Mafeking : $b a diary of the siegeBaillie, Frederick David
History
Mafeking : $b a diary of the siege
Baillie, Frederick David
Mafikeng (South Africa) -- History -- Siege, 1899-1900; South African War, 1899-1902
There should be another fight within a few
hours, but I reckon that it will be the relief Column’s turn, and though
everything is ready for us to assist them I honestly don’t think we
could go far and do much. The men were dog tired on Saturday,
absolutely dog tired. I always thought the Boer was a bad bird to get
up to the gun, but he came up that day. I don’t think he will again.
On Monday we saw the tail end of some Boer force arriving. We had hoped
it might be our own people, but they appear to be a few miles further
off. However, we know they are there or thereabouts now. Nobody minds
now, we know we are winning.
To return again to my story of the fighting, the foreigners did try
their best to stop the Boers looting, but loot they did most thoroughly.
They stole everything they could lay their hands on. Not one officer,
whose kit happened to be in the fort has recovered anything. One
"clumpy" of Boers galloped forth laden with food and drink. The food
belonged to themselves, the drink belonged to us. They happened to fall
in with the galloping Maxim, a piece of bad luck because they all died
and our people took the food and drink. One fellow had taken a pair of
brown boots and a horse, he had a few bullets through the boots, the
horse was killed and so was he.
Life had been very dull here, but that morning put everything all right.
We had never before seen a dead or wounded Boer or a prisoner, and it is
weary work to see your friends and neighbours shot and not see your own
bag too, but personally, except in the way of business, I hope I haven’t
killed a Boer. In the fight in the morning, though everything had been
prepared for as far as we could tell, we had had to take up positions
which were absolutely enfiladed by the fresh development of affairs.
The trench occupied by the Bechuanaland Rifles, Protectorate Regiment,
and others on the spur of the moment, was directly enfiladed by the
enemy’s quick-firer. Why we were not wiped out on that line I never
shall quite make out. They shot the jailor, Heale, who has done very
good work all through the siege, who I am afraid leaves a wife and
family. Then the prisoners took charge of themselves. Our gunner
prisoners ran down to the guns, one was shot, the others served the gun
all day. The others, armed with Martinis, commenced a heavy fire on the
enemy, or cautioned the Dutch prisoners, the suspects, as to their
behaviour, and put them down a hole. It was an exhilarating sight and
struck me as exceedingly quaint to see men who had committed every
crime, and were undergoing penal servitude, dismissing their past,
oblivious of anything except the fact that we were all of the same
crowd, and had got to keep the Dutchmen out. I hope Her Majesty will
exercise her clemency; they certainly deserve to regain their rights as
citizens.
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account