Today in Kimberley's History
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69 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.
Details of a heavy engagement at Colenso at the Tugela River came in today. Buller was in command, and they found the enemy in formidable positions and number. Owing to the fact that they did not send out pickets in front of them the artillery, under Colonel Long, got too close to the enemy, and when nearly all our artillery horses were shot they had to abandon 10 guns, leaving men in trenches to watch them, which, however, did not save them after all. All this, it is feared, may have a bad moral effect on the Boers, especially on the Colonial ones, to whom, of course, an exaggerated account is carried.
Here the excitement of Christmas is beginning to cheer us up a little; and, but for the scarcity of things in the grocers shops, and the ancient fashions in the drapers' windows, one could forget there was a siege at all. In the American Stores, which still have the best supply, there is a big crowd that has to be regulated behind an iron grating at the street entrance, a few only being allowed in at a time. The toy shops are also thronged. But, alas, sign of the times, the jewellers are deserted, and seem to do no business at all. The present of something pleasant to eat is the only present appreciated by big people nowadays. The heat is appalling. But big thunder clouds look promising.
De Beers have given up hope of the Relief Column being able to finish their task at Spytfontein for some time; so have consented at last to the making of the big gun by their engineer, Mr Labram. It will be very useful to turn on to Kamfersdam, which is at present beyond the range of our 7-pounders and too strongly entrenched for our men to storm with the bayonet.
Extract from "The Diary of a Doctor's Wife – During the Siege of Kimberley October 1899 to February 1900" by Winifred Heberden.
Details of a heavy engagement at Colenso at the Tugela River came in today. Buller was in command, and they found the enemy in formidable positions and number. Owing to the fact that they did not send out pickets in front of them the artillery, under Colonel Long, got too close to the enemy, and when nearly all our artillery horses were shot they had to abandon 10 guns, leaving men in trenches to watch them, which, however, did not save them after all. All this, it is feared, may have a bad moral effect on the Boers, especially on the Colonial ones, to whom, of course, an exaggerated account is carried.
Here the excitement of Christmas is beginning to cheer us up a little; and, but for the scarcity of things in the grocers shops, and the ancient fashions in the drapers' windows, one could forget there was a siege at all. In the American Stores, which still have the best supply, there is a big crowd that has to be regulated behind an iron grating at the street entrance, a few only being allowed in at a time. The toy shops are also thronged. But, alas, sign of the times, the jewellers are deserted, and seem to do no business at all. The present of something pleasant to eat is the only present appreciated by big people nowadays. The heat is appalling. But big thunder clouds look promising.
De Beers have given up hope of the Relief Column being able to finish their task at Spytfontein for some time; so have consented at last to the making of the big gun by their engineer, Mr Labram. It will be very useful to turn on to Kamfersdam, which is at present beyond the range of our 7-pounders and too strongly entrenched for our men to storm with the bayonet.
