Valediction]

 

 

(Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study the electronic images of this document where possible. (https://vethistory.rcvsknowledge.org//archive-collection/fs-working-papers/)

[1] Annotation in pencil – possibly added at a later date

[2] Petronella Burger, wife of Lucas Johannes Meyer (1846-1902), President of the Nieuwe Republiek from 1884 to 1888

[3] Annie Emmett, wife of General Louis Botha (1862-1919), commander-in-chief of the Transvaal Boers, and leader of a guerrilla campaign against British forces

[4] Lord Roberts {1832-1914), Field Marshal and overall commander of the British forces in the Second Boer War

[5] Possibly Royal Scots Greys cavalry regiment

[6] Possibly First Royal Dragoons

[7] Woolwich, where the Royal Artillery Barracks were located.

[8] Arnold Theiler (1867-1936)

18 – Letter to Mary Ann Smith from Frederick Smith, Aug 1900

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[FS/2/2/4/2/18]

Kroonstad

1900

[No Salutation]

[[1]] I see Churchill is home, & other correspondents & men I knew out here. I cannot tell you how envious it makes one. Watson Cheyne[1] the surgeon practically lived in  our mess at Pretoria & by this time he has been home some weeks & living on the fat of the land. What would I not give to exchange places with him for a week. In one of the service papers I saw a letter from an old officer complaining that men in rude health were walking about London playing polo etc after being invalided from S. Africa & suggesting that they had better return & give others an opportunity for a change who had never missed a day’s duty. I quite agree with the old gentleman

I have bought a soldiers suit of Khaki serge from the Ordnance price 18/- most excellent. Hallet & I are putting on it a roll collar, outside pockets & cuffs to make it look an officers serge. At first he said it could not be done, but having got a bit of serge I cut out paper patterns finally got it right & to day[sic] we have put the roll collar on & it looks ripping, to morrow[sic] the pockets go on. I told Hallet to bring out his sewing

[[2]] machine & to my surprise he said Oh it wont[sic]  work. I told him I would soon make it. He then produced a thing which must have come out of the Ark, no handle & delightfully rusty. I had no idea he possessed a machine, so he must have thought me the very devil incarnate to have divined one was in his possession. It is a bit of loot he found in this house.

Well he worked for the best part of a week to get the thing going & failed. With great luck I had it going in less than ten minutes after starting with it, I fancy he thinks I am “terrible clever”. Well about the jacket, you shall see what excellent pockets & collar I have cut. I always told you that if I had a pattern I could make a dress. I am now positive of it. I laboured in paper until I got the thing right & then cut out my stuff. Its great luck getting the serge to make the Collar etc with, & this serge has a history. My clerk ‘save the mark’ the ‘Orish’[sic] gentleman who poses as my clerk but does nothing more clerkly than grease

[[3]] my boots & go to the telegraph office with messages was a short time ago taken prisoner with a convoy. The Boers robbed the convoy & carted the prisoners over the Free State, but before leaving the waggon[sic] which contained clothing my faithful boot greaser helped himself to a bale of serge cloth the sort of useful thing a soldier loots & having carried it for scores of miles  & subsequently being recaptured by us plus the serge, he gave it to another man for a pillow — Hearing I wanted serge he went for the pillow & I have a lovely bale of the stuff the exact colour of my coat & overalls. I am also using it as a pillow, for I have no intention of parting with that serge. Oh my boot greaser is a ripper I think I told you he was copying a report for me in which I used the expression [“]We cannot make Bricks without straw[“]. He copied it “We cannot make drinks without shame”. I think this is quite capable of capturing the historic biscuit! Its the unconscious nature of Irish humour which is so delightful.

[[4]] 30 Augst. Well it poured with rain for hours. This morning is fine, but the hospital is a sight, tents blown down mud over a foot in thickness & everything as miserable as possible the — dry bed of the river I cross every day is a rushing torrent — I find I cant cross water moving quickly across one’s front without getting giddy — I could feel my horse going round & round in a circle, the horses in front of me were doing the same & though I did not feel sick in the least I felt very uncomfortable. Had the water been deep it would be very risky.

The rain has washed the railway away in several places & traffic is quite suspended. I have just copied poor D’s letter. I have left out two words for obvious reasons. How strange his last sentence now reads “Farewell — till we meet again”. I met General Sir A. Hunter[2] to night[sic], I went there to have some tea with King. He is a man of very few words. Absurdly young looking for a Lt General. Looking through the illustrated papers he said as he came to the Adverts “When this campaign is over I think I’ll stand myself a dressing bag”. Strange a man in his position & a bachelor not having one!

[No Valediction]

 

 

(Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study the electronic images of this document where possible. (https://vethistory.rcvsknowledge.org//archive-collection/fs-working-papers/)

[1] Sir William Watson Cheyne, 1st Baronet, (1852 –1932) was a Scottish surgeon and bacteriologist, served during the Boer War as a consulting surgeon for the British military in South Africa from 1900 to 1901.

[2] General Sir Archibald Hunter, GCB, GCVO, DSO, TD (1856 – 1936) was a senior officer in the British Army who distinguished himself during the Boer War

Frederick Smith’s Official War Diary Book A – 11 Jul to 22 Sep 1900

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19 – Letter to Mary Ann Smith from Frederick Smith, Sep 1900

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[FS/2/2/4/2/19]

Bloemfontein

Kroonstad 1900

[No Salutation]

[[1]] [15 lines redacted] or these changes above noted will bring in three or four new D.V.O with one of whom I might exchange. So you see how the case stands.

Well when I wrote my last letter the lady of the house her goods chattels, cocks & hens, cattle etc were waiting with her children to come into occupation of my house. I did not only sat tight, all that day & all the next.

[[2]] I gave them breakfast, was very polite but refused to budge, on the saturday[sic] night they found it was no go so went off to some other place. On Monday morning the daughter came to me & said she wanted to get some furniture. I said certainly your hats [3 words illeg.] wardrobe & I have taken great care of them, [3 words illeg.] more than once, but she wanted more than hats she required the table looking glass & a cupboard where I kept my “kittels” & even the Clock! I was astounded, repented extremely but really I could not part with anything, & only to fancy her having asked for the 8 day clock I brought with me from America. Could’ not be done very sorry — Well I must have the glass, very sorry cant[sic] be spared. Cant[sic]  even give you the hair which was in the drawer of it as I had it burned not expecting you to turn up. I gave her three picture papers & she went off, much to Hallett’s relief & mine. I have not seen her since & strange to say dont[sic] want to. I think they rather calculated on the seductive style of the damsel, for I heard she threatened to pay me a visit the first after-noon[sic], but I told Hallet to say that I felt the heat very much in the afternoon & made a point

[[3]] of taking off all my clothes [1 line redacted] whether he delivered this I dont[sic] know (I rather doubt it) but the damsel did not put in an appearance.

Two or three obliging hens come & deposit an egg in my garden every day or so. I keep Jugguroo the syce[1] on the watch. He came in the other day in great glee & reported that a hen had ‘borned’ an egg under the stone, the latter being a rock she sits under. Faithful Jugguroo! his reward is the shell when I have emptied it. I never

[Continuation of page missing]

[[4]] infernally envious & when I see the pictures of the home coming of the Duke of Norfolk[2] I cannot help but smile I suppose he was not a fortnight or three weeks in the Field & I have been nine months. I seem to have been out here all my life! Most of the correspondents have gone home, lucky dogs. I saw a photo of a group of them including Basil Gotto[3]. How I envy them, & yet I want to see the show out.

14 Septr. Well I did not go to the dance after all I was busy writing & moreover was not keen on it. I dont[sic] know why. It closes [Continuation of page missing]

[No Valediction]

(Please note that work on this transcript is ongoing. Users are advised to study the electronic images of this document where possible. (https://vethistory.rcvsknowledge.org//archive-collection/fs-working-papers/)

[1] A horse groom (especially used in India)

[2] Henry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk (1847-1917)

[3] Captain Basil Gotto (1866-1954), sculptor who worked as war correspondent for the ‘Daily Express’ during the Second Boer War, and as staff officer for musketry during the First World War