James Chorley Burton

NAAIRS NAB MSCE VOLUME_NO 0 REFERENCE 42/198 DESCRIPTION BURTON, JAMES CHORLEY. (S/SP BURTON, FLORENCE JEANETTE) (BORN MASON). STARTING 19110000 ENDING 19110000 Images 370 to 373 of 1351 Film Roll https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS7B-WQYL-6?i=385&cat=...

GSSA Cemetery DVD Burton, James Chorley Died: 21 Jul 1911 Buried: West St Cemetery - Register, Durban, District Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, RSA Note: James Chorley Burton. Postmaster - Dundee - Drowned at Amanzimtoti. Died aged 45 yrs. Male. Buried 1911/07/21. Portion Methodist; Grave no 9; Block B. Revision: 14

Burton, James Chorley Died: 21 Jul 1911 Buried: West St Cemetery, Durban, District Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, RSA Note: James Chorley Burton Postmaster - Dundee; Natal Wife And Sons. In Loving Memory Of James Chorley Burton (Postmaster; Dundee ) Aged 45 Yrs; Who Was Drowned At Amanzimtoti; 21St July 1911 In An Endeavour To Recue His Sons.Erected By The Natal Telegraph Corps. And Citizens Of Dundee. Greater Love Hath No Man Than This .Methodist section. Block B. Grave no. 9 . Revision: 13 and before

THE DIARY OF JAMES CHORLEY BURTON WRITTEN DURING THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR

DI AND JOHN REDGMENT

James (Jim) Chorley Burton was born in 1863 near Dukenfield in Cheshire. He joined the English postal services at Bury in Lancaster and was trained as a telegraphist in Derby. In 1887, aged 24, he and three other young postal workers sailed in the Drummond Castle to South Africa. One of the postal workers, George Eyre, got off at Capetown and subsequently became Postmaster General of Southern Rhodesia; in that position he was able to employ Jim's eldest son, Sydney Dunkenfield Burton, at a time of family need. The others continued on to Port Natal, later named Durban, after the first governor of Natal, Sir Benjamin D'Urban, a quartermaster–general in the Peninsular War. There they got employment and were soon transferred to Pietermaritzburg, named after the Trek leaders, Pieter Retief and Gert Maritz.

On 18 March 1891, Jim married Florence Janet Mason. Her parents were early Natal settlers who had come from Scotland in 1846 to establish the first Methodist mission stations. When Florence was old enough to earn a living she taught English to the Afrikaners and, having learnt Dutch, then taught that language to English children in Pietermaritzburg. Her brothers went up to the nearly discovered gold fields of the Witwatersrand. One married the daughter of a Transvaal farmer and so fought on the Boer side; he was wounded and captured near Mafeking during the Boer War.

Jim's son Syd, who became a telegraphist, recorded that telegraph and postal services were very primitive. Earth return wires were slung from wooden posts to trees, and bottle tops were used as insulators. Away from the railway, all mails were carried by post cart and Zulu runners; swollen rivers and storms meant that mail could take weeks. Another note from Syd's boyhood is of the Imperial Garrison then stationed in Pietermaritzburg. He remembered a regiment of Lancers, whose horses were so beautifully trained. They were relieved by a foot regiment, the Norfolks, and his memory is of its mascot, a large, beautifully groomed billy goat.

When the Second South African (or Boer) War broke out in 1899, Jim had by then become Controller of Telegraphs. He was instructed to select two other telegraphists and proceed to join Lieutenant–General Sir George White's column. Jim and his assistants were attached to the Natal Carbineers. They caught up with the column at Ladysmith and reported to the General's Chief of Staff. He instructed them to open what communications they could. They worked in a wood and iron structure that had served as a post office, but had been vacated on the Boer advance. The only means of communication was by horse, flag, helio and night lamps.

The diary commences on 16 October 1899 with the events leading to the British forces being trapped in Ladysmith—including the battles of Elandslaagte and Rietfontein—and ends on the day the relief force rode into Ladysmith (29 February 1900). It is in the form of daily notes to his wife. Once he was besieged the notes came through to his wife in Pietermaritzburg by means of a closely written letter, barely 5 by 4 inches, neatly folded, and carried by a Zulu runner in a cleft stick, or concealed on part of his anatomy. A Dutch Reformed Minister with the Boer forces describes the capture of a messenger—a Kaffir, who had brought letters, sewn under the lining of his sleeve, out of Ladysmith'—and how he was shocked at 'How thoughtlessly they were read . . . These were from soldiers and civilians, mostly from husband to wife'.'

The end pages of the diary are damaged and occasional words are difficult to read. As Jim became 'seedy and weak' the entries deal mainly with the lack of food and have been omitted from this article. The diary has been in the possession of the family and at one stage was thought to have been lost, but fortunately was found by his daughter in some old linen tablecloths in her house in Johannesburg.

James Burton survived the siege of Ladysmith to be re-united with his wife and family. In recognition of his service, he was granted six months' leave and a passage to England for himself and his six children. They stayed in Derby. His son Syd recalls that at school he was nicknamed 'Kruger' and challenged to fight—he must be a Boer as he was from South Africa. The parsimonious Natal Administration had given the family a one-way ticket and return-shipping accommodation was difficult to obtain. Jim returned to Natal at the end of his six months' leave but it was nearly three years before the family could join him. The diary has been copied by one of his 29 grandchildren, Diana Redgment, daughter of his eldest son, Sydney. The diary is now in the Ladysmith Museum.

The outbreak of war The President of the Transvaal, Paul Kruger, was described by a biased Johannes¬burg resident as a 'strange hybrid of barbarism and surface civilisation:2 A 'dour dapper' that is a member of the stricter branch of the Dutch Reformed Church— serious of mind with a demeanour to match his black frock coat, Kruger hated the English and the polyglot population that the discovery of gold had brought to the Republic. Although the Constitution provided that the President should visit all districts and towns at least once a year, Kruger avoided going to Johannesburg. This was not without reason, as he was rudely received when he did visit. His view was clearly expressed in his greeting to a mixed audience of Boers and uitlanders (literally 'outsiders', i.e. those who had come to the Transvaal to work on the new mines): 'Burgers, friends, thieves, murderers, newcomers and others'.3 On a trip to Europe as part of a delegation to seek money for the Boer republic, he was asked by a fellow guest at a banquet whether he had ever seen such a scene. Looking at the décolletage, he replied: 'Not since I was weaned'.

Kruger's early days were stamped with the memory of the Great Trek of the 1830s, when thousands had left the Cape Colony to find land out of reach of Great Britain. He had been a voorlooper, a youth who led the 16 span oxen pulling the wagons thousand of miles from the Cape. He remembered the British taking over Natal from the Boers who had defeated the Zulus. He remembered the battle of Majuba in the first Anglo-Boer War in 1881, a major defeat of British arms, the casualties including General Sir Pommery Colley, the Governor of Natal. In London Sir Joseph Chamberlain the Colonial Secretary was largely respon¬sible for British policy towards the South African republics. A keen imperialist, implicated in the 1896 Jameson Raid, but knowing the damage war would cause to union of the Cape and Natal with the Free State and Transvaal, he wished to wait until President Kruger put his side in the wrong.

His High Commissioner at the Cape, Sir Alfred Milner, was more bellicose. In London Milner gingered up public opinion, alerting politicians to the dangers of "Krugerism'. In South Africa at a conference in Bloemfontein he failed to overawe Kruger. Smuts, the Boer who in a later war became a member of the British War Cabinet, was prescient in seeing Milner as 'very dangerous" Kruger got his ultimatum in first. In Capetown Milner rejoiced that war would come and in Britain Joseph Chamberlain, the Colonial Secretary, put his draft ultimatum away: it too would have contained impossible terms. Francis Reitz, ex President of the Free State and then Kruger's Secretary for State, cited the Bible as a reason for the necessity for war 'There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea'.'

For each side the strategic question was the same: fall back from the frontier and await attack or launch a strike before the enemy was ready. The Natal border was clearly the critical front. South, west and north on the Cape, Bechuanaland and Rhodesian borders, the distances were great and the population small. The British dithered. The alternatives were to stay on the defensive behind the natural line of the Tugela River or station troops nearer the Transvaal border. The force was split between Ladysmith and Dundee, divided and too far forward. The know¬ledge that 10,000 Imperial troops were sailing for South Africa dictated the Boer choice. An immediate attack would permit the forces of the Transvaal and the Free State to combine and enjoy a numerical advantage. Save for a few hundred Dutch and German artillerymen, the Boer army consisted of locally raised volunteers who had answered the order for mobilisation. Deneys Reitz, the 17—year old son of Kruger's Secretary of State, was one of them. He was given a Mauser carbine and ammunition in Pretoria and put on a train for the frontier. He was now a soldier in the Boer army that was to invade Natal. He and his fellow soldiers sorted them¬selves out into units and elected their officers. He describes the 'nearly 15,000 horsemen' ready to invade Natal.' The columns passed through Newcastle and were before Dundee before meeting the enemy.

It can be argued that the Boer siege of Ladysmith, tactically a Boer victory, was a strategic mistake on both sides. The British should have withdrawn to the line of the Tugela river, a little south of Ladysmith, and not bottled up troops in the town. The Boers should have bypassed the town and gone deeper into Natal to threaten Pietermaritzburg and even Durban. The younger Boer generals, including General Louis Botha, future Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa, suggested that but the Commandant—General Piet Joubert overruled the idea, saying, 'When God gives a finger, you should not grasp at a hand'.

Diary entries On the British side Jim Burton, not a soldier but a telegraphist, was in a prime position to record the opening battles. His diary opens on 16 October 1899 describing how he entered the war:

I arrived at Ladysmith alright accompanied by Messrs Bagley and O'Neill. Knowing how urgently our services were required we lost no time in reporting ourselves at the Ladysmith Post Office. Mr Craddock reported he was shorthanded . . . and was very emphatic about detaining one of my men to which I demurred, and we proceeded on our way to Ladysmith Camp having chartered Ladysmiths only cab. We reached there about 9 a.m. and duly reported to General Sir Archibald Hunter who was indeed very nice, and gave the necessary orders for tent accommodation arranged for us to dine at the Officers Mess etc and sent his A.D.0 Sir Henry Rawlinson to, see this was carried out, which it was, to the letter, an orderly being told off to attend to all our little wants.

In the meantime Mr. Weightman who had been doing exceptionally good work tapping lines and ascertaining the enemy's movements, turned up looking well, but parched, in fact it was with difficulty he could separate his lips. We now arranged our programme for the time being . . . I was provided with a horse and a couple of mounted orderlies to carry the Instruments or attend to any other little items I might want doing. I instructed Mr. Bagley to take over the Camp Office from the Military people and Mr. Salmond to assist him. This was done and Mr. Bagley reported that things were in an awful state, and it took all that day to put them aright. So far as I am concerned, I obtained very little information of any importance this day.

17 October: This morning opened fine with every appearance of turning out a scorcher, which it ultimately did. I had orders to be in the saddle at 5.30 a.m. Was up to time, as was Lt Jardine and the orderlies, and we proceeded to our rendezvous of the previous day. With the exception of riding in and out to breakfast, lunch and dinner and only obtaining tolerably useful information, I have nothing to record.

The 18th opened brightly and we again proceeded at 5.30 a.m. to our tent which I omitted to say was situated between two kopjes about two miles out. We were fortunate enough to locate the enemy. This was duly reported to the General, to whom it gave the greatest satisfaction. At 2 a.m. on the 19th I took it upon myself to get the orderlies to the horses and proceed to the place of operations with a view to finding out if the enemy were doing any night work. Not meeting with any success we returned at 3.30 a.m. I was up again and at it at 5.30 a.m. but did not obtain anything tangible. At 1 p.m. having come in to my dinner the camp was in a state of alarm which as time wore on became almost panic. I was returning to my work when I met Lt. Jardine and one of the orderlies riding in full gallop with only a portion of the equipment. They had left my instruments behind and warned me against going on, but since I was responsible for the Insts. I said I would fetch them, which with the aid of my orderly I did, not seeing any sign of the enemy, which I was told were coming on about where the Instruments were. In getting back to camp everything was in a state of uproar.

Officers and men running here there and everywhere packing up their belongings in fact they all appeared scared—In the meantime a lot of work had accumulated and having let Mr Bagley go into town Mr Salrnond and myself commenced in earnest to dispose of the block. When we were nearly clear a terrific explosion occurred which shook the office and I was informed by Major Ward of the Manchrs. [the Manchester Regiment] who was standing at the window that a shell had burst in the Square—This turned out to be incorrect and it has not as yet transpired what was the cause of the explosion—I duly reported this circumstance of the C.C. at PMBurg who furthered it and I was afterwards the recipient of a somewhat uncalled for memo from the Engineer. At 5 p.m. the camp was to all intents and purposes deserted with a few exceptions so in the absence of any instructions I packed up everything of any importance unshipped the Instru¬ments and went out to look for transport, as luck had it I struck a mule wagon and commandeered it I got all aboard and proceeded into town. When about half way in it struck me I had better destroy the batteries which I went back and did. By this time the camp was absolutely deserted.

Not a sign of the enemy tho—This finished my work at the camp upon which the enemy never came at all. It was afterwards reoccupied by our troops and a telephone fixed up to keep up communications— The following day I took over charge of the Telegraph Department in Ladysmith but could make very little reform on account of the Instruments at my disposal and the limited space wherein to work—I was also handicapped by being away days and nights with the troops attached to the General.

On the 20th I had instructions to be ready with my horse and equipment at 3.30 a.m. to proceed with the troops to reconnoitre and to keep in touch with the General—I was up to time and had only proceeded about 3 miles out of LS. towards Elandslaagte when I got orders to join up my Phonopore [name indistinct] which I did at a point almost opposite to where the battle of Tintwa Inyoni was some days afterwards fought. The general satisfied himself about their position and then retired towards L.S. The enemy opened fire on our Scouts in several places on our right and appeared to follow us up. Repeatedly our scouts had to gallop for all they were worth to get out of range. The Scouts, I ought to mention, were in each case either Light Horse or Carbineers—just the men for the job.

The Boers did not succeed in hitting any of our men on this occasion. We took half a dozen of them prisoners and brought them in to L.S. at about 5 p.m. I had been in the saddle galloping here and there for 14 hours. With the exception of feeling a bit sore I was none the worse for it. I then buckled to in the Office which was simply blocked with work. At about 9 p.m. I got instructions to be ready at 3 a.m. on the following morning viz. 21st October. a memorable day in the Annals of British warfare. I had saddled up and all ready at the appointed hour joined the General and the cavalcade, and rode quickly out of Ladysmith in the direction of where we had been the previous day. We had got to Modderspruit before daylight broke and in the meantime Scouts had been sent in all directions, but nothing of importance occurred until reaching a point about 1/z a mile beyond Modderspruit and about 5 miles from Elandslaagte. Here the advance guard halted and the Scouts came in bringing in quite a number of prisoners for whom I felt somewhat sorry. Their dilapidated appearance and indiscriminate manner in which they were clothed— No attempt at uniform—All kinds of hats from the silk topper to the black and white cricket cap. Black and almost white mackintoshes and in several instances black front, Elastic sided boots.

Located on a hill over looking Elandslaagte—I heard the General asking for the operator' I was to the fore and he said Do you know the wires are down at Modderspruit?' I replied 'No Sir!' G.—'Well they are and I have an important message for Sir George White'. 'Very Good Sir'—He wrote the message and I galloped off to find the fault like one possessed with the orderlies in the rear—I had forgotten to say that it had been raining very heavily all morning and I was wearing my mackintosh—It was on this occasion I was nearly shot—It appears that some of the light horse seeing me racing across country towards Modderspruit bridge to the scene of the fault and the two soldier orderlies riding hard on my rear mistook me for a Dutchman and gave chase. I was mounted on a splendid charger and kept ahead— It also appears that they had called upon me to halt but the noise my mackintosh made in the wind prevented my hearing them and the noise the Instruments the orderlies were carrying had the same effect as regards themselves—However I had gone under Modderspruit bridge and along the line for some distance when I spied the fault and dismounted. You can imagine my alarm and surprise on looking around to see a score of muskets levelled at me—I put up my arms and tried to explain and I would not like to tell you the nasty things they said to me because I laughed at them. I satisfied them and proceeded to repair the fault when I saw the Armoured train steaming up which had aboard Messrs. Brereton, Salmond and Etheredge—I handed over the job of putting the wires straight to Etheridge which he did whilst Breretons gang put the Railway lines in proper gauge.

The Boers had also torn up the line hereabouts as well as the telegraph lines—During this time I had proceeded down the line disposed of the Generals message and reported progress generally—My work being finished for the time being I galloped back to the Troops, found the General delivered the wire I had received for him which after reading he gave the order 'March!' The column then proceeded to a ridge over¬looking Elandslaagte Station and what might be termed the corresponding position to that taken up by the enemy. In the meantime feelers of the Light Horse had been out round the station, discovered that about 500 men were there and a lot of our civilian prisoners.

Our Volunteer battery of Artillery were ordered into position and very quickly--Capt Dan Taylor with whom I was at this time—sang out the order Sight for 1000 yds' It was done in the twinkling of an eye and then came 'Fire'. This was the first shell fired in the campaign so far as I knew and quite a new experience for the majority of those present and since it actually hit its mark 'the station' we were all somewhat elated—This shell had the effect of bringing about 500 Boers helter skelter out of it and there was a rush to mount their horses which they did in a manner that the more experienced British Tommy would not be ashamed of—Off they galloped to their main position and the next order Capt Dan Taylor gave was 'Sight at 1200 yds' this shot fell in the rear of the retreating Boers— It was after this second shot that fighting began in real earnest—The enemy replied with a shell that dropped too far away from our artillery to do any damage but uncomfortably near to Yours Truly who had fallen back to let some guns come up. This shell did not burst or I should have had a warm time of it. On the advent of this shell my two orderlies cleared as fast as their horses could carry them over some rough country and I admit I was about to follow when an officer yelled out 'Where the devil are you men going?' This had the effect of bringing us to our senses but I was only able to get one orderly back the other having got too far—During this time the artillery fight had been going on furiously the enemy aiming with splendid precision and I am confident that had their shells not been 'doctored' in some manner or other there would not have been a man alive of our Volunteer Artillery to tell the tale. Whereas with the exception of the breaking of an ammunition wagon to the killing of a mule or two nothing of a serious nature transpired—I had just gone to examine the hole one of their shells had made in the ground when I narrowly missed being bowled over with another. This time I had got used to this kind of thing but I had also been thinking 'I'd rather be at home' and of the dear ones there and weighing it up with myself as whether it was worth the candle to run such a risk. By this time the order had been given to 'Retire' as it was no use trying with our Vol'r Guns to carry so far—They got out of a tight corner in good order and I again joined Genl. French to await instructions.

We had got into what appeared a comparatively Safe Place and were standing in a bunch, Genl. French, Major Haigh, Col Scott Chisholm, a couple of Captains, Lt. Jardine and myself all mounted when a thundering great shell came . . . It spluttered mud over all of us and nearly bowled my horse and self over when it cleared away poor Scott Chisholm said I'm not afraid but I'm damned if I like this' It would appear that this fire was drawn on us by the General and Officers wearing no Pugarees—This being a distinct mark for the enemy who as it is well known make a special mark of officers—The Officers then had a consultation as we returned and it was decided to discard the Scarlet Bandages and anything else that would denote they were officers. We retired slowly by a very round about way so as not to get in range of the enemy's fire which was kept up for some time.

The Armoured train then drew their attention and they commenced potting at it but it was a bit beyond them. Thus we retired on Modderspruit where all rested preparatory to the big fight that afterwards took place [a reference to the battle of Elandslaagte 21 October 1899]. It was about 1 p.m. now. The General requested me to get communication with Headquarters which I straightway did and got the messages off asking for reinforcements and asking General Sir George White what was to be done.

General French and his staff on the Railway line partook of lunch whilst they waited for Sir George Whites reply which I shortly afterwards received and which was to the effect that the Boer position must be taken at any cost and that reinforcements were being sent at once. Genl French handed the message to Colonel Ian Hamilton who was in charge of the Infantry and with the words 'Here Hamilton are the orders You Know your part I know mine' meaning I took it that Hamilton would work the Infantry and Genl French the Cavalry—Be this as it may Col Hamilton ceased eating his lunch went across to his men told them what had to be done and then came back to where General French was still sitting eating.

In the meantime Genl Sir Archibald Hunter asked me to give him particulars of what had transpired and what I had myself seen which I did to the letter Very little time elapsed before everything was in readiness to march back to Elandslaagte to take the Boer position. We had not got very far on our journey when up came the Gordons, 3 Batteries of Artillery and a Squadron of Carbineers under Col Royston this coupled with Devons, Liverpools, Manchesters, Lancers 5th Dragoons, Light Horse and Border Mts brought up our strength to about 4000 men. We now proceeded to almost the same position we had occupied in the morning with the exception that we crossed the Railway towards the Boer stronghold some distance this side than previously which brought us to the right of their position instead of in front of the enemy. A Squadron of Lancers and a Squadron of Lt Horse were sent to flank the enemy on the left, and the Dragoons, a squadron of Lt Horse, the Carbineers and BMR held back in reserve on the right flank. The Devons on the left, the Gordons in the centre and Liverpools on the right then came the Manchesters in the rear all in extended order.

This order had evidently been pre-arranged the only order I heard given was, March' up to this time and march they did with a vengeance. Never a falter determination written on the countenance of every man there. All this time the enemy's artillery had been playing right among them but with the exception of a few horses and one man I noticed nothing down. We had not got much further though before they began to fall one shell dropping on the legs of one poor fellow and upsetting the 3 either side of him in they went without looking to see who was down probably they couldn't for the smoke from the explosion of the shells. I noticed at this time that the flankers were not escaping the attention of the Boer guns shells kept dropping fast and furiously about them.

Of course our artillery had been pelting into them all this time but without any visible effect. We had just got within range of the enemy's Mauser fire when it began to rain from the heavens and at the same time rain lead from the enemy's Mausers—This did not deter our infantry in the least on they marched another 200 yds before they got the order 'prepare to fire' comrades falling all sides—on they went for another fifty yards when the order 'Take Cover!' Mark your Men Everyone of You!' Firer was given and from that moment commenced a scene which I have only read about previously and which I am quite unable to adequately describe. Try to imagine a most deafening roar assisted by heavy thunder the peals of which at an ordinary time would in themselves be sufficient to strike terror into the hearts of the bravest—on they went up the side of the precipitous hill without a waver men falling on all sides. By this time hundreds of Doolie [a stretcher or litter] bearers [local Indian volunteers] had appeared on the scene with their ambulance.

We got up to them and it was here the Lancers and Dragoons got the word Charge' which they did in such a manner that I for one do not wish to see anything like it again. Their swift chargers soon caught up with the retreating foe. Those of the Boers who kept their saddles were struck through the back and those who threw themselves off and put up their hands for mercy were pinned to the ground. There was absolutely no quarter. Boers horses running here there and everywhere riderless. The Dragoons too had been lashing into them with their swords and in one instance a Dragoon got nicely alongside a Boer who turned on his saddle and fired but only grazed Tommy. He did not live to fire another shot the Dragoon simply had one hit and clean cut the roof of the man's head off It was here that General Kock was taken shot in several places—I felt a bit sorry for the poor old chap. One of the Gordons was rolling him over to rifle his pockets and the old chap was saying something in broken English, Tommy replying 'Alrecht Jonnie I wont hurt yer'. There were sinister rumours about this incident. A private correspondent writing from Pretoria to a friend in England wrote: 'Our wounded were robbed and murdered by the Lancers. General Kock had his money and rings stolen from him. He was stripped of his clothes and left to lie out in the cold all night, half naked.

It was pitch dark now and raining and as everybody was finding Mausers and horses I thought I'd go on the same lay I got a gun and a horse but couldn't make much headway noticing the horse a grey was limping I struck a light for a moment and saw that the poor beast had its fetlock shot away. I gave it up and essayed to pt down to Elandslaagte where I could see lights I had got separated from all other troops and was trying to pick my way in the dark fortunately I had a good horse and beyond getting lost once and riding into Barbed wire fences I managed to get off the battle field at the bottom of which I fell in with the Dragoons or Light Horse I couldn't distinguish which in the dark.

I had lost the orderlies since about 3 p.m.— and jolly glad I was to find them waiting for me at the Railway gates. We proceeded towards the station with difficulty but managed it safely and it was not long before we were getting outside a bottle of Whiskey and some biscuits—This was at Prices Store which the Boers had looted Whiskey, Tobacco, Biscuits, Potted meats and everything you can think of was scattered about everywhere—Since the Boers had been turned out of this in the morning and we had driven the enemy back the Railway people had been having a right royal time. They were loaded up with everything you can think of. The gigantic pockets of their great coats were crammed. I got as much as I wanted 3 Bots of Whiskey 2 or 3 tins of Beef and then went to establish communication with town—This was about 11p.m.

I got fixed up and it was not long before I heard enquiries from Officers asking where I was and right glad they were to find me and it was from here that the first news of the decisive victory was transmitted. It was still raining heavily and in the dark I had struck upon a coal heap—I wrapped myself in my mackintosh and spread out my rod case 'a long leather case' got down and awaited clients—They kept coming until 2 a.m. when I packed up and proceeded to a fire I saw blazing about fifty yards away—There I met a crowd boiling coffee in what appeared to me in pure whiskey In any case everything was ad lib so I stuck in my mug an empty milk tin and drove the shivers away.

From here I could see lots of lanterns dodging about the Battlefield finding dead and wounded. I left this scene and put my Insts in a deserted house and laid on a bed I could not have been there long when I was lugged out and I gave way to a wounded officer almost at deaths door I noticed he had a shot through his head. The rain having ceased I went on an exploration tour—alongside the Railway Siding the ground was literally strewn with all kinds of provisions The train that the Boers had captured with supplies was there and Tommies were throwing everything off in the search for liquor which as a rule was at the bottom of the trucks sufficient to say they found any amount and I am not exaggerating when I say there were very few water bottles that did not contain real whisky and not many great coats that had not a bottle or two in the pockets thereof. I next went across to Prices where they were dressing the wounds of a crowd of Boer prisoners who appeared to be having a good time. They were drinking and eating with our men just as if nothing had occurred. Major Haigh of the Generals staff was there as also was Major Karri Davis [Pakenham spells it 'Davies] and a number of officers of different corps. I was requested to take a seat and we had a jolly time until my orderlies came for me about 4.30 a.m.saying they had brought my horse and everything was ready for the march back to Ladysmith.

The march back was uneventful enough but one thing I couldn't help noticing was the stains of blood on the khaki painter blades of the Lances—Everybody was tired out and I many times fell asleep in the saddle—when about 5 miles from Ladysmith and as we were only going at a march. I trotted on and reached Ladysmith sometime prior to the Column. I was beset with many questions on my return but was far too sleepy to heed them. In fact I fell fast asleep when giving Mr. Weightman particulars. I then got to bed and didn't get up until about 7 p.m. when I went up to the station to see the wounded brought in.

Monday 23rd we sent a burial party to Elandslaagte and the Boers fired on the train which had not taken the white flag and had to return later on in the day when it was met by the Boers who said they were sorry they had fired on the train but since it had no white flag they were justified in so doing. This commando was under De Wet which came in via Botha's pass from the [undecipherable word] and had not met any of their defeated comrades of the previous day. It took our burying party all that day and part of the next also all night to put away the dead and bring in our wounded and 150 Boer prisoners.

Battle of RIETFONTEIN October 24th On the Monday night I had instructions to be ready at 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning—I was up punctually and joined the Genl Sir Geo White this time and proceeded again in the direction of Modderspruit. We had not gone far when we met the Burial party returning. On account of the character of their mission we did not ask them as to the where abouts of the enemy but proceeded along the road—when about 5 miles out of L.S.—Bang came a shell from our left flank from the kopje now famously known as Tintwa Inyoni. They had allowed more than half of our column to pass before they opened fire. At this time I opened up communication with Lady Smith on the Railway line—consequently, I did not see the position of our attack until afterwards.

Hereafter one of the nearest shaves I have had occurred—I have already said I opened up Communication which is incorrect I was on the point of doing so when I heard a voice say 'Prepare to Fire' I looked round and saw a Battalion of Devons under cover of the Railway and on looking the other way I saw the object which they had prepared to fire on which was a party of Boers coming out of a donga but as they only showed themselves one at a time and that only for a twinkling the Officer in Charge thought he had better not disturb them as yet.

This was at the most only about 60 yds away and had they liked they could have upset my apple cart very easily. It did not take me long to get out of it. I then went ahead and joined the Gloucesters who were making the centre attack on Tintwa Inyoni, the Carbineers and other Cavalry making flank movements. This was another hotly contested fight and within an hour after I had got there I counted no less than 43 killed and wounded 39 of them being Gloucester's—This was a mere flea bite to what occurred on the top of the hill where the Cavalry Carbineers were—This was where Robin [Robin Mason, his wife's brother] was wounded although I did not see him. We drove the enemy out of 2 positions and so far as I could see we did not do one quarter the damage the enemy did to us—It afterwards transpired that our casualties were 156 wounded and about 20 killed including several officers Compared with the enemy's loss as far as I could see of about wounded and about 5 killed. So it will be seen that beyond opening the Road for the Dundee troops to come into Ladysmith on their retreat this particular action viz. Tintwa Inyoni was somewhat disastrous.

I ought to say that our working on each of these occasions gave the greatest satisfaction and we were frequently thanked through Mr W by the G.C.C. From Wednesday the 24th until Monday 29th nothing exciting with the exception of plenty of hard work in the office. I found time to have a look at Joe Pepworth and Walter Pay [his nephew] both of whom I felt very sorry for—They said they were sick and tired of it. I also visited Rob every day and asked what I could do for him but he did not want for anything Mr Sutton I also saw frequently as a rule putting in full time with the girls at the end of the street He was very good to us all in the shape of refreshments and each night we adjourned to his store and partook our fill of the Cup that Cheers viz Beer. On Friday 28th I noticed a lot of P.M.B. people who had come up to see the fun, but their stay was only to be of short duration as on the following Sunday a notice was issued ordering all non–residents to clear out of town.

On the Monday another disastrous fight to the British took place namely Lombards Kop . . I saw very little of it until late on I have omitted to mention on this occasion the Engineers had taken over the Field Telegraph but in this case I was deputed to instruct them on our way of doing business which was the Generals wish as it had so far given the greatest satisfaction. We did good work during the morning but in manoeuvring the balloons they cut our lines and we were conse¬quently cut off from the front—This was the only hitch that had occurred in connection with our work and it was through this and nothing else that caused Col. Colville and 700 men and a Battery of Artillery to be taken Prisoners by the Boers. Early on I got a message from Col. Knox saying 'Unless—the Genl sent Col Colville who was in a tight corner near Walkershoek reinforcements quickly they would undoubtedly be cut off!' Through the Balloon Brigade cutting the lines this m'ge was not delivered until too late—We might have managed it I think if Capt Boyes who had taken charge of my party had not been so stupid and had had less inclination to show his authority.

However be that as it may I am convinced that this little mishap was the cause of 1,000 of our men being taken prisoners to say nothing of those who were killed and wounded before being taken. Poor Bill Clapham fell here— The Governor wrote the General complaining of the manner in which I had been treated on this occasion and Captain Boyes apologised. This ended my active participation in Fieldwork and up to the present there has been no occasion to again go out. From this date until the 5th November we occupied our time in dodging shells which were dropping all over Ladysmith and our work having gone through the lines being cut we were ordered out to a Neutral Camp about 4 miles South of Ladysmith and one and half North of Mbulwane. We are just under the enemy's position and can see all that goes on in their camp.

Of course we are not allowed to go in to L.S. and for that matter scarcely speak [presumably on the telephone]—It is a mixed camp and is full of spies. I haven't much to say about our stay here. Which I hope will not be for long. We have passed the days so far as best we could. I organised sports and very successful they were. On one occasion we commandeered a pig and had a good dinner—We fixed it up in the orthodox manner and distributed it as far as it would go among the residents here Bully beef and biscuits is the principal fare although it is some times varied by Fresh Beef and bread. We get tea and coffee and once a week Bacon and Limejuice—We have all had a bad time with diarrhoea and dysentery but have all recovered now thank God. My attack almost skeletonized me. Weightman had a mild attack but Norman Harrison had 8 days in bed with what Dr Currie said was Enteric. He is alright now but if we are to stay here much longer I am afraid it will go badly with us—I received your undated note and it put fresh life into me. Until I got it I was worried out of my life—You cannot imagine how I worried about you and the awful dreams I had about you all—I do hope nothing has happened I shall be very unhappy until I hear from you again.

We sent a messenger [a Zulu runner] last Sunday with letters and wires for all but he returned today the 10th of Dec without any reply from you or for that matter for any of us—all he brought was a despatch for the General from Genl Buller and four newspapers which we retained and jolly glad were we all to get one again although there was very little to read that we were not already conversant with Messrs W.H. Tatham of Dundee, Mr Hugo Magistrate Dundee, Mr Littlejohn Dist.Sup. of Railways, Newcastle, and Mr J. S. Ente Hugo's clerk joined our camp on Dec 9th after their return from Pretoria where they had been taken as prisoners—They are all now in good health—It might be interesting to know how the Telegraph Camp is formed so will tell you Weightman Self and N Harrison in one tent—Messrs W.H. Tatham Hugo Littlejohn and Ente in 2nd tent Six juniors in 3rd tent Messrs Bagley, Salmond, and ONeill in another Etheredge, Alderson and Mather in another and a mess tent. Before leaving Ladysmith I forgot to tell you that Weightman Self Harrison Salmond and Etheredge were all provided with Horses (taken from Boers) Saddles and Bridles, in fact a full equipment. A train with sick and wounded comes here at 6 am every morning. The military have had on an average a death every other day since we came here—On this the Civilian Side we have had 3 deaths—The Rev Schoones child, a Mr Bowles child and an old lady died this morning I dont know her name but she has only been in the country 3 months.

A brilliant feat was performed two nights ago the 8th Dec not far from here in fact only about a mile away in sight of anyone who might have been awake. The Light Horse and the Carbineers with Genl Hunter in charge came out from LS at 10pm and crept stealthily up to the enemy's notable gun 'Long Tom' and succeeded in blowing it, and 2 others up and bringing back their breach pieces—They also captured and brought back one of the enemy's Maxims. They had got past the Boer Sentry before they saw him Then the Sentry commenced calling out 'Hertz Hertz' evidently to a chum or another sentry, and as he shouted louder he was cobbled over the head with a carbine—but his shout had been heard and a volley was fired at our people. In the meantime Gen' Hunter and some sappers Carbineers and Light Horse had gone up the hill and blown up 'Long Tom' at the same time somebody called out give them Cold Steel' which had the effect of scattering the Boers in all directions and gave our men a free passage back to town.

We had two deaths on this side yesterday one being another child of Mr Bowles making two deaths in his family in as many days. Yesterday the 11th My birthday. My ears burned early in the morning and I knew my dear ones were thinking of their Old Dad—I received your good wishes for which many thanks—affinity—My Darling Florrie—My birthday was also notable for another daring feat performed by our Soldiers—The Rifle Battalion attacked and captured another of the Enemy's 4/-7 Howitzer Guns on Surprise Hill but it was done at a heavy cost I consider 11 of our men being killed and 41 wounded However the Boers suffering worse than this as they admitted having 14 killed and about 100 wounded—Sixty two wounded and Enteric fever cases came in to this camp this morning. We expect a big battle tomorrow Wednesday.

The following is a copy of a letter written by a Boer to his sister and which was picked up in the gun pit on the 'taking of Long Tom on the 8th Ladysmith 7th December. Dear Sister, It is now a month and seven days since we besieged Ladysmith and dont know what will happen. The English we see every day walking about the town and we are bombarding the town every day with our Cannon. They erected plenty of breast-works outside the town. They have two Naval Guns from which we receive very heavy fire which we cannot stand. I think there will be much blood spilt before they surrender as Mr Englishman fights very hard and well and our burghers are a bit frightened. I would like to write more but the sun is very hot and further the flies are so trouble-some that I do not get a chance of sitting down I remain Yr Affectionate Brother, Wessel Groenewald.

9 Wednesday—opens clear and bright. The welcome sound of an artillery battle Colenso way. I am afraid that Buller and Cleary will have all their work cut out to drive these chaps out of their positions on Colenso Heights but we shall see. We are getting sorely in need of relief Toast and Tea do not satisfy and that is about all we get for two meals Breakfast and Lunch for dinner when it is eatable we get a bit of beef and some hard peas—All kinds of rumours are circulated about our running short of cattle, and everything else. I am getting as thin as the 'Skeleton Dude' but I do not mind that so much if I can only keep my health. We have a thousand sick and wounded in the camp now and 3 or 4 dying each day It is surprising how callous one gets to pain and suffering or even death—the Boer Shells played havoc in Ladysmith today principally to property. Thursday nothing fresh only desultory firing Colenso way. No news of relief 76 sick and wounded came in today—Friday Another big fight going on Colenso way. No news. Lot sick and wounded again this morning. Saturday Everything quiet again except Boers shelling Ladysmith. Sunday Nothing fresh. I forgot to say Yesterday evening. Messrs Littlejohn, Ente, and self fired at by, Boers when well within bounds—Ball passed just over our heads

Monday: Artillery fire. Heavy storm Lightning Struck and splintered Pole of Volunteer hospital—Speedily put to rights but narrow shaves—Tuesday Heavy wind storm this evening—Volunteer Hospital nearly blown away—All European, Natives and Coolies called out to give a hand—Got in order by 12 midnight—Two Military Hospital tents blown down Eight deaths this morning—dying now at about 5 a day. Extending Cemetery—No coffins—sewn up in Blankets—All Volunteer orderlies with one exception down with fever—including young Ernie Tedder—All our fellows volunteered as nurses and orderlies and are now working—Heavy artillery fire going on Coleus() way—Men and horses on half rations—Getting worse every day Nothing to drink but cold tea—OH! Aint we having a time. Whisky 7 Guineas a bottle and cannot be got hardly at that price, Condensed Milk 10/- a tin Potatoes 11/- per pound . A shell y'day burst in the Carbineer lines and killed 5 and wounded 9—killed Miller, Buxton, and Nicholson of PMB. Elliott and Craig Smith of Dundee Wounded nine others principally from PMB.—got word this morning that Buller has failed at Colenso.

From my last note when Buller failed at Colenso until now there has not been anything worth writing about except that Weightman and Self have had nearly a fortnight sickness but we are in good form again now considering. Of course there has been the customary shelling over our heads into Ladysmith every day and the train every morning full of sick and wounded. This camp has grown into a small town. There are between 2 and 3000 men in hospital here and goodness knows how many there are in Ladysmith but from all accounts a great many—Well Yesterday morning the 7th of January There commenced a battle which did not cease until darkness set in last night The Boers for once in a way were the aggressors—They tried to take Caesars Hill 2 miles from Ladysmith and the boundary of this camp We could see it all from here. At 3 a.m. the Boers who had crept up the hill were challenged by our pickets and replied 'Town Guard' This apparently deceived our pickets of the Light Horse and they got within the lines and commenced to shoot our men down. We had only about 150 men on the hill at the time but these sufficed to keep the Boers at bay until reinforcements marched up . . . I should think would be about 170 killed and wounded—One of the wounded told me that the Boers suffered more severely than we but I doubt it—I saw them removing some yesterday morning but cannot say how many. There are heaps of dead still lying there. Of course burying parties are out performing the last rites. I forgot to tell you I have just come from the cemetery where there are already 105 graves and on my way back I looked into the mortuary tent where I saw 9 others sewn up ready to be buried at 11 a.m. They are dying the last few days at the rate of ten a day Col Dick Cunyngham V.C. was mortally wounded y'day by a spent bullet.

This is Sunday 7th January. Alas I dare not let myself think I imagine all kinds of things going on at home. Oh for a note saying you are all well and in your own dear writing. The time goes along too slow—Oh for a glimpse of your old dear face and those of my darling children . . . I saw our Kate in a dream one night this week but it was in such pain I do hope nothing has gone wrong with her or any of my pets

Tuesday 9th January: Today has been a quiet wet day I have just come from a walk up to the boundary line. We were looking at a stray horse apparently Boer when a Blackguard of a Boer shot at us the ball only just going wide of Harrison and self; Weightman and Littlejohn and H.E.K. Anderson were just in front. We are getting in a bad way for food. No sugar today We have been living on Porridge for Breakfast Beef and bread for Lunch and Bread and beef for Dinner ever since we came here No vegetables with the exception of beans now and again and sometimes rice—But taking everything into consideration we are satisfied to keep our health Ladysmith are dying with fever and unless we are delivered ere long it will be a black look out. I could go along fairly bright if I only knew you were all in good health and not worrying about me You are never out of my mind—Oh how I long to see you Nearly all the fellows here received letters from and PMB y'day but alas—none for me—No matter—it will all come right soon, I hope.

17th: Feeling fit this morning and if I could only get some decent food I should soon be O.K. Tea beef and bread, no milk, but plenty of sugar is what we are living on at present—We hear the joyous sounds of guns Springfield way which without doubt is a relief column—May it get thro is our prayer—There are over 2000 sick and wounded in camp now—I attended poor Coulters funeral this mng. I helped to lower him into the grave—Six others buried at the same time. They are burying them in trenches 15 or 16 in each trench . The stench from the bodies is fearful. There is no doubt we are running a great risk—as I make these notes the Nordenfelt Maxim is ringing out from Mbulwane 1000yards behind us at some of our fellows Billy Barter and Cecil Mc Guire came out y'day with fever—My thoughts are ever of home and the dear ones there.

Thursday 18th: No Relief yet. Altho lot of shelling going on Springfield way and desultory shelling Colenso direction, Feeling only fairly well this morning. It is impossible to keep up on this kind of food OH! for an egg and a rasher of bacon The 'Daily Mail' Correspondent Mr Stevens died this morning.

Friday 19th: Had a bad night Rheumatism in my neck and arm. Got up early 4 a.m. I could distinctly hear musketry towards Springfield—All kinds of rumours afloat one in Particular being that 2 Columns have crossed the Tugela—Heavy desultory shelling both Colenso and Springfield directions.

Monday 29th: Rumours in from town today have it that our people have again taken Spionkop at the point of the Bayonet. There seems a lot of doubt about this as we have heard no fighting in that direction since Thursday last. Yesterday the bread spent out. We are now on Ships Biscuits—Humphrey Anderson went into Hs tonight. It has been exceptionally quiet today.

Tuesday 30th: It appears the report that we have had a repulse at Spion Kop and are now no nearer relief than we were a month ago is correct. Word from LS this morning thro a newspaper of the 20th which is Saturday. 'Oh! What a surprise' A nice long loving cheerful and enervating letter from my Darling Wife. It has added to the length of my life. I am so pleased to hear everything is alright and my angels are in good health. There was heavy shelling Colenso way this morning but it has stopped Relief no nearer than before. Went fishing today and caught a nice breakfast. Hello saying all well at home.

Monday 5th February: Heavy shelling by Relief Column at Spionkop and also desultory shelling Colenso direction. They have been killing horses in L.S. about a week now and they are giving the soldiers a pint of Chevral every night. It is now 4 p.m. and the shelling has been kept up all day and they are still going it. It is hoped we shall be successful and be enabled to get out of this. Two Boers came into camp today named Rev Kestel and Maritz they looked very well and not a bit as if they were having a bad time.

Saturday 10th February: No news of any kind and shelling quiet. Everybody despondent—Rumour has it no hope of relief at present. We have had the dis¬pleasure of reading a 'Witness' of the 30th Jan'y which is very optimistic throughout. Thro it all I am very sanguine I think relief will be here by the end of the month. Norman Harrison has been laid up since the 7th The Doctor thinks it is fever—He is to be put in hospital—This makes 6 of our men in for fever viz. Harrison, Bagley, Richards, Mather, Grimmer and Price.

Tuesday 27th February: Majuba Day. Good news this morning tho unofficial that Cronje and 8000 men had been taken prisoners and 1700 men killed—A m'ge from Buller also saying 'Be with you soon has given fresh hopes to all incarcerated here There has been lots shelling Colenso way and it is still going on tho evidently not nearer that it was three weeks ago.

Wednesday 28th February 1900: It is officially announced that Cronje and his force have been taken —after a few shots in Buller's direction everything has gone quiet Our guns shelled 'Long Tom' on Mbulwane for about half an hour for what purpose I cannot say. 3 civilians died today . . . As I write a big storm is approaching Got diarrhoea badly today Scurvy is pretty bad in military lines and among natives— Rations today reduced 1 biscuit for the day is all in the breadline. Oh! For a good dinner—I get awfully hungry. EUREKA EUREKA. HO BALLY RA. At about 5.40 p.m. tonight as I was on the boundary of this camp—I heard cheer after cheer and on looking around descried aft 30 horsemen coming through the opening in the hill. At first I thought they were Boers but the manner in which they came on towards Ladysmith convinced me it was the advance column of the L.S. relief force—So I got close up and found it was so I got 2 cigarettes the first for 3 months and another a current date 'Witness' newspaper Everybody is delighted—but my delight is mingled somewhat with regret in as much as perusing the said newspaper, We who came out to this camp are spoken of in rather disparaging terms whereas the great I am Cradock is Lauded up to the skies This I would not mind as when we came here I was given to understand we had no option and I am sure Sir Geo White will get us right when he is approached on the matter.

Epilogue In recognition of his services at Ladysmith the Natal Government awarded Jim Burton six months' leave and a one-way ticket to England for himself and family. Jim returned to South Africa as the Post Master at Dundee, Natal. His wife and children remained in England for three years. After the return of the family in 1900 the Zulu rebellion under Chief Dinizulu broke out. Jim was attached as a signals officer to General Duncan Mackenzie of the Natal Carbineers. Jim drowned in 1911 rescuing his second son Bill and another boy who had been swept out to sea at Amanzimtoti on the south coast of Natal. His wife Florrie lived on as widow until 1954.