Mr. J. Cannon was employed as a Guard on the Cape Government Railways trains on the main line north of Queenstown and on the Indwe and Aliwal North branches. A note on the roll states: 'These men were obliged to work over sections of the line which the military authorities considered it necessary to guard, and in the opinion of the local officers incurred actual risk, and this view is borne out by the frequent attempts to derail trains' (War Office records refer).

The King William's Town Veteran Volunteers were 29 strong during the 1877-8 Gaika-Galeka War.