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Auction: 24028 - Stamps and Covers of British Africa
Lot: 1045

(x) Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902
The Steven Walske Collection of the Boer War Sieges
Siege of Wepener: 9-25 April 1900
1900 (19 Apr.) envelope showing Cape Mounted Rifle's crest on flap (with letter headlined "C.M.R. Camp Jammerberg, Wepener" ex the Tudor correspondence to Mount Frere, Griqualand East, carried by courier to Mafeteng where Cape 1d. cancelled by "155" barred numeral with "mafeteng" c.d.s. (26.4) alongside and showing, on reverse, Aliwal North (28.4) and arrival datestamps. The letter with interesting contents including "...I had better not send it now, as this is going by a runner tonight who is making for Mafeteng with dispatches for newspapers & as he is the first to make the attempt I think I will not risk my long letter being lost...Since Sunday (Easter Day) the attack has been a very feeble affair & most of the Boers & their guns have drawn off & we get an occasional shell & the snipers keep sniping. This is the 12th day of fighting & our casualties now amount to 140 of whom 20 were killed & 5 have died of their wounds…We have just heard that Gatacre is engaging the enemy 12 miles from here & so we may hope to see him tomorrow or the next day…". Very rare. Photo

provenance:
Ken Griffith, December 2006

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£3,500 to £5,000

Starting price
£2800