"We thought Milner was our new George Grey" Read the full letter
| Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box11/Fold3/ToBe/3 |
| Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | February 1915 |
| Address From | na |
| Address To | |
| Who To | Frances (‘Fan’) Schreiner nee Reitz |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to Manuscripts and Archives, University of Cape Town, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscripts and Archives Collections. The month and year have been written on this letter in an unknown hand.
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1
Dear Fan,
2
3 Again I’ve just missed you. I’ve heard such terrible news today,
4from three different people, they say it has been going all over
5London since last Sunday – that Smuts has lost 800 men; that he is
6shut up with enemy all round – that his Boer officers have joined
7the enemy & that one million natives have risen to assist unreadable
8them against Smuts!!!
9
10 If there is any truth in this why does not the Government contradict
11it. I cannot think it is true as I heard Jan Smuts was already on the
12water coming over.
13
14 Don’t answer if you feel you can’t: but if you can set my mind at
15rest, please do. So many dear folk I know are fighting there, I have
16always felt it would end in a great tragedy. I believe there may have
17been a fight in which the British lost, but all this story about
18Smuts’ Boer officers joining the enemy &c I believe are lies.
19
20 Good bye dear
21 Olive
22
23
24
2
3 Again I’ve just missed you. I’ve heard such terrible news today,
4from three different people, they say it has been going all over
5London since last Sunday – that Smuts has lost 800 men; that he is
6shut up with enemy all round – that his Boer officers have joined
7the enemy & that one million natives have risen to assist unreadable
8them against Smuts!!!
9
10 If there is any truth in this why does not the Government contradict
11it. I cannot think it is true as I heard Jan Smuts was already on the
12water coming over.
13
14 Don’t answer if you feel you can’t: but if you can set my mind at
15rest, please do. So many dear folk I know are fighting there, I have
16always felt it would end in a great tragedy. I believe there may have
17been a fight in which the British lost, but all this story about
18Smuts’ Boer officers joining the enemy &c I believe are lies.
19
20 Good bye dear
21 Olive
22
23
24