Boer War, 1901


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The Daily Examiner, January 9, 1901:

Writeup re Heroism in the Field of Battle, citing Pte. Ernest Lord, Pte. Small and Pte. Necy Doiron.

The Daily Examiner, March 9, 1901:

Enrollment of recruits for South African Constabulary:
John A. McDonald, Lakeville,
Edward McDonald, Georgetown,
Arthur E. McInnis, Murray River,
Hurdis L. McLean, Charlottetown,
Daniel P. McRae, Pownal,
F. Fred Waye, Hunter River,
Chester Dewar, Montague,
Marcellus McDonald, Charlottetown,
Seymour Smith, Alberton.

The Daily Examiner, March 11, 1901:

Mr. Roy Lea, son of Jabez Lea, Victoria, has enlisted at Truro for the south African Constabulary.

The Daily Examiner, March 12, 1901:

The Contingent Complete: The Men Awaiting Orders.

William Coombs, Charlottetown

George Arbuckle do.

Robert Cameron, do.

William Harris, do.

A. J. Holl, do.

William C. Cook, Do.

W. J. Proud, do.

Robert Horne, do.

James Pigott, do.

William McEachern, do.

D. R. Kennedy, do.

Marcellus McDonald, do.

T. Leslie McBeth, do.

L. Gurney, Covehead

John W. Boulter, North Tryon

 

The Agriculturalist, Summerside, March 25, 1901:

Two PEI men in the "A" Squadron of the south Africa Constabulary: E. H. Gough, son of Thomas Gough, Summerside. He goes as a trooper and as a correspondent for the Vancouver Daily Province. Also George F. McLeod, formerly of Kensington.

The Daily Examiner, March 29, 1901:

Miss MacDonald of Pictou, NS, who recently returned from South Africa where she had been on the nursing staff of the Canadian Contingent, was a passenger on the Minto today on her return home after a visit to her sister, Sister St. Mary, of St. Joseph's Convent, Charlottetown.

The Daily Examiner, April 3, 1901:

Thirty-two officers and 1,190 men embarked at Halifax for service in the new South Africa police.

The Daily Examiner, April 18, 1901:

Pte M. McKinlay, of the Strathcona Horse [Lord Strathcona's Regiment sent to South Africa] (is) a visitor from Edmonton; he is the son of Malcolm McKinlay, formerly PEI R Station Manager at O'Leary. His cousin, John Sheehan, of O'Leary, accompanies him to Edmonton where he will engage in the ranching business.

The Daily Examiner, July 13, 1901:

The following recruits have enlisted with Sergeant Instructor Herbert at Souris.
S. McLean, James F. McDonald, Benjamin Bushy, John Whelan, Eugene Moynagh. They leave on Monday for Quebec.

The Daily Examiner, September 25, 1901:

Miss Pope is expected to receive her War Medal in Ottawa.

The Daily Examiner, October 8, 1901:

There are 1500 Boer prisoners of war on their way to India [Ceylon], where already a considerable number have been confined.

The Daily Examiner, October 21, 1901:

The Duke of York presents medals in Halifax to some of those from PEI who had served in the South African war.

The Daily Examiner, Charlottetown, November 25, 1901:

War Clasps
---
What They Are Given For and The Islanders Who Get Them
---

A war medal shows that the holder has been engaged in military operations in a district where a war has taken place. A South African war medal is given to those engaged on the British side either in Cape Colony, Natal, Rhodesia, Orange Free State, Transvaal, or on the Island of St. Helena. Civilians attached to transports and other semi- military positions receive a bronze medal without clasps. All others receive silver medals. Now each war is indicated by a differently colored ribbon which is attached to the medal and from which it hangs, and on this ribbon just above the medal are little silver bars with a name on each. These are the clasps. A man who has a medal without clasps is said to have " bare faced medal." An instance would be the medal given the Halifax troops who served in the Northwest rebellion. Being so unfortunate as to never have been in action, they received a medal, but no clasps. The usual way, therefore, is to give clasps for certain great battles; but in the South African war there have been so many battles, that clasps have been given for those serving in each colony or country with the name of that place on it--as "Cape Colony," "Orange Free State," "Transvaal." So every soldier who served in either of those three places will get a bar with the name "Cape Colony" on it. Hence it follows that every one of the Island contingent will receive that bar. Bars are also given for certain great battles. Those who were in such battles will not receive the bar for the country in which the battle took place, because the name of the battle on the bar indicates that the holder must have been in the country in which the battle was fought. Hence it follows that all the men of the first contingent will receive a bar for the battle of "Paarderberg" or "Driefontein" or both, but will not receive a bar for "Orange Free State;" whereas the men of the draft, not having been in a battle in the Orange Free State for which a bar is given, will simply receive the "Orange Free State" bar. The same principle is true of the Transvaal. The Islanders who fought at Doorn Kop, called the action of Johannesburg, will receive a bar with "Johannesburg" on it, while those who served in the Transvaal but were not in that battle get a "Transvaal" bar. Our boys have been receiving these bars by registered letter during the past few days and we have endeavored to make a correct detailed statement of the distribution. If we have made any errors we will gladly correct them.

In the first list, we give the names of Roland D. Taylor and Alfred Riggs, who so nobly gave their lives for our country at Paardeberg, and of John A Harris and Fred Waye, who were seriously wounded in the same fight.

THE FIRST CONTINGENT:

Bars for
"Cape Colony"
"Paardeberg":

Roland Taylor
Alfred Riggs
John A Harris
Michael J McCArthy
Fred Waye.

Bars for
"Cape Colony"
"Paaredeberg"
"Driefontein"
"Johannesburg":

Artemas Dillon
Thomas Foley
Lawrence Gaudet
James Matheson
Arthur J B Mellish
Thomas Amb. Rodd
Edward Small
Joseph O'Reilly
Lorne Stewart.

Bars for
"Cape Colony"
"Driefontein"
"Johannesburg":

Rev T F Fullerton.

Bars for
"Cape Colony"
"Paardeberg"
"Driefontein"
"Transvaal":

John Boudreau
Ernest Bowness
Nelson Brace
Reginald Cox
Roy Harris
Charles Hine
Ernest R Lord
Hedley V McKinnon
Frederick B McRae
William A Weeks.

Bars for
"Cape Colony"
"Paardeberg"
"Driefontein":

Herbert H. Brown
Necy Doiron
Hurdis McLean
Walter Lane
Joshua T. Leslie
James L. Walker.

SECOND CONTINGENT (Draft):

Bars for
"Cape Colony"
"Orange Free State"
"Johannesburg":

Geo A Arbuckle
J W Boulter (?)
William Cook
William Coombs
Thomas F Gorney (?)
Robert Horne
D R Kennedy
John A McDonald
Marcellus McDonald
Leslie T. McBeth
W. J. Proud (?)

Bars for
"Cape Colony"
"Orange Free State"
"Transvaal":

Robert Cameron
William Harris
William A McEachern

Bars for
"Cape Colony"
"Orange Free State":

A H Hall
Jas A Pigott.

The honors that the Island men have won are well deserved and will stand for years to come as a source of pride to the owners and gratification to the people of the tight little Island, who sent them out to fight the Empire's battles.

The Daily Examiner, November 27, 1901:

Canada has offered 600 Mounted troops, possibly to be called "Canadian Rangers."
Dec. 2, 1901: Miss Georgina Pope and the staff of nurses who were in South Africa, have volunteered to accompany the Canadian Yeomanry. It is thought that their offer will be accepted.
Dec. 4, 1901: The new contingent may be known as the Canadian Mounted Rifles, if the Imperial authorities agree.
December 6, 1901: The Recruiting Office will be open to enlist 12 men for South Africa in the Canadian Mounted Rifles.
Mr. Sing Muncey, one of the wounded soldiers in South Africa, and brother of Mr Frank Muncey is expected home next week.

The Daily Examiner, December 10, 1901

Mounted Rifles - A List of the Men Accepted for Service in South Africa.

" Our Boys" who went to the front with the First Contingent and the draft do not seem to be content with the glory they have already achieved, but six more have volunteered to return. Ernest Lord, Hurdis McLean, Marcellus McDonald, and Fred Waye are already back, "doing their country's work," and at least six more will follow them. The following is a short record of these volunteers:--

Nelson T. Brace, aged 24, is the son of R. K. Brace of this town. He went to the front with the First Contingent and was wounded in the last fight at Paardeberg. Notwithstanding his wound, with invincible determination, he clung to the regiment and with it marched victoriously into Bloemfontein. In the general advance, he endeavoured to keep his place but finally succumbed at Winberg. However, after a short rest, he and Hedley McKinnon started north and the "Boys" who entered Pretoria, were astonished to find "Nelson and Hedley" bobbing up serenely the second day after the occupation of that city; they had defied the orders of Lord Roberts that no details should go farther than the Vaal and with consummate pluck, and perseverance, had almost been in at the death.

James Matheson, aged 25, is the son of Roderick Matheson, of the PE I R. He was through the whole campaign with his company, only missing one march out from Bloemfontein, owing to a severe attack of enteric, which he fought out under the protection of a transport waggon. Matheson's honesty and good nature made him a favorite with his companions; the many kind acts unostentatiously performed towards others, not so strong as himself, showed the true manliness of his nature.

Walter Lane, aged 24, comes from Rocky Point, where his parents are highly respected. He fell a victim to the fever at Bloemfontein, and after a great struggle against that terrible foe was invalided to England. He is determined to see the Transvaal before the war is ended.

William C. Cook, aged 24, is the son of our well known photographer. He went out with the draft, He fought in the battle of Zand River and Dorn Kop. Just before leaving the Orange Free State, a terrible sore developed in his right heel. Notwithstanding this, he hobbled along, and managed to be one of the few who marched past Lord Roberts on the memorable fifth of June, when Pretoria was taken. Having achieved the goal, he finally collapsed, and was sent to the hospital. A worthy example of determined perseverance for the young of this Province.

Le Roy Harris, aged 24, is the son of Mr. Harris, late of the Post Office in this city, but now of New Glasgow, PEI. Roy lay next [to] our Island hero, Alfred Riggs, on the last night at Paardeberg and next morning his face and clothes were all covered with his companion's blood. He became ill at Bloemfontein but recovering, at once volunteered for up country work and rejoined his company in the Transvaal, remaining with it till it came home. He was remarkable for his cool self possession under difficulties and his soldierly bearing in the field.

James S. Walker, aged 31, son of our worthy colporteur, [peddler of devotional literature] enjoys the unique distinction of being the first Canadian to penetrate Cronje's Laager on Majuba day� where he became possessor of two Boer flags. He was sent to the hospital at Naauport from Bloemfontein and when his companion Fred McRae was about to leave for the front, nearly lost his life in an endeavour to follow him. As a careful and experienced soldier and a good rider, Jim ought to do well in the Mounted Infantry.

Besides the above veterans who are returning, William Ferguson, a former member of the Mounted Rifles, and afterwards of "Gat" Howard's Scouts, has again taken up his rifle.

Among the other brave volunteers we may mention Robert McRae, the third son of Alex McRae of Pownal, to go to the front. Fred went with the First Contingent, Daniel with the Constabulary, and now Robert is off with the Mounted Rifles - truly a Spartan family.

Raymond Seller, W. E. Burrows and S. T. McCabe having served a year in the garrison at Halifax ought to prove excellent soldiers.

Daniel I. Matheson, last in the list to be accepted, may well be first before he returns if he emulates the example of his namesake James.

The Daily Examiner, December 11, 1901:

"Our boys off for South Africa will miss their Canadian winter...." Editorial.

The Daily Examiner, December 18, 1901:

A letter from Mr. John A, McDonald of the Scottish Horse, South Africa, who enlisted at Charlottetown last March, a former resident of South Lake, King's County.
Reception held at the Lansdowne Hotel, Cape Traverse, in honour of return from South Africa of Sergeant Sing Muncey.
Canadian Casualites: Charles Johnson, Canadian Scouts, son of Sophia Johnson, Georgetown , PEI; died of enteric fever at Pretoria.

The Daily Examiner, December 26, 1901:

The appointment of Major Harry D. Johnson as Captain of the Field Hospital Corps in South Africa comes as a distinct honor to this province. Upon the organization of the Field Hospital Corps in Charlottetown in 1900, Major Johnson was appointed in command.


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