Davidson - A Long Way to Shiloh

I came out by the north, it has to be understood, and turned north, myself, ten men and twenty pack animals, with thirty days rations.

We ate frugally, each man hoping to return with his surplus, no doubt bearing in mind that former occasion when even birds dung had to be sold for food at ten pieces a quarter, as history records and as we understand it.

We travelled by night, the consignment as follows: in plain terms, each beast one hundred kilograms; the total two thousand kilograms, all ingot, private ingot.

For the rest, the sergeants carried the BLCD and the corporals its equipment. The private soldiers carried the implements , shovels, picks and crowbars.

In one hundred and five kilometres, as understood, we reached the area and buried the BLCD. For the highest security, the private soldiers and myself only were parties to this operation. It was not witnessed. It is here: at a depth in plain terms of two metres, well-bound, covered with a layer of crushed marble, blue marble, and protected by slabs; the disposition according to the separate list.

The ingot is elsewhere, without such security, in several situations, the dispositions according to the separate lists.

After all the work we returned, more plainly myself, two officers, two sergeants, two corporals, four men. At the first halt the sergeants and corporals called aside the men in pairs and strangled them.

At the second halt, when the animals were foddered, each corporal was set to work separately, and as he worked was strangled, by the sergeants, working together; all this work with cords, and to the letter; all buried with appropriate rites.

At night in our camp, the two sergeants also, as they slept, by the officers, working together; this work by knife; all to the letter, with burial and rites.

The two officers are sworn men. No blame attaches to them.

Immediately the work was finished, we struck camp and proceeded , but about midnight were challenged in the dark and forced to halt while a mounted party drew up, a strong party. Their leader a captain, identified by our own officers was plainly of Northern Command, I repeat it, of Northern Command , and showed signed orders requiring us to accompany him to his command headquarters.

If I acted wrongly, it is to protect security and because of insufficient information. No one informed me Northern Command was concerned in this operation. I could think of no reason why this Command should be concerned. The young officer could give no reason. Further, the terms of his orders required our whole operation, the consignment and the men, to be turned over to Northern Command, which was no longer possible; although all was done legally and to the letter.

I therefore refused to recognise his authority and was immediately placed under arrest, and so we proceeded till two oclock, when we reached a bivouac position amid rocks, and camped.

The young officer acted punctiliously throughout, and no blame attaches to him. He did not require me to sleep with the men, although he posted guards over me. The guards likewise showed all respect and allowed me, during the night, to go behind a rock with the animals to fulfil a need of nature; whereupon I mounted and escaped.

The alarm was immediately raised, and I was pursued; but in this difficult terrain my more intimate knowledge allowed me to elude them, and in the dark I practised a simple strategem , dismounting and sending the animal in one direction and myself in another.

The pursuit was properly conducted and no blame attaches. I watched it for several hours, from a height, until it was called off about midday and they returned and struck camp and left.

I had no food or water.

I waited till night before moving.

I was weakened by my exertions, and fell and broke my arm. The bone protruded.

I was in a fever and my condition deteriorated. I could not see my way to returning so I went in the direction of the watering place where the people knew me.

I descended in a feeble state, afraid of violence. They keep pickets watching. They fear guerrillas.

I lay till it was safe and entered the village secretly, and made towards a light, and saw to my joy it was the old perfumery. The watchman was tending the boiler.

He knew me from old times, a good man, not unlettered, and he is suitable. I swore him and he took me in. If my actions are illegal, no blame attaches to him.

*

He said to write down the day he died so they will know. It was four days after he come, the 22nd March he died. He said he tell me what to do when I bury him but he never, he was raving, so I took him at night in the flower basket and bury him up behind the spring.

I said peace on his soul and God be merciful, he is a good man, a priest.

He wouldnt let me get any help when his arm stank, he wouldnt let me tell anybody, but I told the priest who come for flower oil and he said I said right when I bury him, which I hope, but he is not a real priest, they keep a different date.

I wrote twice what he wrote, I did my best. He said to say where I put it. I put one in The Curtains, high, two hundred metres, the Curtain you cannot see from here, turned away. It is in the first hole, you get down from the top. I put another farther on, down low, the bottom of the cliff, beyond as you go.