Extracts from the siege

WILLIAM EAGLE DIARY GUARD NATAL GOVERNMENT RAILWAYS

(Diary with LS Historical Society)

 

OCTOBER:

19^TH: Lt. Galway missing and Trooper Spencer wounded

28^th: Water supply cut off by the Boers at the reservoir-Military made arrangements to pump water from the river.

 NOVEMBER:

4^TH: Meetings held at the Railway Station and Town Hall with a view of forming a neutral camp at Intombi Spruit about 3 miles from Ladysmith south. Majority of Railway meeting in favour of this but the feeling among those at the Town Hall meeting was unanimously against it. Archdeacon Barker and Mr. Walter made patriotic speeches declaring their intentions of remaining in town having every confidence in General White. Mr Walter called for volunteers among the Town Guard and others to build a laager for the women & children near the culvert in Poort road, bags of sand and bales of straw being obtained the laager was formed.

16^th: Shell explodes over the platform at the station killing one of our guards, A Mason, and wounding another guards, W Edwards also a townsman & 2 coolies. We buried mason in the afternoon there were about 80 of us present it being impossible to get a coffin we had to bury him in a blanket covered with the Union Jack.

22^nd: ….the hottest fire was from 4 to 6pm when opened fire into the Liverpools camp about 400 yards from our house and we sat on the veranda and saw the poor fellows rolling down the hill some without legs, others without arms-the cries were heartrending.(The Liverpool regiment records this event as happening on 24^th not 23^rd)

DECEMBER:

5^TH: …….the Boers attempted to shell the Gas works where they were making gas for the Balloon. This caused us much alarm as they are only about 100 yards from our house…..

16^th: ……doing considerable damage. 1 Artillery man killed. General Joubert reported to be dead having died from injuries sustained buy having his horse shot from under him.

23^rd: …..several shells came into town one struck in the devons camp about 300 yards from our house wounding about 7 men and another fell into headquarters wounding 7 or 8 officers on the staff.

27^th: Heavy firing into town one shell fell into the Devons officers mess blowing one officers head off and wounding 5 others. Three shells did great damage among the Liverpools killing several men…..

JANUARY 1900:

1^ST: Heavy firing all day one of our men on the bridge guard killed (probably a Captain Clarke who is mentioned by GW LINES in his casualty list) close to the station whilst playing cricket a shell fell on the line causing the ballast to fly, a piece of which struck him in the head-death being instantaneous.

22^ND: Two of our naval men killed today whilst trying to draw a shell that had been fired by the Boers. Whilst one of them was loosening the fuse it exploded blowing one to atoms and killing the other.