Springfield
3rd April 1900
Dear Mother
I was delighted to get 5 letters all at once yesterday, 4 from you and one from Clara. I guess letters got lost coming and going. I know I have written a lot I canít understand you having to pay 7d on a paper under. Was it that picture of Miss Wilson's I do not remember sending it as paper without a stamp and I understand they go anywhere for 1d. Now we are on the field we may get a chance to send a letter but can seldom get stamps so they say if you put no stamps available they will only charge the ordinary postage at your end. I am sure you will not mind that. You did not mention the enlargement I paid for in Brisbane.
I was very glad to hear you got the money all right. I was in some trouble over it, you should be getting another instalment soon as instructed them, to send my Queensland Pay to you. We have received no pay here since we landed.
You will be sorry to hear of that constables bro death, he went to the hospital same day as I. You will be pleased to hear I am better. But I must have rode about 20 mile on a heavy draught horse belonging to the Royal Horse Artillery it was like cantering old Duke I feel so stiff and sore. I had to knock off writing and saddle up ready to move off in half an hour.
We thought ìthe Boers were on us the No 3î saddled the horses and the rest were ordered on to a koppie but no enemy were seen this morning. We marched some distance and built up some more rocks to get behind and now I am writing this behind ours. Trickett and 2 more men are with me. The Boers are not far off and we hope they will attack us but I think they are far too cunning for that. I still feel very sore am rather thin but feel better. There are remounts coming up for us and they are badly wanted. The Imperial Troops are tired of the war at least most of them are and no wonder.
One of the English M. I. was lost last night and I let him share my blanket. I could not help laughing at him when he was telling what he should have to tell them when he got home. He felt sure that the mud he has drunk is in his belly yet and going long marches with no tucker. I tried to cheer him up I told him I had left a good home too as most of the colonial volunteers had. We had to make the best of it.
They have a good way of grazing the horses here instead of hobbling they knee halter. They tie the halter nice and secure above the knee so that he can graze but canít get his head up so he canít get away and they can catch him easy.
The waricks are coming to relieve us so I shall have to finish this if I get the chance; we may be going to attack the enemy.
6th April
We did not go to meet the enemy but No 1 and No 2 division had to take the horses to the sick lines about 2 mile nearer Bloemfontein, there is a lot of sick ones here from all sorts of regiments. We have had very rough times the last few days, we thought it bad before but it has been doubly so. There is no wood at all, there is a few weeds on the bank of a drift but it is almost impossible to get to burn and they gave us flour instead of bread and then it came on heavy rain so you can judge our plight. Wet and hungry with no tents, they did send a couple of tents over late at night and we got them up somehow and about 20 got in a tent. We were wet but it kept the cold wind off us. It was terrible lightning one of the Burmese No 2 and his pony were both killed with it. Thank God it is gone this morning. The men call this starvation camp.
God that with his help I have been leading a better life than when I had the comforts of home and if it pleases him I shall come home safe, if he will only keep us all. What a happy day it will be when we come home. What with hunger, fever, rain and cold not to mention bullets and shells I think a man will be very fortunate to get home. A lot of them are sorry they came but I know I should not have been satisfied if I had not come.
I wrote a letter to Clara and did not get an answer from Miss Foster or I Bose. I am delighted to hear of Arthur going to manage a farm but I thought he did not like farming.
I must say good bye and God Bless you all
From Ted
|
