PBA Galleries

Autograph Letter Signed.  3pp. + stamped address leaf. To  American  Masonic “brother”,Clarke Fearing, Portland, Oregon

British veteran recalls his service in the Boer War and notes lingering hatred between the victorious English colonialists and defeated Dutch.

“…the Dutch of this country is very bitter...I have many friends amongst the Boers…and I know exactly how they feel…I fought right through the War, were 2 years in an irregular corps, was a Sergeant in many hard fights. I came out without a scratch…My corps seen hard service, we were through 157 hard fights in the 2 years…we only lost 60 men, that of 600 men, and that thRough sickness, wounds and those that were killed outright…I was glad when it was over as the Boers would never stand, run all the time, and consequently we had to keep on the move. There was a bitter feeling after the War, of course, that was natural, but that is now a thing of the past and Britton and Boer has joined hands to work for the good of the Empire…there is to be one country, under one flag…we have a grand future before us…”