Archive of General Sir Archibald Hunter
GCB GCVO DSO TD LLD
at the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum, Lancaster.
Hunter in South Africa
Typewritten letter from Evelyn Wood to Major General Sir A Hunter KCB,
DSO, Quetta, India, 10 Aug 1899.
Regarding the developments in South Africa with Kruger and the Boers.
“London SW
10th August 1899
My dear Hunter
Many thanks for your letter of the 17th July. I do not know that you
have anyone to thank for you selection except Sir Redvers himself, and
to work you performed which induced that selection. I should have
laughed at the idea of your coming home or making preparations a week
ago, but just now the Boers seem to be rather more dogged. I have,
however, myself an idea that when the pinch comes, Kruger will back
down. Whether I am right or not, lives to be seen. I think I am right.
If, on the other hand, the obstinacy of the Boer Government obliges us
to send soldiers out, I suppose we shall be obliged to ask for greater
concessions than would be accepted at this moment, and there would come
the difficulty at once.
It is a great pleasure to me to think that you are happily placed in a
command that you like, and where I feel sure that you will give as much
satisfaction as you did to Lord Kitchener in Egypt. He sat with me for
about three quarters of an hour yesterday, and talks of starting
tomorrow evening for Egypt and the Sudan.
Good luck to you,
Yours always sincerely,
Evelyn Wood”
Accession Number: KO2686/021
Typewritten letter from Field
Marshal Roberts, Headquarters of the Army in South Africa, Johannesburg,
27 Nov 1900 to Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Hunter, Commanding
Orange River Colony, Bloemfontein
“Headquarters of the Army in South Africa,
Johannesburg, 27th November 1900.
My dear Hunter,
I am much concerned at not being able to say good bye to you in person.
I quite intended to travel to Cape Town via Bloemfontein, but my
departure from here has been so long delayed that there is only just
time now for me to visit Natal and reach Cape Town via Durban.
I wish much to tell you how greatly I appreciate the excellent work you
have done throughout this war. I knew, of course, of the assistance you
had given in the early part of the campaign on the Natal side, and when
I wanted someone to arrange for the difficult task of relieving Mafeking
I decided to bring you with your Division round to this side of South
Africa. You carried out that duty in the same admirable manner as you
did the difficult operation which resulted in the surrender of General
Prinsloo and upwards of four thousand burghers who had been in arms
against us.
You have still some hard and responsible work before you, but I would
like you to understand that if your health requires change there is
really no necessity for you to continue longer in the field. I know from
what you have told me, and what I have heard from Lord Kitchener, that
you require rest and treatment, and as your services are too valuable to
the nation you have my full permission to resign your command and take
some months leave in England before you return to your District in
India.
With every good wish for your future success,
Believe me,
Yours sincerely,
Roberts, FM
P.S. Please excuse me writing to you by dictation as my horse fell on me
some ten days ago, and my right arm is still in a sling.
Accession Number: KO2686/024 & 025