Diary of Private James Barriskill, 54th (Belfast) Company
James Barriskill served in the 54th (Belfast) Company, 13th Battalion, Imperial Yeomanry from 10 January 1900 to 15 June 1901. His diary covers much of this period, including the Battalion's capture by Boer forces at Lindley on 31 May 1900 and its subsequent imprisonment. A more detailed biography of Private Barriskill can be seen here.
I am most grateful to Sharon Erskine for giving me access to her great-uncle's diary and permitting me to transcribe and publish it below.
[Page 1]
17th Feby 1900James Barriskill
81 Rugby Av.
BelfastNo. 9514 Imperial Yeomanry Belfast Contingent
54 Squadron
No. 1 TroopMr Geo Verner
22 Blackwood St.
Ballynafeigh
Belfast[2]
Passed Doctor 10th Jany 1900
" Riding 19 " "
" Shooting 25 " "
Sworn in 26 " "Left Victoria Barracks, Belfast Friday evg. 2nd March for London via Larne & Stranraer. Sailed from Royal Albert Docks London for South Africa per s/s Cornwall 3rd March. Called at Las Palmas for coal Friday 9th Mar. left following night. Arrived in Table Bay Wednesday 28th March. Got alongside Quay the following day but did not land until Friday 30th. Marched thro Capetown to Maitland Camp, got camp pitched & had [3] some refreshments consisting of Ginger Beer & two 5d Paris Buns, Apples & Water Melons, Tea & Biscuits in the evg. about 7 o'clock. Got kits out & sat chatting until about 9.30 p.m. then turned in to sleep.
Saturday 31st March. – Revellie 5.30 breakfast 9 o'clock Bread & Tea no sugar, Milk or Butter, would not have got any tea only that I & another chap had brought 1lb each which made tea for the whole Company. Parade at ten – dismiss at eleven to clean rifles. – Rec[eive]d three letters yesterday one from home, one from J. Heasley & one from J. Hon(?). Got a good dinner today – Irish Stew & as we have not had [4] dinner for two days I enjoyed it very much. Tea without sugar or milk & dry bread.
Got some grapes sent the Yeomanry by the Ladies of Capetown. Had to turn out for guard at seven o'clock at a moments notice before I could finish tea. Sunday morning still on guard, my breakfast was brought to the guard room or tent, it consisted of Coffee without sugar or milk & dry bread.
Wednesday 11th. Haven't got our horses yet. nothing strange happening just the same as last week, except that we have some sham fighting in the bush every morning before breakfast. Posted letter to A. Brown, H. Ferguson also [5] a paper (Cape Town Weekly) for home. Afraid some of them lost when Mail Stmr(?) Mexican went down last week. Posted letter today to H. Smyth, J. A. Standfield & J. P. Kidd. Recd letters last week from A. Brown & J. P. Kidd. Irish Hunt contingent arrived on Sunday last & encamped alongside us.
Thursday 12th got breakfast at 6.15. Started to march to Capetown for horses. Arrived at Docks 8.25. After waiting about 2 hrs got hold of two ponies. About eleven we all started back for camp about fifty men out of each company with two horses each. Got back to camp about one. Had a lot of trouble getting horses tied in lines laid down for them, [6] it was well on in the ev[enin]g. Got tea at 5.15 & had to parade for night guard at 6.30. Had a jolly night of it trying to keep the horses from stampeding. The horses we have got are Hungarians, they can kick a bit.
Had not enough Hungarians to do our Co. as some of them were cast off – got Australian horses instead.
Thursday 20th. Recd a letter from home today, also one each from A. Brown & John Kidd.
The Irish Hunt Contingent (45) left today for up country.
Since we got our horses we have had to work very constantly & have scarcely a minute to spare from [7] 6.15 in the morning when we have to be out on the Parade ground mounted & our great coats rolled & packed on the back of our saddles.
Friday 21st. Had a very hard day today, were not back from morning parade until after nine o'clock, then after a short interval we had to start & square up the camp for a general inspection, busy till half past one, then had to parade again at 2.15 mounted, back again about 4.15 watering & feeding & grooming until six.
The Antrim Militia Artillery arrived here today.
Wednesday 25th April posted letter [8] to Bob J. Heasley, Bob Wilson, home also a Weekly Cape times home(?). Recd letter & photo from Hy Smyth.
Left Maitland Camp Saturday 5th May. Camped at Durban Bridge that night. Arrived at Stellenbosch Camp Sunday 6th May.
Left Stellenbosch Camp Sunday 13th May arrived at De Arr at 6.30 a.m. Tuesday morning – Arrived Bloemfontein Wednesday 16th May
but did not get leaving trainat 6.30 had to lie out of town as the line was blocked for an hour or two. We were told to be dressed & ready to leave the train at once, after waiting till about 9.30 p.m. we were ordered to turn in & sleep as we might be going further [9] up country. We had just got settled down to sleep when we were ordered to turn out as we were going into camp here, but it was eleven before the transport officer came to let us get our horses out of the carriages. I was one of the four told off to go into the trucks & get the horses out. It was dirty work as some of the horses had trampled nosebags L(?) net &c under their feet. (We?) got all out before twelve but I did not get leaving the station until 12.30. We tied our horses heads together & lay down in front of them, leaving a sentry to [10] each troop to keep them from coming forwd or stampeding.This was in the street along the railway. I wakened up about 4.30 in the morning as I felt very cold. We got up to camp on Thursday evg. it is a very healthy situation some thousands of feet above the sea level. it is very cold at night.
Left Bloemfontein Monday 21st by train got the length of Zand River Tuesday Coy
crossedhad to ride across the river as the bridge was blown up.encampedbivouaced on the northern bank of the river. Left the following morning & marched all day.[11] Bivouaced at dark had to be up at 4 o'clock the following morning arrived at Koonstaad [sic] on Thursday 24th evg. got very little food on the way but it is much worse here, got porridge without anything to eat to them for our evg. meal & this (Friday) morning got a drink of coffee without sugar or milk. no food of any other description, then we have just got the order to saddle up at once as we have to march up country. We got served out with two biscuits each for our days [12] rations. We saddled up about one o'clock and got across the drift & marched thro Kroonstad. we thought that we would have to march until sundown but only got about a mile when we had to halt & off saddle as we had overtaken the D.C.O.'s a company of our battalion. our cooks have got some fresh meat, so I believe we are going to get it cooked before we go on.
We are all wondering how the war is going but have got practically no news since we [13] left Stellenbosch.
Sunday 27th May. Under fire for the first time today, my horse got shot so I have lost all my kit except what I have on me. Only for my Captain (Capt Humby) I would have stood a poor chance of getting away as he stopped his horse & made me catch hold of the wallet & so galloped thro the danger zone.
Previously when our company were ordered to retire, some of them were missing & the Capt would not go without his men & galloped up [14] a hill which they were occupying & told them to come on at once. I think the 54th Co. have every reason to be proud of their Captain.
The name of the town we were attacted [sic] at is Lindley or Linley. we were allowed to enter without opposition & then from the hills all round the Boers opened fire. 28th It was very cold sleeping without any extra clothing last night as there was a fair touch of frost. the grass was covered when we got up this morning with frost.
I am writing now [15] behind a stone wall on a hill at the rere [sic] of our position, Verner is beside me & at present we dare not raise our heads as a party on a hill about 800 yds away have got our range & the bullets are whistling close to our heads. We got served out with a biscuit & a half yesterday morning & one at night, we also got some tinned mutton with our evening meal. this morning we got nothing and I am afraid won't get anything till night at any rate. I was lucky enough to find on the top of the hill where [16] we are a water bottle with a pint in it, but it is all done now (about noon) so we will have thirst to fight as well as the boers, I am afraid we are in a fix as there is no troops coming our way. we are away from the Railway line altogether & expected to find part of of [sic] General Colvilles division here as we were to join them here but they had left on Sunday morning & we arrived in the evening so were miles away from us & apparently have not heard the firing.
[17] Our Battalion surrendered to the Boers on Thursday 31st May after five days continious fiting [sic]. We would have been able to hold out while our food lasted only the enemy brought four fourteen pounders against us rendering our position untenable as they could pound us from a safe distance.
I only found out on the evening we surrendered that Tommi Lackey had been shot dead the previous evg. he was charging up a kopje when he fell shot [18] thro the groin & several other bullets struck him while lying there, two other chaps were killed at the same place – McLaughlin & Tom Walker. No other three chaps in the 46th Co. were thought more of [than] they were & Capt Maude & his men tried hard to get permission to go out & bury them but could not.
On Friday morning we started to march for Reitz & arrived there on Satdy night & left on Tuesday morning 5th June.
On Friday 8th June arrived at a little place called [19] Woodside but only stopped for our usual mid-day halt. Arrived at Vrede on Saturday evening 9th June.
Left Vrede on Monday 11th afternoon and halted for the night a few miles from the town after crossing a river.
We are now on our way to Standerton a small town in the Transval [sic]. Crossed the Klip River Tuesday evening & bivouaced on the northern bank. Started the following morning at six a.m. after despatching a hasty meal of fried mutton & a biscuit. after a march of about twelve or fourteen miles halted for our mid-day meal. Started [20] again after about two hours halt & marched to Standerton where we have got quarters in the R[ailwa]y Station. Had a fine time of it in Standerton, thanks to the kindness & generosity of the English inhabitants, who subscribed large sums of money towards buying us food & luxuries such as Bread, Jam, Butter, Tea, Coffee &c also Tobacco & matches. Left Standerton on Thursday evening about 2.30 & marched till 7.30 when we bivouaced for the night.
Sunday 17th June. Did not start to march until after dinner. Got wet thro' tho' we only marched about [21] 5 miles. Spent a very miserable night as it rained most of the time & my blankets got wet thro' so felt very cold.
Monday 18th. Arrived at Erm[e]lo after a days march of about fifteen miles. Seems to be a fairly nice little spot with a good many fine residences for such a small town. there is a coal mine in the neighbourhood where we got a supply of coal for our fire.
Wednesday 20th. Left Ermelo today at 2 o'clock & marched until 4.30. Had a wet night so did not get much sleep.
Satdy 23rd. The sun has reappeared this morning the first [22] since Wednesday. we have had it very cold the last two days. we are about 10,000 ft. above the sea level tho' it was frosty when I awoke this morning it was raining thro' the early part of the night.
Sunday 24th. Marched thro' Carolina today & bivouaced a few miles north of the town. We were encamped on the south side the previous night.
Wednesday 27th June. Arrived at Machadodorph this evening & entrained for Nooitgedacht arriving there about seven o'clock. The journey was most interesting, sometimes the train would seem to be going straight [23] for a big mountain, then it would suddenly turn to right or left & dart thro' a cleft in the rocks into another mountainous valley. We passed thro a tunnell [sic] underneath one of the mountain peaks & then on the other side entered one of the wildest & most beautiful valleys imaginable, the cliffs rising on one side of the train straight up & in some places overhanging, then on the other side the ground decending [sic] for a few hundred feet where a river runs thro' the valley. We passed thro two stations on the way – Waterval-Boven & Waterval-Under [Onder]. The place we [24] are in now is a valley about 3 mile between the two longest points & a half to three quarters of a mile broad. There is a fine little river runs thro' the camp.
30th Aug. Released today as the boers were no longer able to guard us owing to the British Troops pressing them on all sides.
Aug 31st. Reached the British lines today Pole-Carew's division.
Sept 1st. Arrived at Machadorp this morning had to wait all day on a train for Pretoria. during this time Lord Roberts & Staff came [25] up by train from Waterval-Boven & stopped on the Platform for about half an hour – Lord Roberts called one of our chaps & enquired about some of the Dublins & also asked us how we liked Mealies.
Sept 3rd. Did not arrive at Pretoria until about ten o'clock this morning owing to missing the train at Middleburg.
[26] Left Maitland Camp Sunday 13th Jany 1901. Arrived B'fontein Wednesday 16th. Left B'fontein Satdy morning 19th arrived Kroonstad same day. Left Kroonstad Tuesday 22nd joined company at America siding marched that day, got back to K'stad.
Left same evg night march arrived Ventersburg Rd.
Left following morning.
The last seven pages of Barraskill's notebook contain a mixture of addresses, calculations, prices paid for various supplies, names of other soldiers and locations visited between 30 August and 12 November 1900.
Locations
Released 30 Aug 1900
Pole Carews division 1 September
Machad 2 September
Pretoria 4 Sept [to] Sept 11th
Kroonstad
H(?) Sp(?)
Vredeford (?)y
Serfontein
Kroonstad arriv Sep [to] 2 Oct
Bloemfontein arriv 9 Oct
Conv Camp & Hospital 13th Oct into 22 Oct
No.8 Hospital left 10 Nov
Deelfontein 12 NovOther soldiers
R. A. Campbell No. 24111 46th Co. I.Y.
Gracey 9567
Polly 9537
Warnock 9555
Pte. J. Tate, 5th R. I. Lancers
Tpr Grierson, 2nd Sqd. 1st Batt. I.Y. Field Force S. AfricaAddresses
Wm Easton, Daly & Day, 34 Sir Lowrie Rd, Cape Town
H. Kidd, [various addresses, Capetown]
Mr Verner, Whitehall Parade, B'nafeigh, Belfast
Jas G. Thompson, c/o Albany Linen Mills, Albany, Wisconsin, USA
R Hennessey, 12 Malone Av., Belfast
J. A. Standfield, 39 Albion Street
Wm. Lappin, 38 Albion St
H. B. Ferguson, 129 Ormeau Rd.
A. Brown, 37 Fitzroy Av.
H. Smyth, Irish Street, Downpatrick
Shown below are some of the names mentioned by Barriskill in the main part of his diary, with background largely sourced from the 1901 Census:
Geo Verner: George Verner, age 74, retired farmer, of Whitehall Parade, Ballynafeigh, Belfast. Father of Private William Verner, 54th Company, mentioned later in the narrative.
H. Ferguson: Henry Bradford Ferguson, age 24, ironmonger, son of Jane Elizabeth Ferguson (nee Bradford), of 129 Ormeau Road, Belfast, and cuff and collar manufacturer Hugh Ferguson (dec. 1892).
H. Smyth: Henry Smyth, age 23, railway clerk, son of auctioneer John Hyde Smyth and his wife Jane Smyth, of 24 Irish Street, Downpatrick.
J. A. Standfield: John A. Stanfield, age 25, clerk, son of widow Margaret Stanfield, of 39 Albion Street, Belfast.
J. P. Kidd: John Parkinson Kidd, age 27, commercial traveller (flour), son of builder William Kidd and his wife Sarah Kidd (nee Parkinson), of 110 Lisburn Road, Belfast.