The British-Boer War. EXPERIENCES OF LANCE CORPORAL C. A. WILSON (3rd NEW ZEALAND CONTINGENT).

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 52, 29 September 1900, Page 2

The British -Boer War. EXPERIENCES OF LANCE CORPORAL C. A. WILSON (3 rd NEW ZEALAND CONTINGEN T).

iCoiiU'iuid). The night after the ani'jauiition waggon lah tot Wjponer, via Btwufcoiaad, we wove ocileied fco lie in roadiruds Lo support; the inf<uiiry »vho were giiaiuiug tho bvidge over the Oraugo Ejvoi' as xlliwal Nortli. Accordingly wo set out a hstle afior 'fivo o'clock with oue Imy nets ft Hud and in full marching oidov, oxcopi; ioi t.ho fact, ihat wohad 110 rat'ond. This matter had been fovgottou. Tho market aquaro was the place in uhich we were to sfcay till called on, but fortunately it, w«s too davk to sco the ground. We had had nothing r.o eat "since- dirtpdjT time find were very 'willing to iu)\ to ythan biscuits aod bully wyre-fet ought. After this wo . wore told vre cou}a lie dovrn aud^sloep, one xna» iuleacfa seofcion to hold the horses. -.W^wei.'e Jravyn up in three" -'di visions. , Aft>r >rraaging 6ho,^vfttches to ' "be, Wpj/the^ first aentraes took bb?irge"of : the-itM-ar©^ Bind the'test of us spread OwWatsxfptao|; .sheets and got to 1 sloop '^jfihpufe'taby:

rocking whatever, for we h>id hson going since 4 a ua., n.n4 it was now nearly 11 am. Wo had only bssn asleep Laii-un hour when ft. terrific clrtng [com a bell bioi'ght "ua to out 1 foat with a btarb. All mado sure it wui tho signa.l that an attack was JuiiniDent but it \\\u inSuirely more Ritiusu'g, The £h*ebell stood in the squat c, a stand about twelve t^et high sup poitirg it. To tin*? I'iukrjty st.vnl the baglez's hor^o v\ a-y -tied, und when the anira •,} fell r.'siocp it dropped bride, abno^ . ptiiling Uowu tho v/uoio strnciuip, aiul spfc the ball a ruining. Tins vwts quio-id^ expkunr'J and we got to sleep once moiv. Some time afUn-WHuls ftuothiu' iing vf&3 he.ird, but*>bo cau^o was tho name and the liorso ww promptly • shifteiT. It was now a;/ turn for tuu homy' srnLvy, find I tinned out. Wlnlo the rest wne asleep, our ouidiy htid g.'ithftrjd ,i CiMipla ol hoi^i's from suge/int-j who prob.vbiy con-M'l 'rmi it. intk avk* io hol>l thui owl horses. Tins made bfs, n>d as 'joicy of them were sleepy and kept, fuHiug forward, aud a oiipio v, ttrit i >ri R'ido u»vuk.e and kept pulling back ».t e*eiy.feOUiiJ, tho toiiirv hvl vio cus-/ tink iv pic-\e)itii-g tlu'iu fiom t-raaiping on the m^n bleeping close by t i3 ve ii with tlmse di-tiaciiorib I is d that- to appreciate the beauty of tko some, Thtro wai no moon, bui tho btan Rhone tncsu bi'i^hsobt and nni-Je dunly vi-jilj'-s the m?u sloping dot.ol all ovtii ih^ gri>'inj, ui..h thoir ele"p/ ho<-?,ea no'ldiiig bcbide tho.u. Fi us th-J dajk spicj beneath the hide, dually ouuliatd a^a/iu»t the sky. cuaio , the tunaioal rippio of tho riy-oi* ovti m ! stony bed. The air was chill and j bi-nemg. Tbe faiure-jt breath 0;' win I stirryd the si.s. rounding bolt of tioctj and bi*od o hfc viirii it tin lo;vitsg of u cjvv. tho biuaii of a shoop, or tha tiet-'ul, >vuk of a dog, all fcypLonl of peace, wliUe the chj,!itj!igu of a aer.tvy <jur tttul itgaiu reminded one of tho ot'icr I atid* &t.ernor tdiU 1 . Thfcio v/tis no attack diving iho uight, a iid. at 5 v.,<a. we roce. and ni^e le idy to ierb' n to cmup. The bh^it Ii oatutosa dunng the i ight -v>B,s &o'>a dios'pdtod by tha e.iriy -.asi arid auothur peifcsct diy coiameiujdd. On our v\.ty We i)\-3bed a company of an infant. y ltigiuaent, gr^at coated and^ieta^hi; q floin f\ mjht in die ti'onohos. livMCumg camp =ye fouad thi>t older j n,id si^vxcd tur a ffiiieii uslo cho Kteo otriLe thai aftfirioou, ail carps ro be o«i tuo mils by 4 p iii. V\d,tei\ug p'tii;iio wn 1 sji u got tiuciyi ntiJ fche.i packi i^ I sfji^etl. Tlio older \ia3 given to btriko June line ol! tents jj-jt beiOLe di.iu,!t.iiiy, and b,> oiioi tiie"Oidi ilv rotijJ tent wis "siiiuck- ill- 1 book's <r i>l p ),pei3 were lit tins tent. At L o'elcK juS5 betoio dinner was served, a ihiUi"l«r>loiiQ aiojs, und wiili l ffv mmututj w\n»ing, of which v.o tojii full au\ intiigy to covei 1 tip what <;<? Cvjuld. torrcnt'i of lam fell. Wtion wj ware at, liberty we ruslied for stand ug touts, but boon tht^e vram a pnjii'ti.'t pond. V^atci dosved downhill lo us, •cithougb we sveie On a fairly losol place, fcoui3 of iho tv/omy who wois i abide got pt\tty wot, iiowsvot. there was a bottle of bact T>m vi>?, a .' ,ye took a httlo just to ki»*p ous -L^ cold. The rain eo'ttinupd tor an ho-.. 1 a. id then suddenly ceased. "Wo g<t outside a^id the'i pK^wd up -the articir- c that wSte floating lovuid the siie et c -if tent aud spread thdm oa boxoa to dry. , Most were yen war, but I liad tuki.i ihe hooka iv the Aiajoir's tcjt -lad fchf?a wece guise safe. iinvelopfc<3 and lead pencils were to ba picked up all rou.xl. fha "Cookhouse door" -just then ■jounded and we gt.t our dinner, couof boiled iii»at and started to maker a, meal, v. hen clown cams ■ tk% rain again. This uucos<;itatod evarv ihi'ig bchjg agiiiu covered. We vwco nearly ns wot as we cou'kl be, so wo (Ldn't harry and. we siaved to eat cvi dinuur in ths raia. However it go'j too heav^ aod \vs agai» took This proved tho iast shower for thw day/ It uaa now after 2 p.m. and W6 had to hurry. All we took, was & change of tinddvoiothing, one blank<u arid our waterproof sheet. The rest of ..our kit was stored at-^Aliwal North. Two or three of our men were left belund in hospual bete. I had viiittd thorn the day before, and fouud thetn veiy f cotriiortnblo. I omitted^to asenthat up till this time we had had a oonnact cook, tho b;ikar on board ship. Hf, "had tvto {is-3lsstifatB am] b,laek b<i>^ ?.nd wai p.vid qi.q &nil ling, per \v-'elt_p>"-raian. Ho'-veVor, jttl hands- aoou "got tired of only b<-iJg allowed a bare jitii of te>* or qoffoe pbi: meat- Ahct' ulto cpflap}*infid that botled nirac-f' w^ Ifrab^t(»itous. They thcsijW th^ ; cSto^Book, beJtter oioals for thfornselvtitjAlyateil tbair rations and the da/wleftilliwal this aivangvUie'it'camo iv" I One cook joined a-mdpnte.' c&rpTbiiu' ww v a 5 ong-igod by the office^"' 'aud_vaapther*cooked fox ; fiotne i of *h> mear '" t ". ,' ''' -' ,; -Wa marched out ot'j&liwal hk> ori>issW tho line bridge into^'Jlie Fs'?/ "Stite goucV.tuipe. t JS^r^caiti 'w .T»ef» t *"^|ttt»it - a Cue day, and \^i ja er j drying avipkUy. A.n*ivin<f>;it;Jihe .*-:pppxo^d. "pliice, wo liilfced^iHl all ; ib 3

coip"? were in position and then wv moved off, We nweh?d on and on till 8.30, when* we halted at IJepter's Kraal to rest and feed the horses. We had scarcely put down the feed, when a shout of •* Hail or I fire " came from onr outposts. Thiri was repeated several times, but evidently the challenged man billed, for no shot was ii red. Then suddenly, ahead, a shot was fired and tafm an iivHgnlar jjolley followed. An offerer came da.sl.iup, irn. and «t .quired for the i\e\v Zoah\.n<l<*'S, \\ c wore rea Jy in -an infirm t\ and t'o! lowing his lend we K'^oped fotward thiough ihe darkne.-^. \\'r- wenr, straight yeioss country, })n< fortunate !y it v/a,i not vt*ry lo'ie,!), and beyond a fewstnaiblfb ovci 1 aut.hilla there wore no nii?-h.-py. After about two ibik^ ot U) is, the oi-uer to dismount wan q". p-n. Tup Fo. 3's held th-e ]iu!b33 a»ul the rerft of the con- . ti igeufc aivtinced m open order. ■Bt oij we came 'o a shut or creek, mhl took upiipopition ou {ha near j"le. Boon a further advance w s ordered and camo to -['•nehes which hid ovi'lemly h. o l usvid by the Boerb <^n soia^ oil»or occasion. We hod nidc got hit<- these wJiea a volley lan^ out, tneu tiiiother aud some irregular 1 ?luU, aoionij-?', wTticli bouncled a 'iv'lu %nn. .A pi'iiti^juoiiiniu of ; filn-ri's and y^Jls foito'vel, j i'i\e ila?heß from the darkiiecis i b'i«)\vi'ij[ us souiewheie tie.ir thejo ilion nf the oivetoy, A r e L.-'u'd the bnll(->iH whiz.:ing o\er~ h»\.d, but none cvi'iio a-n-ong-t r.^. i\ii, r -r womo time, we had an oider to ieH.'t; beliind fhc b.uik of tho -jluu, aud "sve had soircely done ,o .\i the rain.cypio on, not in . <; ,\ t.jjour, but a i^guiar >TTvu >v ZeaUuid rain. This was at 10 v.iii. and ix, was n*idni«,ht wh^n u".r co.itd WkHQ hioj'^hi, ,md i-iiig in :i line of i ill's pits wo -.i --re soo.i v<?iy wet. I lay dtfwu 3!u! in about mi honr \Yoko up, -\\et to the fekin and in a pool of ovut'i- six inches deep. TJr.s biainhed sleep and I did sentryou till «lj\vn. In hont of ti^ t'i.'o}.s \;eie pas^n^ and reij'^s:tjg and j>gats flashed from the hiil, but th»be w^je f'oin onr o>% i n:eii. With (he diiwn we idv> and stood to cinn.n for an b,vr 'i'»d thf*n rnonnled ti n .d rode ?u r w aid t o ! i ' d I) , erni in y . (Tw he Cj >tr < M i I )