Belmont
December 20th/99
South Africa

Joe

Dear brother I am still alive and well so far we are having a pretty lively time of it just now between outpost. patrols and punk tea & coffee bull beef soup of all description but after all things are moving along very nicely. I had a lot of stuff gathered up that I am going to bring home I sent maggie a small ostrich feather but when I come across a good black one I will get one. Are you done threshing yet how did you make out the weather is pretty warm here. Just now and is still getting hotter you would be surprised how soon you get used to it I am commencing to to like the heat. it will be pretty hard to stand the cold after we get back home providing nothing happens to me I suppose the news went home about us having 8 hours hard fighting loosing one man and a large number wounded you dont want to believe reports like that for that is all lies we have not had a scrap yet but are looking for one every day we are up at the front pretty well but we are guarding this place because there are a large amount of supplies kept here and I have come to the conclusion that we will never be in the firing line because there are Imperial regiments here galore well drilled disciplined and well officered which we are not the enemy are pretty hard pressed as it is and I hope it will soon be over the poor Boers are fighting against their will their commanders are driving them on with revolvers and you bet that things in that state the war cannot last very long I hope it dont for their sake I am going to send you some scraps that I found on the battle field here at belmont there is not much to be found but I have a few things and some papers one letter I am going to send you a [?] cross carabines they will do until I get something more substantial I have a lot of cartridges and things I cannot send by mail I am sending you three letters and hope this will find you all well goodbye love to all

Noble