South African War, 1899-1902 -- Personal narratives
away, cigars and cigarettes forced (?) upon us, and meals stood right
and left. A German girl, at a florist's, decorated about half-a-dozen of
us with red, white and blue buttonholes. We were dirty and unshaven, but
it mattered not, we were monarchs (_Vae Victis!_) and was it not my
birthday? Into the shops we went. All were closed, but we persuaded some
to open, and the good German Jew merchants let us commandeer within
reason. Haversacks and pockets were filled. The actual prices of things
were fairly high: sugar 1/6 per lb., condensed milk 2/-, golden syrup
4/- a small tin, and so on. One of our fellows, after being well fed,
was sent back to us loaded with boxes of briar pipes to distribute,
another with socks and vests; others were given Kruger pennies, as
souvenirs. And all the day, and all the night, through the streets
marched our troops, rolled and rattled our guns, our carts and waggons.
And the night, oh, what a night! For seven miles I struggled on in
charge of our ammunition cart, in search of our company, picking my way
out of a mass of bullock waggons, carts, mules, and every imaginable
vehicle; men asking for this brigade and that division on every hand;
transport officers cursing, conductors exhorting, and niggers yelling
and cracking whips.
PRETORIA TAKEN.
WITHIN SIGHT OF EERSTIE FABRIKEN,
E. OF PRETORIA.
_June 10th, 1900._
Fortunately for you in my last I left off rather abruptly in order to
catch the post, or I should have bored you with a long account of my
search with our ammunition cart for the company along the road to
Pretoria from Johannesburg. For seven miles we--a comrade, myself, the
blank Kaffir driver and mules--struggled and stumbled between long halts
after our crowd, past waggons, carts, dhoolies, and chaises of all
descriptions, the drivers of most of which were all inquiring for
various divisions, brigades, battalions, companies, and such like. At
last, at about one o'clock, having come up with the 11th Division, we
halted and outspanned near the Guards' Brigade. At the first sign of
daybreak I arose, and going forward about a quarter of a mile or less,
came up with our company. The captain told me to get the mules inspanned
and follow on. Owing to the infernal slowness of Tom, the driver, we got
off late and had another terrible search, this time by daylight, to find
the 7th Battalion I.Y., which at last we found camped at Orange Grove,
about two miles from where we had bivouacked the preceding night. The
next day (Sunday) we were looking to spending in a restful way, but this
was not to be. We suddenly got the order to "saddle up," and forward to
Pretoria we went. At about two in the afternoon we halted and picketed
our horses not far from a farm. There rather a curious, though perhaps
trivial, thing happened. Amongst the hundred-and-one little
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account