Leinster Leader 23 June 1900
An Athy Yeoman’s Letter
Songs, Society, and Tea
An Athy man has received the following letter from his brother, at present serving in the Yeomanry in South Africa:-
“Stellenbosch Camp, 28th May, 1900.
“My Dear , – It is time to think of writing to you, but as we are not playing at soldiers now, as we were at the Curragh, my own time is very scarce. We are at this Camp a fortnight, but we are leaving to-day for Colesberg, which is five hundred miles from here, and then we proceed to Kroonstadt in the Orange Free State. It is strange but true that we know very little about how the war is proceeding out here, as we never see a paper. We had a very pleasant time during our stay in Colesberg. It is a town of about 6,000 inhabitants. Half of the people in it are rebels, and the other half loyalists. The latter portion gave our 74th Company a big entertainment one night. It was something in the nature of a smoking concert. I was the first on the list to sing with “The Heart Bowed Down,” and I had to give an encore with “Terrence’s Farewell to Kathleen,” for which I was further encored, but I had to make an excuse on the following evening. I had an invitation to dinner from the wife of the High Sheriff of the district, a lady named Honey. Big Smith, Manly, and myself went. We had a very jolly night, and on a few evenings afterwards we had to go to afternoon tea. There are four pretty girls in the family. Young and another fellow named Smith went to the Protestant minister’s to tea last night. They say they had a good time. We also had a general holiday on the 24th May, the Queen’s birthday. There were gymkhana sports held by the officers of the Vermount Camp quite convenient to where we are, so you see we are not altogether without amusement. Although there are three or four companies of Yeomanry in this Camp, the Irish are the only company that got any entertainment by the public. I also have a standing invitation from those people – Honey – to a picnic when I come back if I don’t get a Boer bullet. The officers brought our company on a mountain climbing expedition last week. We rode about 14 miles, and then left our horses at the base, when we proceeded on foot with our rifles. The mountains are full of buck, a sort of deer. We brought back four, from which we dined very well. I am rather pressed for time, so I must conclude with the hope that all at home are well. Tell all the boys in Athy that I was enquiring for them, and also the girls.
Your affectionate brother.
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