Letters from the Front.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 164, 18 June 1901, Page 3

Letters from the Front.

The following letter from Pictersburg, dated April 18th, has been received from Trooper Charles Cunningham, of the Sixth Contingent

The voyage was very uneventful, and we were quite satisfied when it was finished. The Contingent was landed at East London and sent straight on to Pretoria, where we were put into oamp tor a week to give the horses a chance to get over the voyage. While at Pretoria we were inspected by Lord Khchaner and General Plumer. We left Pretoria in Pluraer’s column to take Pieteraburg, a place the Boers have held all along. Major Craddock was to have had charge of the division our crowd is in, but he

'eli ill in Pretoria before we started. The .column moved on very slowly for the first day or two, which rather surprised us, for Plumer is looked on as a bustler. The Gordons joined us atPenar’s river. With the exception of the artillery, they are the only regulars with us, the column being made up largely of Australians. We travelled through splendid grass country all the way, better than you. will gee in New Zealand for such a large area, mostly all bush veldt, the, BT3BH being prickly scrub. Sometimes for a few miles you will get it fairly open, and in other places so thiek you can scarcely ride through it. The convoy and guns follow the road (we came direct to Pietersburg), while the mounted troops supply the advance gnord, rear guard and flankers, and of course we have to ride in extend'd order. Two or three times on the trip, where the scrub has been very thick, we have lost a section or two, but they generally turned up at night again. We first got under fire at Warmhaths ; that was the fir»t place held by the Boers, about three days’ journey from Pretoria, and the hilly country starts there. There was a commando there about 700 strong, ported iu a very strong position on a rough kopje. After a few shots they retired to a ridge further back, where they bad their laager. Our company was escorting the guns that day. I was { with the pompom that was sent out co : where the firing was going on, and you would be surprised to see the rough ground they go over. A few rounds from the pompom settled that scrimmage, and we have not seen so many B jers together since. Three of their waggons were captured and about six prisoners, including one wounded. No more of the enemy were seen unt’l we reached Nylstrom, where the Auati alians captured a few more. Some of our boys had a close shave there. Twelve of us had been picked out to act as scouts, ond we were given our pick of the bor-es and put off all duties. The mornng after reaching Nylstrom we were sent out on patrol, and we bad got one prisoner and bad come on to a road leading back to the camp about 10 o’clock ; we were supposed to be in by 11, but we could see a good-sized farmhouse about a couple of miles off on our right, and I was sent in with a coaple of men and the prisoner while the others went on to the hou?e. They had searched the house, and’were coming out to mount their horses again when the Boers opened fire at about 150 yard?. Our fallows put up very quick time getting away, and fortunately none of them were hit. At Piet Puigeitorsreit t voof the Canterbury division held up sixteen armed Boers and captured three of them. The Boers showed no fight ai a'l. Four of them bolted in'o the bush, but the Australian Bushmen came up just then and rounded them out in less than ten mhiuto?, They champions those Australian Bushmen. The Boers were on foot, escorting two bullock waggons. Four others were seen, making away over the ridge, on horseback. The Australian Bushmen rode them down, too. A few miles further on we had our first casualty. The advance guard were fired on, and lost three horses, and had three men wounded. The same day two of the Southland boys lost themselves, and run into the Boers; both their horses were shot, and o e of them slightly wounded in the leg. They threw up the sponge then, and the Boers took their rifles and bandoliers, and let them go. We expected to have a bit of a flatter before reaching Pietersburg, but it did not come off. The Boers had left—at least all but one had, and he ■ was a rough member. He laid in the grass till the advance guard got just past him, and lh'-n started sniping at ab u fifty yards. He put in his shots quick and sure ; three men and half-a-dozen horses going down before they got on to him, and he left this world for a belter one soon after. It was the Australians he had run against, and yon eould|not tell whether it was a man or not when they had fin : shed with him. He had killed two scouts and one tiooper. The Boers have bad a lot of amuuition stored up here in different places. All that,has been found has been blown up, and all the people here are to be sent bo Pretoria, and then I believe the whole town is to be destroyed. After arriving here the scouts were disbanded, and we went back to our companies again. I am afraid we will not live, as well now as we did; for, while we were . scouts, wo did nothing but look for tucker fop ourselves. Six men from the Second and Third Contingents have been sent up here to join ns as officers. We will have more officers than men, soon. Davis is ser-geant-major of the Canterbury division ; he will do all right. I have been acting sergeant since I left the boat, but I have not received the stripes yet. Our aergeant-nnjor is to be made quarter-master-sergeant, and I have been recommended for his place. It is between me and sergeant Lorrigan. Lorrigan has ibe best oh’noe, for he is a returned man. G. Geddes we left behind at" Preoria, with measles. Bateman and I are both in good health. lam out on cos-sack-post at present, and 1 see the relief coming over, so I will have to close.