Fifth letter of Dec 31st 1900
Copy of the fifth letter from Pte Alexander Murrary to his brother-in-law David dated Dec 31st 1900. This four page letter, from an address location Bethulie Orange River Colony, South Africa, begins by acknowledgement of receipt of two letters the previous day, the first received for six months and a total of four since arrival in the country. It records Alexander was in Jagersfontein for three months and on sentry duty over Christmas in the centre of the town when "strange to say who should come up to me but a Helmsdale man with a bottle of whisky to wish me a happy Christmas. He was for 19 years in the country. He is Sutherland to name". On leaving Jagersfontein "we took all the people both black and white with us". So began a scorched earth four day transit to Edinburg taking "all the people out of every house we came to. Cattle and sheep by the tousands[sic]. You never saw the like." They were all left in Edinburg and after a one night stay Alick moved on with this comrades by train to Bethulie to join a flying column. Sadly he concludes "this is the last day of the year and tomorrow will be the new year and it will be a very dry one by aperances[sic]".
[A pdf file with the same object number provides a typed transcipt of this letter]
Dimensions: jpeg file