Personal correspondence, 1899-1902

References on this page: HAMILTON: 2/2/1-9

HAMILTON: 2/2/1

1899 Sep 11-1899 Nov 16

Letters sent by Hamilton to his wife Jean Miller Hamilton, mainly relating to the Second Boer War, including his posting to command an infantry brigade at Ladysmith, Natal, and his concerns of British forces being too far forward, 11 Oct 1899; his part in the battle of Elandslaagte, 23 Oct 1899; his efforts to oppose plans drawn up by Maj Walter Adye, Intelligence Officer to Gen Sir George Stuart White, Commanding Natal Field Force, for an attack, the which plans Hamilton alleged led to the defeat of the Force at the battle of Lombard's Kop, 31 Oct 1899. With telegram from Adjutant General's office, Hythe, Kent, notifying Hamilton of his selection for service in South Africa, 11 Sep. 1 file, 14 letters

HAMILTON: 2/2/2

1899 Oct 11-1902 Aug 18

Photocopies of letters from Hamilton to (Henry) Spenser Wilkinson, military historian and author, relating to the Second Boer War, including Hamilton's allegations of military incompetence against Gen Sir Redvers Henry Buller, General Officer Commanding Natal Army, 8 and 16 Mar 1900; on his stay at the house of Cecil (John) Rhodes, and the hatred between Boers and British colonial South Africans, 26 Mar 1900; his proposals to decentralize the administration of Lt Gen Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Baron Kitchener of Khartoum and Aspall, Commander in Chief South Africa, and improve standards of British musketry, 11 Nov 1901; his account of the battle of Rooiwal, Western Transvaal, 19 Apr 1902; on the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging, 31 May 1902. With copy of Kitchener's account of the last drive against the Boers in Western Transvaal, 7-11 May 1902 and Hamilton's orders issued to his columns for the advance towards Vryburg, 6 May 1902. 1 file, 10 letters

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1899 Oct 19-1901 Mar 27

Letters sent by Frederick Scott Oliver, author, to Vereker Monteith Hamilton, mainly relating to the progress of the Second Boer War, including the tactics of Boer Gen Petrus Jacobus Joubert at the battle of Elandslaagte, 23 Oct 1899; his speculation that FM Sir Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Baron Roberts of Kandahar and Waterford, Commander-in-Chief South Africa, would relieve Kimberley, 14 Feb 1900. With manuscript of Oliver's poem, 'Verses addressed to my country during a melancholy crisis', 14 Mar 1901. 1 file, 11 letters

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1900 Jan 8-1902 Mar 12

Various correspondence of Hamilton's brother Vereker Monteith Hamilton, including letter from John William Waterhouse, artist, inviting Vereker to join the Artists' War Fund, 8 Jan 1900; letter from Matthew Ridley Corbet, artist, regarding news from South Africa; two letters from Lady Feodora Gleichen, regarding exhibiting medals made by Vereker's wife Lilian, 2 and 25 May [1900]; letter from Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough, regarding his recent service in South Africa as aide-de-camp to Hamilton, 6 Aug 1900; letter from Charles Holroyd, artist, regarding Holroyd's recent holiday, 4 Sep 1900. 1 file

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1900 Mar 1-1900 Dec 11

Letters sent by Hamilton to his wife Jean Miller Hamilton, mainly relating to the Second Boer War, including the possibility of his taking Lt Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill as his aide-de-camp, and his allegations of the failure of Gen Sir Redvers Henry Buller as Commander-in-Chief South Africa and General Officer Commanding Natal Army; 9 Mar 1900; Hamilton's refusal of the offer of FM Sir Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Baron Roberts of Kandahar and Waterford, to command all British forces in the Cape Colony, 29 Jun 1900; Hamilton's proposals that Boer leaders should be allowed to negotiate peace terms instead of a forced unconditional surrender, 12 Jul 1900; on Buller's engagement with Boer forces at Lydenburg, Eastern Transvaal, 12 Sep 1900; Hamilton's acceptance of the post of Military Secretary, War Office, 10 Oct 1900. 1 file, 34 letters

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1900 Mar 27-1902 May 31

Letters sent by Hamilton to his brother Vereker Monteith Hamilton, mainly relating to their joint business affairs and investments, and including the reversals suffered by British forces in Western Transvaal caused by Boer Gen Jacobus Hercules De La Rey, 9 Mar 1902. 1 file, 9 letters

HAMILTON: 2/2/7

1901 Nov 9-1901 Dec 25

Letters sent by Hamilton to his wife Jean Miller Hamilton, mainly relating to the Second Boer War, including his recommendation to have an amnesty declared in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, his desire to decentralise the work of Lt Gen Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Baron Kitchener of Khartoum and Aspall, Commander in Chief South Africa, his perception of the poor standard of British musketry, and that Jean should show his letter to Rt Hon Joseph Chamberlain, Secretary of State for the Colonies, 11 Nov 1901; his fears that seeking an unconditional surrender from the Boers would prolong the war, 17 Dec 1901; his respect for Kitchener's character and abilities, 25 Dec 1901. With letter to Kitchener from 'Glasgow', accusing Hamilton, FM Sir Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts of Kandahar, Waterford and Pretoria, Commander in Chief of the British Army, and Rt Hon Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, Prime Minister, of being sympathetic to the Boers, 15 Nov 1901. 1 file, 11 letters

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1902 Jan 3-1902 Jun 15

Letters sent by Hamilton to his wife Jean Miller Hamilton, mainly relating to the Second Boer War, including his proposal that Lt Gen Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Baron Kitchener of Khartoum and Aspall, Commander in Chief South Africa, should be permitted to make peace terms with the Boers rather than Sir Alfred Milner, 1st Baron Milner of St James's and Capetown, Governor of the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, 17 Jan 1902; his criticism of (Joseph) Rudyard Kipling for advocating a denial of an amnesty to the Boers, 5 Feb 1902; the reaction of, to the capture of Lt Gen Paul Sandford Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen, by Boer Gen Jacobus Hercules De La Rey, 16 Mar 1902; Hamilton's plans to visit Japan and observe their army, 23 Mar 1902. With typescript copies of Hamilton's letter to to FM Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts of Kandahar, Waterford and Pretoria, Commander in Chief of the British Army, on his proposed visit to Japan, 29 Mar 1902; letter to Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill MP, on the proposed visit to Germany by Boer leaders at the invitation of the Pan-Germanic League; 8 Jun 1902; draft report by Hamilton to Kitchener on the battle of Rooiwal, Western Transvaal, 11 Apr 1902. 1 file, 17 letters

HAMILTON: 2/2/9

1902 Jan 20-1902 Jun 25

Photocopies of letters sent by Hamilton to Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill MP, relating to the Second Boer War, including Hamilton's proposals for making peace terms with the Boers, 20 Jan 1902; recommending that Churchill should not come to South Africa as a journalist, 23 Mar 1902; the negotiations taking place prior to the signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging, 31 May 1902. With letter from Churchill to Hamilton, regarding Churchill's admiration for Boer leaders, and condemning suggestions that British officers should be tried by courts martial for defeats suffered during the war, 25 Jun 1902. 1 file, 13 letters (Letters of 22 Mar and 25 Jun 1902 are originals, remainder are photocopies of originals held by Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge)