Today in Kimberley's History
|
|
|
|
43 days since beginning of the Siege of Kimberley, 1899
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
No fighting to-day, though slight artillery duel between the Reservoir's Fort and Boer gun from Lazaretto to Carter's Ridge.
Code signals were exchanged last night with the Relief Column whose distance from us, owing to the enormous damage done to the railway, seems to be but very little lessened. The only intelligible message, however, that came through was: 'Captain Penfold thanks the officers for their kind present of cigars', . . . after which the light went out, and the meaning of the message was not explained; the supposition being that it was merely a trial one. People think much more of poor Mafeking than themselves, however, and fear they must be getting worn out body and soul.
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
No fighting to-day, though slight artillery duel between the Reservoir's Fort and Boer gun from Lazaretto to Carter's Ridge.
Code signals were exchanged last night with the Relief Column whose distance from us, owing to the enormous damage done to the railway, seems to be but very little lessened. The only intelligible message, however, that came through was: 'Captain Penfold thanks the officers for their kind present of cigars', . . . after which the light went out, and the meaning of the message was not explained; the supposition being that it was merely a trial one. People think much more of poor Mafeking than themselves, however, and fear they must be getting worn out body and soul.
