Ladysmith: The Diary of a SiegeNevinson, Henry Woodd
History
Ladysmith: The Diary of a Siege
Nevinson, Henry Woodd
Ladysmith (South Africa) -- History -- Siege, 1899-1900
The bombardment continued, guns on Bulwan throwing shells into various
camps, especially the Natal Volunteers. Many people chose the river bed
as the most comfortable place to spend a happy day. They hoped the high
banks or perhaps the water would protect them. So there they sat on the
stones and waited for night. I don't know how many shells pitched into
the town to-day--say 150, not more. Little harm was done, but people of
importance had one grand shock. Just as lunch was in full swing at the
Royal, where officers, correspondents, and a nurse or two congregate for
meals in hope of staying their intolerable thirst--bang came a shell
from "Long Tom" straight for the dining-room window. Happily a little
house which served as bedroom to Mr. Pearse, of the _Daily News_, just
caught it on its way. Crash it came through the iron roof, the wooden
ceiling, into the brick wall. There it burst, and the house was in the
past. Happily Mr. Pearse was only on his way to his room, and had not
reached it. Some of the lunchers got bricks in their backs, and one man
took to his bed of a shocked stomach.
At the time I was away on the Maritzburg road, which starts west from
the town and gradually curves southward. The picket on the ridge called
Range Post is a relic of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, now in the
show-ground at Pretoria. Major Kincaid was there, only returned the
night before from the Boer camp behind "Long Tom." He had been ill with
fever and was exchanged. He spoke with praise of the Boer treatment of
our wounded and prisoners. When our fellows were worn out, the Boers
dismounted and let them ride. They brought them water and any food they
had. Joubert came round the ambulance, commanding there should be no
distinction between the wounded of either race. Major Kincaid had seen a
good deal of the so-called Colonel Blake and his so-called Irish
Brigade. He found that the very few who were not Americans were English.
He had not a single real Irishman among them. Blake, an American, had
come out for the adventure, just as he went to the Chili War.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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