TOPIC:

1900 - Kimberley siege day 95 (76%). Ladysmith siege day 77 (64%). Mafeking siege day 97 (44%).
1901 - Martial law extended to whole of Cape Colony except ports and native territories.
1902 - Scheepers executed at Graaff Reinet.

In Kimberley:

Reconnaissance under Lt Col Peakman this morning. Following started at 2 am and proceeded in direction of Tou Pan “Barney Martinis” and the enemy work at Olifantsfontein. Force consisted of:

375 mounted troops.
2 guns. Diamonds Field Art.

Enemy was evidently surprised, and the guns got several good shots into his laager at Oliphantsfontein and at the same time our maxim with mounted troops opened from Fenn’s farm. Enemy probably suffered some loss. He was however in force, and Col Peakman estimates that there were about 500 men seen at or near the work.

Enemy opened with gun from Olifantsfontein, and fired many shells; luckily there were no casualties. The gun did not appear to be so well directed as usual.

During the morning enemy brought a black powder gun from the Intermediate Pumping Station to Diebel’s farm, and fired at No I and No II Kimberley. We replied from No I range about 5000 yards. Enemy gun at Wimbledon also opened at the cattle guard.

I had much hoped this morning that the natives we had sent out last night would have been able under cover of the reconnaissance to drive in some cattle, but none were seen. Enemy for some time past has driven his cattle to very safe distance at night, and in so many cases they are kept in zeribas for the night. During the day some can be seen to South of Alexandersfontein and Jacob Scholtz’s Fort, but there are hardly sufficient to warrant the great risk involved in having to take or at any rate pass very near to the enemy works at those places.

During the morning about 200 of the enemy were seen proceeding from Wimbledon in the direction of Spyfontein,

It was ascertained during the morning that the gun used by the enemy from Diebel’s farm was a 12 lb muzzle loader.

Heavy artillery fire was seen from about 5.30 pm until dark, probably near Magersfontein. During the afternoon I saw several small dots of the enemy moving apparently in the direction of Susanna from Scholtz Nek direction, and Capt O’Brien reported later from the Premier Mine that just as the light was failing he saw a movement of the enemy apparently from Scholtz Nek in the direction of Jabob Scholtz’s farm.

The following messages were sent by helio or searchlight:

“From Int KB To Int MD, Jan 17 No 109. Boer Landrost at Barkly West has insisted on remainder Vryburg trek continuing journey to South, am informed that the trekkers commenced moving again yesterday. stop. Proclamation issued in Barkly West all British residents there must leave on or before Jan 22nd. Understand large number of women and infants having no means of conveyance will be compelled to go on foot.”

“From Kekewich, To Gen Methuen. Jan 17th No 110. Made armed reconnaissance this morning towards East with portions mounted troops and guns, some of our men reached ridge about nine miles from Kimberley Town Hall. Stop. Our guns threw several shell into Kronstadt laager at Olifantsfontein Kop. Boers from same taken in flank by maxim as they attempted to man trenches. We had no casualties. Believe enemy suffered loss, but unable to state to what extent yet. Stop. No cattle whatever seen by our mounted troops this morning probably moved some way from frontier.”

“From Int KB To Int MD. Jan 17 No 112 armed reconnaissance this morning disclosed Boer forces at Olifantsfontein Kop have been augmented to five hundred men, further that numbers at Intermediate Pumping Station have also been augmented; two hundred and a newly arrived gun were detached to Diebel’s Vlei point intermediate between Kenilworth and the Pumping Station stop. About 200 men were also sent from Carter’s farm to Wimbledon’s ridge. Stop. Native arrived here last night states most positively that on January 15th Karumen was still in British hands and that Boer Landdrost at Barkly West on Jan 15th sent back two hundred men of rebel commando which had been driven back from there and had returned to this neighbourhood. During reconnaissance this morning enemy’s guns at Olifantsfontein Kop, Diebel’s Vliei, Wimbledon ridge, and Kampersdam were in action against our troops and defences. We had no casualties.”

“From Int KB to Int MD. Jan 17th No 113. in reply yours I 63 of Jan 14th. Following is in detail my information Boer forces in this neighbourhood. Stop. Daniel Doe native escaped from Kronstadt laager Olifantsfontein Jan 2nd has heard Boers in camp say they have twelve thousand men between Kimberley and Modder River. Stop. James Fisher Englishman arrived in Kimberley Jan 6th from Foster’s Kopje Windsorton was informed by rebel Dutchman at that place enemy have fourteen thousand opposing relief column. Stop. Field Englishman who escaped from Bloemfontein and arrived in Kimberley Jan 9th learnt in Bloemfontein sixteen thousand men were opposing relief column. stop. Enright commandeered Englishman who has been with Boer forces in this neighbourhood, and escaped from Intermediate Pumping Station on Jan 2nd states Boer numbers neighbourhood Scholtz Nek to be seven to eight thousand men stop. Jacob Gericher native escaped from Boer Laager at Olifantsfontein Kop and examined by me Jan 10th has heard Boers say they have seven thousand men at Scholtz Nek. Stop. Will endeavour verify but fear information will not be of more reliable nature. Moreover am informed that Boers move about a great deal. Stop. It is stated Cronje has moved his Head quarters from Langberg to farm Roidam OFS.”

I received the following:

“From CSO LOC To Kekewich. Is there any reply to my 3316 of 10th inst.”

In Ladysmith:

The far-off mutter of Buller's guns began at half-past five a.m., and lasted nearly all day. From King's Post I watched the stretch of plain—Six Mile Flats, the official map calls it—leading away to Potgieter's Drift, where his troops are probably crossing. I could see three of the little Dutch camps, and here and there bodies of Boers moving over the country. Suddenly in the midst of the plain, just our side of the camp near "Wesse's Plantation," a great cloud of smoke and dust arose, and slowly drifted away. Beyond doubt, it was the bursting of a British shell. Aimed at the camp it overshot the mark, and landed on the empty plain. As a messenger of hope to us all it was not lost. The distance was only fourteen miles from where I stood—a morning's walk—less than an hour and a half's ride. Yet our relief may take many days yet, and it will cost hundreds of lives to cross that little space. The Boers have placed a new gun on the Bluebank ridge. It is disputed whether it faces us or Buller's line of approach over the Great Plain. The whole ridge is now covered from end to end with walls, traverses, and sangars.

In Mafeking:

Enemy tried to foist Kaffirs into the town, to further diminish our food supply, under a flag of truce. Colonel Baden-Powell refused to receive them. They fired heavily and inexplicably on our white flag carried by Ronny Moncrieffe while retreating. Tremendous indignation in the town, though there is some rumour that one of our Kaffirs fired a shot somewhere (this was subsequently found to be untrue). Shell hit bomb proof occupied by Mr. Vere Stent, Reuter's representative, and myself. Large pieces ricocheted through Dixon's Hotel which was crowded; usual providential escapes.

From the diary of William Watson, Ladysmith, January 1900:

An occasional gun from our batteries, but there is a hot artillery fire in the distance. Ten miles off perhaps. No doubt Buller is having another skrimmage. — The rebel maxims are busy. — Yesterday the military powers notified that twenty more men were needed to help in the hospital at Funkcamp. Only two men volunteered to go, so the rations of all the eligible young men, are stopped. — The fight still goes on. It has lasted all day. No particulars are given us. Probably in about a month from this time, there will be some sort of slip-slop notification to the public about today’s fight. — Ever the same, that is, worse and worse as regards rations.

1900 - From the letters writer by Lt Col Park in Ladysmith

Not much more news, It is true that Warren’s division is across the Tugela, and there have been guns firing pretty steadily for four hours this morning away south-west, so evidently an attack is being made; but unfortunately both yesterday and today have been cloudy and dull, so that no helio. messages can be sent, and we consequently get no news of what is going on. I have been round some of the posts, and for a walk down into the town, ostensibly to buy hobnails for my boots, and I got neither nails nor any items of news. Poor G. W. Steevens died two days ago - the same day on which I was at Maud’s house. He leaves a young widow, poor thing. It is hard to realise that it is only four months yesterday since we started from Jullundur; it seems so much nearer four years. God grant that we may not have another four to wait. If this sort of thing goes on much longer, there will be no regiment left to bring back. Even now I couldn’t put more than about 450 men into the field, and as a rule the companies only produce about thirty or forty men each on ordinary parades, and they all started with 105. I am intensely anxious about today’s fighting, and I do hope there will be some news published either tonight or tomorrow morning. The success of Buller’s force is of such vital importance to us, and if he fails now it will inevitably mean another fortnight or three weeks’ siege under very much harder conditions, as there is now nothing left except the absolute bare necessaries of bread and meat and mealie meal, and the sickness would become very great, so that the garrison would be practically hors de combat at the end of it. However, I won’t think of such a horrible possibility. I have every faith in Buller’s success; he has a strong force, and is evidently not going to be in a hurry or do anything rash, and I expect he will take the Boer positions one by one, making sure of each step, and will be in by the end of the week or soon after. Once relieved here, I have no further fear of any difficulties. It is rather futile writing all this to you, as it will all be settled and you will know all about it weeks before you get this letter; but it is the one all-absorbing interest to us, and there is absolutely nothing else to write about. I counted up yesterday that if you have written a letter to me every week, as you said you were going to do, I ought to get sixteen letters from you when the mails come through. What a lovely time I will have reading them! I shall have lots to write about then. I have got a long letter for Lilias ready for the post and have told her to send it on to mother, as I couldn’t keep three diary letters going. I will write a short one direct to mother as well, as soon as the line is really open, and I can tell her that the siege is over and I am all right.

1900 - From the diary of Miss Bella Craw in Ladysmith

Shelling hard all day today, in the distance. At daylight we heard it and it is almost ten o'clock p.m. and every now and again we hear the boom in the distance. Long Tom has been busy here today and one went through Bert's stable and two more in the ground. One also fell in this garden quite close to our hiding hole. Poor Mama I am afraid must have felt it very much lying in bed and these shells falling so close. They fell round us at the Hospital too today, really a merciful Providence has been watching round that place during this Siege.

1900 - From the diary of Trooper A J Crosby, Natal Carbineers

Mounted parade 3.30. Fatigue party till 7 o’clock, fixing up picquet lines, laying down stone to form bottom, horse grazing. Cannonading continues. Such another lucky escape. “Long Tom” had sent in 4 shells between 5 and 6 o’clock up the town. Then another came down with a terrible crash within 15 yds of where I was standing, talking to Mr. Brockbank, whose house is just below our lines, who was inside his garden. Fortunately for us, it burst in the road, which was soft. The fragments flew about us, but managed to be clear of them. It gave both of us a shock. I got a portion of the shell, but doubt if I get them away.

1900 - From the diary of Major George Tatham, Natal Carbineers

Heavy cannonading from Spion Kop way all day. Cloudy morning - no messages.