The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-31
SIEGE OF COLESBURG.
Described in a Letter Mayor Moir
Received from His Sister,
Mrs. j. II. Cooper.

Mayor James Moir has Just received
a most interesting letter from his sis
ter, Mrs. j. II. Cooper, who was in
Colesburg, South Africa, during the
three and a half months siege of
that town by the English. The mayor
knew that she was in the town and
has beer kept on the anxious seat re-
garding her safety until he received
this letter, which Is as follows:
After war was declared wrote and told Bar.
bars not to worry about me, as l was long
way from the seat of war. and promised to write
every week during the trouble. But instead OF
that we were in the very thick OF it and could
not write to any one. The Beers occupied Coles
berg for three and half months. They came
the 14th OF November and left the 2Sth Of Feb.
ruary We rented the Free State Hotel from
an Uitlander and he Is rank REBEL so he
forced me to accommodate the heads Of the
Beers. Ny husband they would not grant a
pass to, so with my three little children stayed
here, the shot and shell bursting around us
every day. When look back and think of the
terrible time and how we were preserved through
It all, we really have a great deal TO be thank
full for
Kruger said in one Of his prayers to his people
that God would direct the Shells and he did.
for the people that were killed IN town were
were flying over our heads and through our
windows. All day the swapping went on on the
Beers side, but it was the English bullets that
were coming in town. My neighbor and II were
sitting on the slope in front Of the hotel when
a shell burst right behind and the bullets danced
on a platform abou. thirty yards away in front
Of us and when we got over the surprise We
found out that the empty she'll had gone
through the wall of the store Another party
had one burst inside his bedroom and smash UP
| everything. The largest piece OF 1t was about
| the size Of siX.pence.
Another went through the roof OF a store and
| struck the wall on the other side and did not
| explode. The day our soldiers came in | wa.
| on my last leasen Of sugar and had about a.
| much meal as would bake six loaves for tn,
| hotel. ! shut up for about month and a hal
before the Beers left. The morning the English
| came in | was carefully halhng my sugar with
| my neghbor, when | heard a terrible noise anC
| the cries OF misses, "Come out the soldiers arC
| coming" threw down everything and ran ou
to the street and cheered like a man. Tn,
first horseman was clergyman Of the town. II,
was acting chaplain for the volunteers. He rod,
up and caught me by the hand and another tool
me by the other hand, crying, "Oh, Mrs. Cooper
| we are so glad to you again"
With my neighbor, Yrs. jackson, an Englisl
woman, l ran up the town to see our dear fla.
| put up again and sing "God Save the Queen,
and was caught by the arm and told that al
| the British ladies would give the soldiers cuI
| OF tea and something to eat, so ran hom
| and got together what We could could, and w
had . merry time seeing all the rebels taken t,
| prison, as they made it very warm for us.
remain, your loving sister,
| Mrs. j. II. Cooper.