Sketches of soldiers in the Blackburn Times - by: BereniceUK

Addresses such as Bank Top, Witton, and Lower Audley are all areas of Blackburn.

Sergeant J. Cook, Royal Scots

Mr. Luke Cook, fish salesman, of 38, St. Paul's-street, Blackburn, has received two letters from his brother, Sergeant J. Cook, of the Royal Scots, with General Gatacre's force, stationed at the time of writing at Penhock. In one, dated February 15th, 1900, he says: -
"We have passed an uneventful week, but I think something will turn up before next week. We are getting our cavalry nearer the front every day. We have at the present time about 1,500 mounted men in camp and they are expected to make a move on Dordrecht to-night. The Boers are in very good positions there, but I think with a little determination we can shift them. I was on outpost duty on the 13th when the sentry reported to me that there were two Kaffirs coming towards our lines. I sent two of my men out to meet them and they found them to be two of our spies, and they reported 2,500 Boers in Stormberg, and they will require a great deal of shifting."


In the other letter, dated February 21st, from Penhock, he says: -
"We had an attack on this place this morning. On the 19th inst. there was a force of about 2,000 Boers with six guns but they hadn't the pluck to come out on the open and fire a shot. They got on top of a ridge of hills about 3,500 yards in front of our position and our artillery was shelling them all the while. I think the Boers must have suffered from the effects of our fire. After our artillery had been shelling them for about two hours my company advanced up to the front of the hill while another company went round their left flank. To our surprise, when we got to the top of the hills, we found the Boers riding away across the plains below. We at once started to shower lead into them for we could not follow up. After a while we retired back to camp. I can assume we did not feel safe as we were crossing the plains, expecting every moment a volley from the top of the ridge."

The Blackburn Times, Saturday 24th March 1900

4630 Drummer Ben Nightingale, G Company Loyal North Lancashire Regiment


Drummer Ben Nightingale, 4,630, G Company of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, writing home from Kimberley to his father at 33, Oak-street, Blackburn, says: -
"You will probably know the reason I have not been able to write sooner. We have been besieged and cut off from the world. I will tell you about it. On Monday morning, the 18th September, 1899, we got orders to leave for somewhere. Where, we did not ourselves know, only the officers. We got packed up and left Capetown the same night about ten o'clock. We set off, thinking every minute we should be fired on. We went on all right till we reached Belmont; then we began to get amongst the proper Boers. Just as our train was leaving the station, one of them said, "You cut-throats, you will never come back." One of our men had a corned beef can in his hand. So he up with it and caught him right between the eyes. The Boer then muttered something in Dutch. I suppose it was something nice. We went on all right until we came to Orange River, when we were ordered to move slowly. Of course, we had a pilot in front of the engine. We pulled through all right, and through, where afterwards the other half of our regiment won itself such a splendid name. I mean at Magersfontein. At the end of our two days and two nights riding we reached Kimberley about 6 p.m. on the 20th of September. Well, every thing went well until they cut the wires, and broke up the rails on the 14th of October. Then the fun commenced. We had four or five little fights trying to keep them from getting too near the town. Well, to cut things short we lost about 50 killed. Of these, our regiment had two killed and about 20 wounded, and 10 died natural deaths. There were plenty of people died through not being able to get nourishment, as after a few weeks of the siege there was nothing to be had, such as butter, milk, eggs, &c. We ourselves lived on horse, donkey, mule, 14oz. of bread, coffee, and Indian corn boiled - no sugar - this for between 10 and 12 weeks. You might think I am piling it on but it is a fact. Other things were frightfully dear whilst they lasted, such as matches 3d. a box, 9d. for about six pipes of tobacco, so I suppose you can imagine what our difficulties were. The men who garrisoned Kimberley were 450 of the Loyal North Lancashires, 50 of the Royal Engineers, and about 100 garrison artillery. This made about 600 Imperial troops. Then they formed a Town Guard of the civilians. They were not of much use, as they never went out to face the enemy, but they used to man the defences when we went out. Then we had a few volunteers, and some men who formed a company of the Light Horse. We had to show them how to go about it. So you see what a fix we were in for a fighting force. We had only 7lb. guns, the least in the service. You may think what good they were when we could not reach the Boers with them from town. We used to go out to have a bit of a do with them until they got the town properly surrounded; then they showed their bravery by shelling the town. They started one day at 3 a.m., and left off at 12 a.m. the day after. They had six guns round the town, and at the end of the two days they had put about 1,100 shells in town. We made a 28-pounder of our own at De Beers Foundry, which was successful for a while, until the Boers were reinforced with about 5,000 men and a 6-in. gun. Then the trouble commenced. They started to fire on the town with it about 10 a.m., and kept it up until General French relieved us about seven or eight days later. It got unbearable. It set a big shoe shop on fire, and killed about five persons. One was the man who had made the 28-pounder. The shell came through the roof of the Grand Hotel where this man was staying, and knocked his head off. It was pitiable to see a population of about 40,000 women and children running every time they heard this big gun fire. We had to put them down the mine. There were ten or twelve thousand Boers round us, and if they had had pluck, they might have eaten us up - might, but they would have had to fight for it. The last day but one of the siege we were called out to a place called Alexandrafontein, and there was the hardest bit of fighting I have been in. We had rifle fire in front, and shell fire behind, but we pulled through. At two o'clock the day after we saw the dust rising over the hills. We thought at first it was the Boers, until we saw some of them. Then, didn't we shout. I punched my helmet, and stood on my hands. You would have thought I was going mad. The Boers ran off, and there was not one to be found within ten miles of Kimberley. the trouble ceased then for the civilians; I don't know proper about us yet. General French and his cavalry relieved us on the 15th February, then the trains started coming in with food stuffs, and to-day we got full rations, and things are looking up a bit. I don't know whether we shall stop here or not. All the battalion are together now. After the war we expect to come home directly. Lord Roberts is doing good work, we hear to-night that he has almost got Cronje surrounded, and the free Staters are almost done up with now. We are about the last troops to get served with the presents from home. To-morrow we get the Queen's chocolate and other things. I am hoping to see you all again in Blackburn, so roll on time, if I don't get shot.

The Blackburn Times, Saturday 24th March 1900