Tudhoe & Spennymoor Local History Society
Relief of Ladysmith - Bloemfontein Reported Taken (2nd March 1900 Northern Echo)
Celebrations “in the mother country and in her dependencies and colonies”.
Spennymoor – When the news was received at 11a.m. by wire the shouts and cheers for Buller, Dundonald, White and others were enthusiastic and prolonged. The schools all had a half-holiday. Flags of all sizes were soon displayed from scores of windows, and bunting was suspended across many parts of High-street. Great excitement prevailed, and groups of children paraded the streets singing the patriotic songs of the day.
Mr Arthur Watson (9th March 1900 Durham County Advertiser)
Mr Arthur Watson, formerly chief telegraph clerk at Ferryhill Station, but who relinquished his appointment to join the Northumberland Yeomanry, and for which appointment he generously gave £20, paid a short visit to his old comrades at Ferryhill last Saturday, and needless to state he was accorded a hearty reception. A “Jolly Good Fellow” on all occasions, but has proved himself a consistent friend and a help to many. His Ferryhill friends hope when he leaves with “C” Company, for South Africa, he may have the best of fortune and safely return.
Charles Miller 2
A Widely Read Newspaper (22nd March 1900 Northern Echo)
A few weeks ago a most interesting letter appeared in the columns of the “Auckland Chronicle” from Private Charles Miller, who is with Lord Methuen’s forces in South Africa, in which he stated that he would be glad if any of his friends would send him a few newspapers. He has written since then, in which he says that he received no less than 65 different newspapers by one mail from his friends in various parts of the Spennymoor district.
Pte. W Meehan
LETTER FROM A SPENNYMOOR MAN (29th March 1900 Northern Echo)
The friends of Pte. W Meehan, of 2, Thomas-street, Spennymoor, will be glad to learn that the report of his death, which appeared in the public Press a fortnight or three weeks ago, was incorrect, as is proved by the following letter received by Mr A Savage, of Spennymoor:-
Hospital, de Aar, 2nd March 1900.
Dear Alf,
I write to let you know all about the battle of Paardeberg, which happened on the 18th of February. As soon as Lord Roberts arrived at the Modder River there was a move on, for we all were ordered to move about 40 miles back, and we left on Sunday, the 11th, for Graspan, and we started to march to the Free State next morning at 3 o’clock. The first day we kept marching all day, and on the Tuesday morning we started off again at 3, and kept on marching all day till about 4 o’clock. We had not been in camp long till we were told that we would get three days’ rations, as we were going to start at 12 that night. We got five biscuits, which was only about one day’s rations for three. We started that night as ordered, and kept it up till next day about 1. Then we started again that day at a quarter to 5, and kept it up all night till next day about 12, and we had a go at the Boers at a place called Spytfontein. The we stopped there all night, and part of next day, and then on the Saturday afternoon we started agin after Cronje, as he sold us by doing a splendid night march and slipped past us. As soon as Lord Roberts found it out we got our orders to follow him up, and we set off again on Saturday night, and we caught him up, making for Bloemfontein, on the Sunday morning. We all were near dead with marching and thirst, as we never had any water to drink for 18 hours, and men were offering a shilling for a biscuit or a drink, and could not get it, and it was raining night and day. I can tell you it was stiff work without shelter, food or drink; but what matter? We had got up with Cronje’s army, and we opened out at once for battle, and we started into him at once at about eighteen hundred yards distance. It was all right until we got to about 800 yards off the Boers. Then the bullets were coming about us like rain, but we still kept steadily advancing by sections, for we were the centre regiment. The Oxford Regiment and Highland Brigade were on our left, and the Welsh Regiment and Essex Regiment on our right, for we were in front of the Boers’ position, and we knew it, for the men started to drop all about the field, as you can tell by the number of killed and wounded, which was over 1,200. My company suffered badly, for we had 37 killed and wounded out of 95, and about 140 out of the regiment, which is very heavy. But we got our own back, and I think that I was lucky to get off with only one in me, as some of the poor fellows had two, three, and four wounds, and some more than four. I can tell you it was hot work till 1 o’clock, that was about when I was hit. When I got back to hospital we were not long in when the Boers got their gun, -that Pom-Pom gun- on the hospital, and shelled it, so the hospital had to be moved back about two miles, and we got a drink of water in hospital. It was worth a sovereign, but we got nothing to eat till Tuesday, and we were sent down on the Wednesday in bullocks’ carts. My wound is healing all right, and I expect to be out of hospital in two or three days and have another go at the Boers.