From: "South Africa and the Boer-British War"
by J. Castell Hopkins and Murat Halstead, 1900
"The First Contingent was composed of seven Companies, recruited from
the various parts of the Dominion.
The formation by Company and District was as follows:
A Company, British Columbia and Manitoba
B Company, London, Ontario
C Company, Toronto, Ontario
D Company, left half Kingston and vicinity, right half Ottawa
Ontario
E Company,
Montreal
F Company, Quebec
G Company, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island
H Company, Nova Scotia
Each Company consisted of 125 men, which, with the staff and officers, brought the total force up to 1,019. The mobilization of the Contingent took place at Quebec, and on October 30, 1899, the Sardinian, of the Allan Line, bearing Canada's initial quota of fighting men, sailed on her voyage to Cape Town. On the 13th, November the Sardinian was reported at Cape Verde Islands, having made a quick and uneventful passage to that point. From Cape Verde the steamer touched at no point till Capetown was reached on November 29th.
FIRST CONTINGENT
OFFICERS
Majors
(2nd in Command)
Lieutenant-Colonel L. BUCHAN, Royal Canadian Regiment
of Infantry
Lieutenant-Colonel Q.C.C. PELLETIER, Canadain Staff
O.C. Machine Gunn Section
Captain A.C. BELL, Scots Guards, A.D.C. to the Major-General
Commanding Canadian Militia
Regimental Adjutant
Captain A.H. MACDONELL, Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry
Battalion Adjutants
Captain A.H. MACDONELL, Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry
Captain J.H.C. OGILVY, Royal Canadian Artillery
Quartermaster
Captain and Brevet Major S.J.A. DENISON, Royal Canadian
Regiment of Infantry
Medical Officers
Surgeon-Major C.W. WILSON, 3rd Field Battery
Surgeon-Major E. FISET, 89th Temiscouata and Rimouski
Battalion
Attached for Staff Duty
Major L.G. DRUMMOND, Scots Guards, Military Secretary
to His Excellency the Governor-General
Attached for Special Duty
Lieutenant-Colonel C.W. DRURY, Royal Canadian Artillery,
A.D.C. to His Excellency the Governor-General
Lieutenant-Colonel F.L. LESSARD, Royal Canadian Dragoons
Major M. CARTWRIGHT, Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry,
A.A.G. at Headquarters
Captain W. FORESTER, Royal Canadian Dragoons
Medical Staff for General Service
Captain A.B. OSBORNE, Canadian Army Medical Staff
Nurses
Miss Georgina POPE
Miss Sarah FORBES
Miss Minnie AFFLECK
Miss Elizabeth RUSSELL
Historical Recorder
Captain F.J. DIXON, Reserve Officers
Chaplains
Rev. J. ALMOND
Hon. Chaplain Rev. T.F. FULLERTON, 4th Regiment C.A.
Rev. P.M. O'LEARY