Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Husband of Alice Eunice EDGAR, Milton, NSW

Letter from a Tasmanian

Private B.K. Edgar, of the New South Wales Mounted Infantry, in a letter to his parents at Launceston, written from the Government office at Bloemfontein, under date May 19 1900, states that there were about 12 to 20 deaths a day from enteric, typhoid and other complaints at Bloemfontein.  The troops had been sleeping out on the veldt for some time, and the weather had been most trying, heavy rain falling for days.

A Soldier's Letter.
LIFE IN THE FRONT.
A letter has been received in Sydney from Private B. K. Edgar, of the St. George's English Rifles (New South Wales), in which some very interesting doings of the Australians are related. Writing from  the Orange River base camp, under date December 10, he states:
" We arrived here yesterday afternoon about dusk, after a 50-hours' trip of 570 miles through some terribly barren country. We passed several ostrich farms along the line, the latter being bounded by  big hills about a mile distant upon either side. We arrived at De Aar, where we struck a large British camp, at which we stayed from 3 a.m. till 8 a.m., and then came on to the Orange River. There are  with us about 3000 men. We have seen plenty of Boers wounded and prisoners, as well as British wounded. The Australians are quite as good as the English troops. Boer spies were shot close to our  camp yesterday, and we all got ready for a go with them. We joined the other Australians 19 miles from here to-day, and will most likely be attacked on the way; but We have ' lyddite' to drive the  boers off until we get through. Two of the Shropshire men did not know the countersign last night, and the wind being strong, the outpost could not quite catch the word, so he shot both his comrades  in the dark. One and the other was pretty bad. A Boer prisoner tried to throw a sentry out of the train here, so the escort put 23 shots into him. Another Boer was shot for putting up the white flag. There was a band of 50 performers at church parade this morning. The Boers give us hard looks as we pass them. We have just had a heavy thunderstorm. Everything is now flooded. We have plenty  of lyddite guns with us, the shells of which weigh 52lb. each. We captured two Boer spies in our camp last night. The biggest fights will take place up this way. The Australians captured some of the  Boers' horses at Belmont. Every station is either a 'fontein' (fountain) or 'poort' (track), A trainload of captured horses has just arrived at our camp, and the Royal Horse Artillery is shortly leaving for  the Modder River."
Writing from Ensolin on the following day, Private Edgar continues : " There was a big battle near us yesterday, at which there were 203 casualties on the British side and 2000 Boers were killed. We  saw it all from our coamp through the glasses. We are near Modder Biver with the rest of the Australian troops." Referring to the condition of things on the battlefield, the writer adds, " War is not so  bad as it is pictured. I have good food, and plenty of it, fresh and tinned meat, jam, milk, &c., also plenty of clothes, water, and beds. I am No. 1 of the range finders in the Australians, and have three  men under me. We use ' Mekometers.' We captured two Boers again yesterday near our camp, and they say that the Boers are afraid of the Australians, as they are such good shots. The Boers are  from 16 to 60 years of age, and all have short and dark whiskers. We have two big guns in our camp and 1200 men. I expect to get home about January, as the Boers will give in in about a week or so.  I found some Boer cartridges yesterday where we are camped. We have had our meals in our four late battlefields so far. We have Cape boys to drive our mules ; they are very funny. Our camp is  made up of soldiers from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, and the Royal Horse Artillery. We sent all our spare ammunition to the front yesterday, but have since  been replenished. Millions of locusts went over our camp at dinner time to-day. We have just had a signal saying that the Boers were defeated and all their guns taken at Modder River. Our  scouts have also just brought into our camp five more Boers. All the New South Wales men are on outpost duty in the kopjes, and I am the only one besides the lieutenants and the cooks in camp, and  am having a quiet time, in the camp with plenty of tea to drink. In addition to what I have already named, we have six Maxim guns in camp. Wed are waiting the arrival of the rest of the Australian  troops before moving forward. No British soldier is allowed strong drink of any kind, which is a good job. A lot of drinkers further swear they will never touch it again. Capetown is the prettiest place I  have seen. Our men will not return until 3 a.m., so I have a tent all to myself. We have good water here. I hope we capture " Old Cronje," he is not far from us, and we have him safe if he only comes  our way. The Boers tore all the wires away from the place where we are now camped. 198 men kept the Boers at bay here for a week, before we arrived. Enclosed you will find some things I got at  Belmont battlefield, where the leaders of the Naval Brigade and other leaders were killed.