Cecil John Rhodes and Thomas Sheldon, jnr.

Post date: 30-Aug-2010 08:52:36

The local South African newspaper, Daily Dispatch, recently published a very brief article on the 30 August 1960 discovery of an undated letter written by Cecil John Rhodes to Colonel Charles Crewe of the Cape Government: "Dear Crewe, I have been asked to speak to you about the balance of the Paarl district troops under Sheldon. They say you have disbanded and they do not wish it. Yours, CJ Rhodes." (Source: "From Our Files", 30 August 2010, Dispatch.co.za)

This reference by Rhodes to Paarl and Sheldon would seem to be about Thomas Sheldon, jnr. and the disbandment of the 300 men strong Paarl District Mounted Troops during the Second Anglo-Boer War, which included two of his sons.

Sheldon, who had rose to the rank of Captain, wrote in his own summary of his activities during the War: "I organized the Paarl District Mounted Troops, over 300 men and commanded them until their disbandment, previous to that, at the request of a high authority, I had <illegible> the railway by night (a section of 20 miles for 6 months)." (Source: KAB GH 35/242 Ref: 261, Cape Town Archives)