Extracts and Comments
(from Sources as shown) | |
B5204: born 1879 Cumberland farmer, next of kin father Campbelltown NSW, Queen's South Africa medal and 6 clasps (Paard. Drief. Jbg. DH Witte. & RoK).
URL2: The names of the NSW nco's and men, including four Norfolk Islanders, [of the Coronation Corps which returned to Sydney 3.10.1902] were - Regimental Sergeant-major J COSTELLO, Regimental QM Sergeant GH GOODALL, Sergeants W WALPOLE and CJ WILLIAMS, Corporals HJ NETHERY and W CAMERON, Privates W W ASH, FW AXAM, W BECK, JE BUFFETT, CS BINNS, D BUFFETT, JA BUCHOLTZ, AD COXHEAD, JWR COUPE, CF DUCK, V AVIS, A EAZY, WJ FISHER, H GARLICK, A GAZZARD, HW GOLLEDGE, HG GATES, JW HAYDEN, JS HOWARTH, JM JULEFF, C LINFIELD, A LIVINGSTON, EL MOODY, J MCCAPE, HD MCCREDIE, J MOORE, CH MITCHELL, W MCPHERSON, FJ O'CONNOR, EE PUGH, T RENDER, WJR RICHARDSON, E ROBINSON, AR SEGUSS, AJ SLATTERY, WJ STINSON, SH SAXELBY, F TOWNLEY, WH WATSON, A WILLIS, JW WARBY, and R YOUNG and and Trumpeter LP GILLARD.
URL3: It has been decided to send six wen from the NSW Mounted Rifles to take part in the Coronation. Trooper F AXAM has been chosen to represent the Camden Squadron. The appointment has given entire satisfaction as he is a popular member of the local squadron. Trooper AXAM was a member of the first contingent of Mounted Rifles who volunteered for active service in South Africa, thus winning the honor bestowed on him. We wish Trooper AXAM a very pleasant and enjoyable trip.
URL4: Lance-Corporal J MCEWEN, with the New South Wales Army Medical Corps in South Africa, writes as follows to his parents at Campbelltown under date Winberg, May 6th 1900 - " should have written from Bloemfontein only that we were rushed away to advance with the Mounted Infantry Brigade, under Colonel HUTTON, at a few minutes' notice, at 3 a.m. We were at Bloemfontein only two days, and were jolly glad to get away. It is a pretty fair little town, about the size of Goulburn, but owing to the crowd of troops and dead animals lying around, it is very, very smellful. At Bloemfontein I met Will and Joe NEWMAN, G SPOONER, Tom LEES, W DIVALL, F AXAM, and J HAWKEY, also WO HOLMAN. All were in splendid health and spirits. I had a fine yarn with Will and Joe, and found them enjoying themselves well. The other boys and I also had a long 'chin,' and SPOONER passed with his troop a few minutes ago. They are all forward with us now. Part of the camp is a regular Campbelltown street. Well, we've had our baptism of fire at last. We left the railway at Bethany, and cut across towards Basutoland. At a little place called Dewetsdorp we came up with a commando in a splenid position and exchanged shell compliments for five days. Whew! it was merry. They pitched our camp too close, and the shells dropped round quick and sudden. It was very fascinating listening to the shells going whiz-z-z-s-s-slap! and seeing the more nervous customers doing 'a duck' behind the waggons when they dropped too close. We shifted and got it a bit worse, as parties crossed the sky-line and drew the fire of the Boers; but though a couple of pieces fell in the lines and some over the hospital, no damage resulted to our corps. One poor 'nigger,' however, got hit, and we had to amputate his leg. Altogether in the 'scrap' we had about fifty wounded, only one nigger of those we treated dying. We have been very successful, only losing two patients (and those Kaffirs) out of about 500. The Boers were left in retreat, with FRENCH after them, and we came on to Bloemfontein, where, as I have said, we joined the mounted division under Major-General HUTTON, and advanced towards Pretoria on May 1st. We had a 'scrap' on the 3rd, and drove the Boers from Brantford, 25 miles from Bloemfontein, and advanced after the enemy. Yesterday we had the severest brush we have had — about four hours' hard fighting, great work being done by the artillery. We finally drove the Boers out, and though they carried away all they could, we found five dead on the field, one wounded (he is with us now), and took several prisoners. I've been out in every fight yet, but as a rule we are not allowed out till the row is over. Lord ROBERTS is in camp now, and to-day, without trouble, we occupied this place. We are to move to Kroonstadt, the present seat of government, where it is expected the Boers will make a stand. I rather hope they will, as though, from a spectacular point of view, a battle is very fine, yet after the fight, when the poor beggars who have handed in their checks are stretched around, it strikes one as a miserable, sordid way of settling differences in the 1900th year of the Christian Era. However, it's no blame of ours, and at present our boys are yarning most amicably with a wounded Boer, whom we are treating like brother. Poor beggars! From what we've seen, they are a simple, misled people, and are fighting doggedly and well. I am afraid war correspondents are responsible for some awful lies, as, though sometimes a section of the Boers may do some rotten things, as a rule they are not half as black as they are painted. Why, one of them, when they had captured an entire party of about 300, brought in a Britisher to the hospital with the remark, 'I had to plug this chap, and now I've brought him in to you to mend.' We are now under orders to move off, so I will bring this to an end.
URL5: Writing to his parents at 'Mount Gilead,' Campbelltown, under date Orange River, February 2nd [1900], Private Frank AXAM says - "'I received your letter, and was glad to hear all was well. . . . I am getting the best of health. This is the first day's spell we have had for a fortnight, having been on the road almost all the time, day and night. We start again at 3 a.m. tomorrow. I feel much better than when I started. I have not slept in a tent for over a month, but I like sleeping out; it does not hurt anyone. We are going to Modder River, 75 miles from here, and by the end of next week there will be
70,000 troops stationed there. I scarcely know how the war is going on, as we have had no news since we started on the march. We crossed the Orange River yesterday, into Griqualand West — the first Boer land we have been stationed on, although we crossed the river before and captured some of the enemy, who have been sent to Capetown. The Orange River is large and muddy. It runs with a strong current. The water is the same as that in a dirty water-hole — not
too good to drink. While on the road we passed a number of farm houses, where we
obtained a good supply of water, which is got by sinking about 35ft. It is pumped by a wind-mill. We came across a few English people and loyal Dutch, who are always pleased to see us marching through the villages. A great many of the Dutch show a black face, but say nothing. Some of the towns are very pretty. I saw — SHAW last night. He is all right, and is going with us to the river. No time to write more."
URL6: LETTER FROM PRIVATE F AXAM. Private F AXAM, a Campbelltown representative at the seat of war, writes to a friend under date
De Aar, Dec. 29, 1899, as follows - "According to promise I am writing you this letter. I have very little chance of writing — sometimes have to make two or three starts. My writing table is a bag spread on the ground, with a piece of paper under my writing materials, so you can guess our trouble in scribbling a few lines; but that doesn't matter, as we are having pretty fair times, plenty of work in the saddle, just what we came for. I will tell you a little about our voyage across to Capetown and then the train journey of 700 miles to here. We left Newcastle amidst great excitement, thousands of people crowding the wharves to give a last cheer. The pilot and ferry boats followed out through the Heads, and kept with us till long after dark. We saw the Australian coast now and then
for five or six days, and then for twenty-eight days we only sighted two sailing vessels. Our first call was Port Natal, where we unloaded 350 horses. We had the chance of landing for about half an hour, spending most of the time watching the niggers, who line the shores in hundreds. The scenery about this place is grand. The hills in the distance look very green, with orchards and farms scattered
about. After a short delay we started our voyage to Port Elizabeth, about two days' sail; stayed there about four hours. This is a very pretty place - a very nice town, and everything lively. There are plenty of niggers here, and they seem to do a good deal of road work. They are in lots of about fifty, with an Englishman over them. He carries a whip, and drives them about like a mob of calves, not forgetting to make use of the whip. We again started off for Capetown, and anchored in Table Bay after thirty-five days at sea. In the evening we got alongside the wharf, unloaded our horses, and then proceeded to camp. I enjoyed the trip very much, not getting the least sea-sick. Most of the others were sick for a week. We had a few days' rough weather, which shook the boat a good deal. I did not mind the rough weather in the least. Sometimes one would think the boat was going to turn over, and then she would make a dive in the next wave and the spray would break over the bow and someone would get well drenched, and then you would hear some murmurs. My mare looks real well after the long voyage, considering that she had to stand in the same place the whole
time; she was a bit lively when I first got on her. After spending a day and a night in the camp at Capetown, we had our horses put on the train and started our journey. We were 40 hours in the train, travelling through rough, mountainous country. All bridges and passes were guarded by soldiers. The railway runs through the most desolate country imaginable, nothing but bare and
rocky hills and flats. I asked how long it was since it rained, and they said three years. No rain has fallen for nine months where we are camped, so we are living in dust. No one could believe what it is like unless they saw it. The rivers we have crossed are dry, not a drop of water in any of them. We have plenty of water to drink and also for the horses, obtained from bores. After two or three days' spell we started patrolling the country. Yesterday we came across a party of niggers and Germans, and searched them and found something that
belonged to the British, so made the Germans prisoners of war. We leave here for the front in about nine days, about 200 miles from here; we are going to escort the Royal Artillery, so expect a good tune. I spent a good Christmas (plenty of
cake and wine), and hope to hear that you and your people did the same. How are they getting on at home? We have had no colonial mails yet. Have no time to write any more; just ordered to be in the saddle in ten minutes to go somewhere, so conclude by wishing you a happy new year."
URL7: Return Soldiers Banqueted.
On Wednesday evening of last week [23.1.1901], in the Town Hall, Campbelltown, a public banquet was tendered to the local representatives of the New South Wales Mounted Rifles Contingent, recently returned to the colony after seeing active service against the Boers in South Africa. Lieutenant Jos. NEWMAN, Lieutenant
WA NEWMAN, Lance-Corporal Thos. J. LEES, Private F AXAM, Private M BURKE, and Private CG SPOONER were present, to do honor to whom there was a very large gather of influential citizens and residents of the district, the company also showing a fair sprinkling of ladies. ...
URL8: Writing from the seat of war under date Spytfonetin, April 4th [1900], to his parents at 'Mt Gilead,' Private Frank AXAM says - "By the above address you will see we are getting near the Transvaal border. We have just joined General FRENCH's column. When on the march it is a magnificent sight to see the large army (40,000 men) and its convoy. As
far as can be seen - either in front flank, or rear - is one moving mass of khaki. The convoy is about ten miles in length, some being drawn by mules, ten in a team, and others by oxen, from 16 to 32 in a waggon .... After chasing the Boers from this kopje, they fired upon us from an other position, when I got hit on the arm with a piece of an explosive bullet, but was not hurt. ...
URL8: The following are extracts from letters received by Mr. TW EVERINGHAM, of Paddington, from Trooper WH SHAW, who is serving with Roberts's Horse in South Africa - "BLOEMFONTEIN, March 22 [1900] ... I have met lots of old friends both in regiments and in civilian life. Herman EISENSTADTER, of the Glebe, has got a good job on the railway at Cape town. Harry BRENNAN, the chemist, is an old friend of mine; he used to be with HINDER, and was afterwards with Tom GOLDRICK, of the Glebe. Ernie SQUIRES, who was on the railway at Penrith, is now in the Fountain Hotel, the Tattersall's of Capetown. . .... Lof. RICHARDSON, of Glebe Point, and Frank STEVENS, who used to live at the Lodge; are in our F Squadron. Tom ST. GEORGE, a P. A. man, is now sergeant in my troop, and Jack MCREA, who was third officer of the Thermopylae, is corporal. Jim SAUNDERS, at one time with HOFFNUNG, is now in a big firm at the Cape. A PERRY, of Campbelltown, is in the Pioneers, while Mick BOURKE and Frank AXIM, both from Campbelltown, are in the NSWMR, and Jim GREEN is in the NSWMSC, and lots more that I know are holding up their end of the log over here. ...
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