This is a transcription of a column in South Africa Magazine, January 27, 1900, titled Domestic Announcements:
(Announcements inserted under this heading are charged for according to length.)
BIRTHS
BARROW, Mrs. J. N., Queenstown, December 8, a daughter.
EVA, Mrs. G. H., Greyville, December 23, a daughter.
FELLOWS—On January 20, at Wynberg, Cape Town, the wife of J. A. Fellows, of a daughter.
GIBB, Mrs. G. W., Balgowan, Natal, December 26, a daughter.
HOGG—On December 17, at Kingwilliamstown, Violet Falconer, wife of Alexander Hogg, a daughter.
HOGG, Mrs. D., Durban, December 25, a daughter.
HOWARTH—On December 21, at 274, Loop Street, Maritzburg, the wife of F. W. G. Howarth, Johannesburg, of a son.
KENNEDY—On Sunday, November 26, 1899, at Salisbury, Rhodesia, the wife of J. H. Kennedy, of a son.
KING, Mrs. S. E., Durban, December 28, a son.
MACK, Mrs. G. W., Durban, Dec. 23, a daughter.
MCWILLIAM, Mrs. A., Durban, December 23, a son.
NIMMO—On November 26, at Bulawayo, the wife of David Nimmo, LL.B., a daughter.
SELLAR, Mrs. J. N., Durban, Dec. 26, a daughter.
MARRIAGES
NAYLOR, F. C.—SMITH, R., Cape Town, Dec. 20.
PATTRICK, C. B.—DAVIES, L., Cape Town, Dec. 21.
PEARCE, C. W.—WEBB, E. M., Kingwilliamstown, December 5.
DEATHS
BROWN—On January 21, at Renfrew Street, Glasgow, William A. Brown, lately of Port Elizabeth, son of the late James Brown, Stationer, Hill Street, Garnethill, Glasgow.
CHAPMAN, George D.—On December 28, at Claremont, late of Muizenberg Hotel.
CONNELL—On January 15, killed in action at Rensburg, John V. D. Connell, New Zealand Mounted Rifles, aged 23, third son of the late John A. Connell, Auckland, New Zealand, and grandson of the late James Connell, LL.D., Glasgow.
CURNICK, Mrs. E. J. N., Idutywa, Dec. 2, aged 24.
DUNN—On January 6, killed at Ladysmith, Arthur S. Dunn, aged 26, trooper, Imperial Light Horse, second son of W. H. Dunn, Eldhurst, Melrose.
FOX—On January 6, killed in action at Ladysmith, while serving with the Border Mounted Rifles, Francis Charles Fox, late Lieutenant Royal Artillery.
FOX, G., Kingwilliamstown, December 18, aged 66.
FULLER, Miss S., Bloemskraal, Dec. 22, aged 83.
HALL—On January 6, killed in action at Ladysmith, Lieutenant Lewis Duval Hall, Rifle Brigade, aged 24, the very dear son of Lewis Duval and Mary Kate Hall, 15, Grosvenor Place.
HEX, H., Queenstown, December 3, aged 27.
HEUGH, Miss S., Uitenhage, December 12, aged 84.
LINDSAY—On December 26, at Enslin, South Africa, of fever, Colour-Sergeant John Lindsay, 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders, aged 34; deeply regretted.
LONGFIELD, M. J., Whittlesea, December 16, aged 66
MASSON, G., Grahamstown, December 23, aged 45.
MOCATTA—On January 6, killed in action at Ladysmith, Ernest William Mocatta, Imperial Light Horse, youngest son of Major-General D. Mocatta, Chester, aged 27 years.
NETTLESHIP—On January 6, killed in the assault on Ladysmith, Gerard W. R. Nettleship, Imperial Light Horse, youngest son of the Rev. A. Nettleship, Rector of Barton-on-the-Heath.
NICHOLLS, A. L., Durban, December 21.
RAITT—On January 21, from wounds received in action with General Hildyard’s Brigade in Natal, Arthur Douglas Raitt, Captain “The Queen’s” (Royal West Surrey Regiment), aged 31.
ROBBINS—On January 6, killed in action at Ladysmith, Arthur Mockeridge Robbins, of the Imperial Light Horse, aged 22, only son of Lieutenant-Colonel Robbins, R.A.M.C., and Mrs. Robbins, of 25, Earl’s Court Square, London.
SAMPSON, Miss A., Post Retief, December 5, aged 29.
SCHERNECKEA, Miss M. A. E., Cradock, December 18, aged 42
SCOTT—On January 22, at Vernon Terrace, Brighton, Caleb Edward Scott (late of Kimberley and Johannesburg), only son of the late Rev. Francis Caleb Scott, Vicar of Goring, Sussex.
TRILL—On January 24, at Lowood, Sydenham, of acute bronchitis, George S. Trill, many years resident in Cape Town.
TUCKER—On January 6, at Ladysmith, killed in action, in his 21st year, Philip Yorke Tucker, of the Imperial Light Horse, second son of Alfred Tucker, Esq., and grandson of the late Captain James Charles Yorke, 5th Dragoon Guards.
ON THE TUGELA
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
Writing from Chieveley Camp on December 28, the Daily Chronicle correspondent says:--We have had a lesson in the art of sitting still. This policy is at distinct variance with Tommy Atkins’s preferences. Both he and his officers are chafing under the curb and anxiously anticipating the next forward move. Apart from the ordinary antipathy to inactivity on the field, there are two special causes for the present fuming—to wit, the indignity of the Colenso reverse (a fortnight old tomorrow), and the knowledge that our comrades-in-arms must be becoming sorely pressed at Ladysmith. General White and his gallant garrison have held out nobly for a prolonged period, but everybody knows this sort of thing cannot possibly last forever. Deaths from the enemy’s shell, deaths from disease, shortage of food for man and beast, the heavy burden of sick and wounded, the handicapping of a large number of civilians, and the knowledge of Buller’s repulse here, are all matters which must be making an impression at lonely Ladysmith. It is pretty well understood that once a move takes place now; it will be a strong, firm, uncheckable advance right though to the beleaguered city. It is also becoming recognized that that successful move must be a flank or flanks attack—the method of attack, in fact, which I said in my last week’s letter was the plan predicted by a few correspondents and most of the colonials whilst at Frere before the last battle. We cannot take Colenso from the face without a most terrible sacrifice of life. Even now it is currently whispered that General Buller estimates a loss of 4000 men in reaching Ladysmith. If we are to lose 4000 men in reaching Ladysmith by flanking Colenso, what should we have lost by taking Colenso from the face? We have confidence in the flank movement, though we realize that there must be stubborn fighting with the commandoes surrounding Ladysmith, quite apart from the difficulty of driving back the thousands on the Tugela. Still, the fight must be fought, and the battle won, too, if it costs every man in the column.
Referring to the Colenso reverse, the correspondent proceeds:--The attack to the onlooker was purely a frontal attack by three bodies of troops separated by no great distance. The face of the enemy was attacked point blank by each brigade—whether on the nose, right or left cheek seemed a detail. There was no question of giving the Boer a regular round-arm, swinging blow under one of his ears. The face, and face only, was the object of the military pugilist. Over all this, however, the bravery of the British soldier and Colonial volunteer stands in supreme grandeur. It mattered not to Tommy and his leader whether the plan was good, bad, or indifferent, he fought on with that stolid indifference and solemn bravery that is so characteristic of the British soldier alone. His orders and the enemy were his only thoughts. He never winced or wavered for a second as the rain of hail beat into the ranks and reduced the number of his friends. He marched on with a glaring eye on the spitting hills ahead and grasped his rifle a little tighter maybe, as he hoped for revenge and victory. We see a good deal of Tommy Atkins in the street-not always the best side of him—and we often think very lightly of him and his, but I don’t think that anybody could have seen him fighting on December 15 on the banks of the Tugela without having the very deepest respect for him.
Regards,
Ellen Stanton
Email: harprulz@bellsouth.net