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Military History – South Africa – Europe – England 19th Century
.Article – Online Historic Information | Military
.Page 354
APPENDIX C.
PERSONAL NARRATIVES AS WRITTEN BY WOMEN IN THE CAMPS.
In this Appendix it may be useful to set forth certain narratives which Miss Hobhouse received
in the course of her stay in South Africa. It will be best to publish them precisely as they were
received. without any attempt to make any alterations in the style. There is no need to apologise for
the roughness of the composition.
NARRATIVE I.
“ We were awakened on the 7th of February by the roar of the cannon. We got up and hastily
dressed ourselves. We were very frightened. The firing sounded so very near. We could not imagine
what it meant, as there was no Boer commando close by. We sat down to our early breakfast, but the
food remained almost untouched. I could not do anything, but wandered aimlessly about, thinking of
the dear ones of whom we know absolutely nothing. On going out I saw black objects on the hills.
Running back hastily, I fetched the telescope, and to my horror saw that they were horsemen coming
nearer every minute. Ah ! how my heart throbbed with pain as I went in to break the news to my poor
delicate mother. Many of our neighbours’ houses were burned down months ago, while some of the
women and children were left upon the open veldt, and others were taken prisoners. We were until
then left undisturbed, but I instinctively felt, when I saw horsemen coming nearer, that our turn had
come at last. About half an hour later a number of horsemen, accompanied by a small waggon drawn
by mules, came up to the house. Their corporal came to the front door, while the troopers stormed in
at every door. I went to the corporal. But, oh ! how cruelly his words pierced my heart ! His greeting
was : “ I’ve come for you. Be ready to start in about 15 minutes.” I pleaded and begged to be left at
home. I told him to take everything and burn the house, but leave us there ; but all in vain. His answer
was, “ If you don’t come, I’ll let the men put you in the waggon.” Then all was confusion. I was so
excited that I did not know what to do. Mamma stood with her baby, who is two months old. The
troopers took three or four boxes, placed it in the waggon ; then they took two beds and pillows, and
two blankets, which were also taken to the waggon. Then came the cruel order to get on the waggon. I
could have fainted as I looked at my poor mother staggering towards the waggon, weeping loudly and
saying that she cannot go with her enemy, leaving her husband and children behind, for papa and four
brothers, 21, 18, 16, and 14 years old, are all on commando ; while two little boys, 10 and 12 years
old, ran away when the troopers were in the house. Oh ! what a sight met us as we came out of the
house. The poultry were killed, flowers and plants pulled out of the pots ; while the whole place was
white with feathers, the beds and pillows being cut open. Then we began to move away, leaving our
dear old large comfortable house behind, where we had everything we needed—good bread and
meat, vegetables of any kind, fruit in abundance, daily two large buckets of milk, and at least four or
five pounds of good butter. We came on the camping-place about 10 o’clock in the morning, and left
at three in the afternoon. We could see our house from the camp. It was, indeed, painful to see smoke
of the burning farm and furniture, which were carried out of the house. Kopje’s Siding is only 3½
hours from our place, and we only came there after having spent five days in the ox-waggons. In our
waggon were four families, with their luggage ; while many other waggons contained more people,
the families being larger. We could hardly sit during the day, so it can well be imagined how the
nights were spent. One night it rained very much. About ten o’clock in the night we were all wet
through and through. The last I had was a dry skirt, which I placed round mama to protect the baby.
Oh ! can we ever forget that night ? We were all tired to death when we came to Kopje’s. There we
stopped a few days, and then came the worst part of all. On a Wednesday afternoon we were packed
in open coal trucks. In our truck were 70 people ; half the number had to stand. The first evening at
Kroonstadt, about half the number were removed. Still there was no chance of sleeping, as our
luggage was on the same truck. We remained in the trucks from Wednesday till Friday afternoon. We
were nearly burned to death when we arrived at Springfontein. It was most painful to see all the skins
come off the arms of the girls and women, who had on thin blouses. I really do not want the English to
think well of us or treat us kindly, but I was astonished to see that the civilized English people could
allow the Kaffirs to treat us as they did. At every station or siding the Kaffirs came streaming towards
the
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