EXTRACT FROM THE DIARY OF BELLA CRAW

BELLA'S HISTORY

Miss Bella Craw, from whose diary this insightful extract was taken, was a grand daughter of Leonard and Elizabeth Wright who came to Natal as Byrne Settlers in 1849 from Yorkshire. Her father was James Craw, Assistant Registrar of Deeds, Natal. Her mother was Sarah Craw, sister of Aunt Fanny. Bella's mother, her sister Ada and her brothers Wilfrid and Alick were also in the 118 day Siege of Ladysmith. When writing this diary, Bella was 33 years old and still unmarried. Subsequent to the Siege, Bella was delegated for duties on a troopship to England and on her arrival in London King Edward VII personally decorated her with a medal for meritorious service as a nurse. In recognition of her service the Natal Carbineers presented her with an ornamental silver belt. In 1905 Bella married Bert Anderson. She died in 1907 in Ladysmith during childbirth.


LADYSMITH, MONDAY, 4 DECEMBER 1899

"The familiar sound woke us at 5:30 this morning again. Only a few shots were fired. Our Howitzers disabled two yesterday so we are getting on. Uncle George Major George Frederick Tatham (Natal Carbineers) came in for prayers this morning and says a black man messenger has got through from Maritzburg and brings news that the Colenso Railway Bridge is blown up but the foot brigde across the drift is intact. He also says there are a great many troops at Frere and they skirmish out to Doornkop. He has despatches for the General (General George White).
After breakfast Aunt Fanny got a note from Fred Tatham asking for apricots for a man threatened with scurvy. He is next to the General so had the latest news, for on the back of the envelope was written" Lord Methuen had defeated three times?? We heard later Lord Methuen was advancing on Kimberley and the last action was at Modder River.

This week is beginning well for us for the greatest news is General Buller is in Natal and is in full command of the forces. Any day now we might hear or see them advancing from Colenso.

Our great fear now is fever and sickness, unless we are released very soon. Three Carbineers, two Border Mounted Rifles and 19 soldiers have all been sent out to Intombi Spruit Hospital ?? enteric fever they fear. The new gun on Gun Hill or Lombard??s Kop we hear, has been put out by us today, for two of our shells were seen to fall in it, and it has not fired since - that is the fourth and all big ones. I hear a lot of our cattle were recaptured at Doornkop. While our scouts were out today they found two Boer bodies outside the Manchester pickets at the point of Ceasar's Camp (Wagon Hill). They had been dead for some days. One was shot through the chest and the other through the stomach.

The bell will ring for lights out in a minute. This is quite a new experience and not a pleasant one. When it rains, as it is tonight, we cannot even sit outside. There was to have been a Promenade Concert on the Parade Ground at the back of this house tonight, but it had to be postponed because of the weather. It has been got up by the Carbineers. I see an awning and stage erected, and they have commandeered a piano.

We have a plague of flies caused by so many horses all round us. The walls, curtains, and everything is black with them. We have tried all manner of killing processes. The most effective is Cooper's Sheep dip, a hot brick and carbolic acid.

On the rainy evening of 4 December 1899, hastily putting her thoughts and experiences on paper, before the "lights out" bell sounded at 20:30, Miss Bella Craw could not have been aware of the insight she would provide readers almost one hundred years later.

The Siege of Ladysmith started on 2 November 1899, when the Boer forces under command of Commandant-General Piet Joubert encircled Ladysmith and effectively cut it off from the outside world. More than a month of siege had passed when Bella recorded the events of 4 December in her diary. The initial fright of being besieged had worn off slightly and typical of human nature, life adapted and continued. The situation for the approximate 14 000 Imperial troops and 7600 civilians incarcerated was still fairly bearable but food stores were dwindling fast. Everyone remained positive though and believed that they would be relieved before Christmas.

The days were terribly hot, sometimes reaching 40 degrees celsius, followed by earthshaking thunderstorms, rain viciously pelting down on man and beast. There was nothing to do, nowhere to go and hardly any news from the outside. Every now and then a message would be bravely smuggled through the Boer lines by African messengers and would bring precious reassurance. Days went by frustratingly slow and the routine of finding cover and keeping count of how many unfortunate souls contracted fever or disease started to take its toll on everyone.

Sanitary conditions were deteriorating fast and the approximate 6000 horses in town were the main attraction for masses of flies. It was not long before these horses would become an important food source. Towards the end of January and throughout February horses were slaughtered and the meat, referred to as "Chevril", proved to be tough but nourishing.

Within days enteric fever and dysentery would reach epidemic proportions, eventually afflicting 1 700 soldiers and 1800 civilians.

There were, however, some efforts made to relieve the monotony. Sing- a-long concerts were very popular especially with the civilians. Games such as polo, football and cricket were other favorites of the soldiers. The Anglo Boer War is referred to as the last of the "Gentlemen's Wars" and throughout the war the brave soldiers on both sides attempted to keep some sense of humour. This could not be better illustrated than by what happened on the 101 day of the Siege. The Boers fired a blank shell into the town and upon inspection a note was found inside reading: "101, not out!" The Siege of Ladysmith was finally lifted on 28 February 1900.

Today Ladysmith is a growing bustling town. Many of the buildings and places referred to in Bella's diary can still be seen, such as the magnificent Town Hall, the Anglican Church, Royal Hotel, Intombi's Camp and various cemeteries.


Bella????s diary as well as 6 others by various authors are available from the Ladysmith Siege Museum at a cost of R20,00 each(P O Box 29 Ladysmith 3370 Tel. 036-6372992).