Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Rouxville, 24 February 1866
Title
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Rouxville, 24 February 1866
Title
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Rouxville, 24 February 1866
Sender
Thornton Arnott Lewes
Recipient
n Arnott Lewes
Date(s)
- 1866-02-24
Place
Rouxville
Letter Content
Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Rouxville, 24 February 1866
MS: Yale.
Rouxville A village on the Orange River, Free State February 24, 1866. Dear Pater and every body else
After waiting and waiting and waiting since writing the inclosed account of the battle of Plattberg for something important and decisive to tell you about, I resolved today to write what I can although the something decisive has not yet happened. Still the various items will I have no doubt swell the pages and make a good little epistle.
In the first place as I wrote to you from Natal in October last I started on the 1st Nov. for the Free State, where I have been ever since. There have been some accounts of the Basuto war in some of the English newspapers, so I daresay you have seen some of them, and made yourself au fait with the facts of this important struggle. However as my name has not been mentioned yet in any official dispatches, you will have learned nothing from the papers of my wonderful doings in the war. I presume you have a map of S. Africa before you, if not get Hall's (it is good; published, I think by E. Stamford, Charing Cross) and can follow my movements.
On the 8th Nov. I left Harrismith with 4 or 5 Volunteers and some 16 deserters from the Cape Mounted Rifles, who were stationed in Natal under the Drakensberg for Bethlehem in waggons. Two days "trek" brought us to this village, where I got from the magistrate, to whom I had a letter of Introduction, a fine horse, which I was to deliver to the owner at the great Camp or Lager. From Bethlehem, believing said Lager to be near Winburg, the 5 volunteers and myself rode on to Winburg having to keep a sharp lookout for enemies. After a hard days ride of 12 hours we got there, and upon stating our desires were provided by the landdrost or Magistrate, with a tent, 200 lbs. of meal, coffee, sugar, a slaughter ox etc. etc. On the third day, an express having arrived from the President, the Magistrate desired one of us to show the bearer the road. Having by this learned that the Camp was about 4 hours ride from Bethlehem, and that by coming to Winburg, we had been riding out of our road, I offered to take the dispatch through. The offer was accepted and escorted by three men, a German, an Irishman and an American Pole, I rode back to Sandriver. From here I got an Escort of 2 men to Retiefs Nek where a small Commando of 100 men lay. The Captain of these had to supply me with a fresh horse and at midnight with two companions I started again. Tramp, tramp, on through the dark till day-light showed us the Boer Lager.
I delivered my dispatch and joined the deserters in their tent for a day or two. After looking round, and seeing no prospect of getting a horse and gun, to serve as a Cavalry man, I joined the Artillery and was attached to the 12th Howitzer, familiarly called "The Mountain Deer" as No. 6 or powder monkey. On the 1st December I first smelt powder when we drove Molappo from his mountain, Killing some 12 or 13 Kaffirs, without any casualty on our side. On the 5th we started for Plattberg, and on the 6th had my first proper battle, as described elsewhere. Leaving the artillery on the 8th, I stayed with two young fellows Sanger and Raaff, who were in the camp with a load of goods, and whose acquaintance I had made. The Boers having been cowed by the day at Plattberg were awfully afraid of the Kaffirs and nothing was to be done, so when Sanger and Raaff went into Bloemfontein on the 22nd Dec. I accepted Raaff's offer to come and stay at his house there. There I spent Christmas day, and the 4 following days, and then on the 30th left Bloemfontein for Reddersburg in Raaff's trap. From Reddersburg I trudged on foot to Smithfield, and as I was entering that town, I met four of Webster's volunteers, with whom I at once proceeded to join their camp in Basuto Land.
On Wednesday evening Jan. 3rd I arrived there, and found the corps to consist of 40-50 English and 150 native allies, so-called Fingoes, formerly inhabitants of Natal, but driven out thence before the English took possession by the Zulus whom they much resemble. Towards the end of January after our men along with a Boer Commando had stormed a strong position on a mountain inhabited by a chief called Makwai, though without being able to take the cattle placed there, with a loss of one German shot through the head and one wounded in the arm (both belonging to the Boer camp, not to the Volunteers) the corps retired to Rouxville, whence this is dated. By the bye, I was not at Makwaisberg, not yet having gun and horse. From Rouxville, Webster went to Bloemfontein to confer with the President and returned a few days since, having obtained the necessary supplies, and permission for all English belonging to the Boer Lager, who like, to join him. We shall thus have 3-400 men in a week or so and then we shall walk into the Basutos. All the cattle, horses, etc. we capture, is to be divided amongst us, and every member of the corps receives at the end of the war a farm of 5,000 acres, on condition of occupation for 3 years.
Clothes have just arrived and we are all dressed in brown moleskin suits check shirts and leather caps, hence our familiar name "The Leathercaps." In a week we hope to be among the enemy or rather among his cattle, for booty is our main object; fighting is only to be done when we must.
When we make a haul I will at once drop a line, but posts are irregular and correspondents too lazy though they have not much to do I must confess. Wars and rumours of wars must stand as my excuse.
We have been staying here in Rouxville, a deserted village for nearly a month, sending out a waggon every 2nd or 3rd day for a load of peaches and wood from the neighbouring farms. I have been quartered with 5, and then 3 others, till at last the 3 went also, and I had the house all to myself. Now there are 4 new arrivals in the house. I mess by myself and am become a great cook; if you could see my beefsteak pies and peach pies, and taste my bread, I think you would say they are not bad for a bachelor. Unfortunately we are almost eaten up by flies, and the beefsteak pies have become suspicious in my eyes since my discovering in my last, half a dozen fat --, well, flies in the larva state!.
The page is done and the contents of my brain likewise, so till my next, Goodbye. When something important happens you shall hear; in the meanwhile don't be uneasy, the Basutos have not yet cast a bullet for me.
Love to everybody from your affectionate
Thornton Lewes.
MS: Yale.
Rouxville A village on the Orange River, Free State February 24, 1866. Dear Pater and every body else
After waiting and waiting and waiting since writing the inclosed account of the battle of Plattberg for something important and decisive to tell you about, I resolved today to write what I can although the something decisive has not yet happened. Still the various items will I have no doubt swell the pages and make a good little epistle.
In the first place as I wrote to you from Natal in October last I started on the 1st Nov. for the Free State, where I have been ever since. There have been some accounts of the Basuto war in some of the English newspapers, so I daresay you have seen some of them, and made yourself au fait with the facts of this important struggle. However as my name has not been mentioned yet in any official dispatches, you will have learned nothing from the papers of my wonderful doings in the war. I presume you have a map of S. Africa before you, if not get Hall's (it is good; published, I think by E. Stamford, Charing Cross) and can follow my movements.
On the 8th Nov. I left Harrismith with 4 or 5 Volunteers and some 16 deserters from the Cape Mounted Rifles, who were stationed in Natal under the Drakensberg for Bethlehem in waggons. Two days "trek" brought us to this village, where I got from the magistrate, to whom I had a letter of Introduction, a fine horse, which I was to deliver to the owner at the great Camp or Lager. From Bethlehem, believing said Lager to be near Winburg, the 5 volunteers and myself rode on to Winburg having to keep a sharp lookout for enemies. After a hard days ride of 12 hours we got there, and upon stating our desires were provided by the landdrost or Magistrate, with a tent, 200 lbs. of meal, coffee, sugar, a slaughter ox etc. etc. On the third day, an express having arrived from the President, the Magistrate desired one of us to show the bearer the road. Having by this learned that the Camp was about 4 hours ride from Bethlehem, and that by coming to Winburg, we had been riding out of our road, I offered to take the dispatch through. The offer was accepted and escorted by three men, a German, an Irishman and an American Pole, I rode back to Sandriver. From here I got an Escort of 2 men to Retiefs Nek where a small Commando of 100 men lay. The Captain of these had to supply me with a fresh horse and at midnight with two companions I started again. Tramp, tramp, on through the dark till day-light showed us the Boer Lager.
I delivered my dispatch and joined the deserters in their tent for a day or two. After looking round, and seeing no prospect of getting a horse and gun, to serve as a Cavalry man, I joined the Artillery and was attached to the 12th Howitzer, familiarly called "The Mountain Deer" as No. 6 or powder monkey. On the 1st December I first smelt powder when we drove Molappo from his mountain, Killing some 12 or 13 Kaffirs, without any casualty on our side. On the 5th we started for Plattberg, and on the 6th had my first proper battle, as described elsewhere. Leaving the artillery on the 8th, I stayed with two young fellows Sanger and Raaff, who were in the camp with a load of goods, and whose acquaintance I had made. The Boers having been cowed by the day at Plattberg were awfully afraid of the Kaffirs and nothing was to be done, so when Sanger and Raaff went into Bloemfontein on the 22nd Dec. I accepted Raaff's offer to come and stay at his house there. There I spent Christmas day, and the 4 following days, and then on the 30th left Bloemfontein for Reddersburg in Raaff's trap. From Reddersburg I trudged on foot to Smithfield, and as I was entering that town, I met four of Webster's volunteers, with whom I at once proceeded to join their camp in Basuto Land.
On Wednesday evening Jan. 3rd I arrived there, and found the corps to consist of 40-50 English and 150 native allies, so-called Fingoes, formerly inhabitants of Natal, but driven out thence before the English took possession by the Zulus whom they much resemble. Towards the end of January after our men along with a Boer Commando had stormed a strong position on a mountain inhabited by a chief called Makwai, though without being able to take the cattle placed there, with a loss of one German shot through the head and one wounded in the arm (both belonging to the Boer camp, not to the Volunteers) the corps retired to Rouxville, whence this is dated. By the bye, I was not at Makwaisberg, not yet having gun and horse. From Rouxville, Webster went to Bloemfontein to confer with the President and returned a few days since, having obtained the necessary supplies, and permission for all English belonging to the Boer Lager, who like, to join him. We shall thus have 3-400 men in a week or so and then we shall walk into the Basutos. All the cattle, horses, etc. we capture, is to be divided amongst us, and every member of the corps receives at the end of the war a farm of 5,000 acres, on condition of occupation for 3 years.
Clothes have just arrived and we are all dressed in brown moleskin suits check shirts and leather caps, hence our familiar name "The Leathercaps." In a week we hope to be among the enemy or rather among his cattle, for booty is our main object; fighting is only to be done when we must.
When we make a haul I will at once drop a line, but posts are irregular and correspondents too lazy though they have not much to do I must confess. Wars and rumours of wars must stand as my excuse.
We have been staying here in Rouxville, a deserted village for nearly a month, sending out a waggon every 2nd or 3rd day for a load of peaches and wood from the neighbouring farms. I have been quartered with 5, and then 3 others, till at last the 3 went also, and I had the house all to myself. Now there are 4 new arrivals in the house. I mess by myself and am become a great cook; if you could see my beefsteak pies and peach pies, and taste my bread, I think you would say they are not bad for a bachelor. Unfortunately we are almost eaten up by flies, and the beefsteak pies have become suspicious in my eyes since my discovering in my last, half a dozen fat --, well, flies in the larva state!.
The page is done and the contents of my brain likewise, so till my next, Goodbye. When something important happens you shall hear; in the meanwhile don't be uneasy, the Basutos have not yet cast a bullet for me.
Love to everybody from your affectionate
Thornton Lewes.
Signature
Thornton Lewes.
Citation
Thornton Arnott Lewes, Thornton Arnott Lewes to GHL, Rouxville, 24 February 1866, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/95623