I am Driven into the Transvaal
As I have already stated, I led my commando, on the 15th of July,
through Slabbertsnek, out of the mountain district. My force amounted to
the total of two thousand six hundred burghers. The Government travelled
with us, and also alas! four hundred waggons and carts. Whatever I did,
it seemed as if I could not get rid of the waggons!
That night we reached a farm six miles to the east of Kaffirs Kop;
during our march we passed a column of the enemy that had left Bethlehem
in the afternoon.
On the following day I came into contact with some English troops, who
were marching in the direction of Witnek. They sent out a body of
cavalry to ascertain what our plans might be. It was very annoying to me
that they should thus discover our whereabouts, because it made it
impossible to carry out my intention of attacking one or other of the
English forces.
However, nothing was done that day, as neither we nor the enemy took up
the offensive.
In the evening we pushed on to the east of Lindley, and the following
day remained at the spot we had reached. The next evening we marched to
the farm of Riversdale; and the night of the 18th found us on the farm
of Mr. Thomas Naudé, to the north-west of Lindley. We discovered that
the English had all left this village and gone to Bethlehem. My scouts
reported to me, the following day, that an English force, some four
hundred men strong, was approaching Lindley. Need I say that these men
had to be captured? With five hundred burghers and two guns I went out
to do this. When I was only a short distance from my camp, I received a
report that a large force of cavalry, numbering seven or eight thousand
men, had arrived on the scene from Bethlehem. This compelled me to
abandon the idea of capturing those four hundred men, and, instead, to
try to escape in a westerly direction from this large body of mounted
troops.
That evening we reached the farm of Mr. C. Wessels, at Rivierplaats. The
next day we were forced to move on, for the mounted troops were coming
nearer to us. They marched, however, somewhat more to the right in the
direction of Roodewal; whereas I went towards Honingspruit, and halted
for the night at the farm of Paardenkraal.
On the following morning, the 20th of July, I let the commando go on,
whilst I stayed behind to reconnoitre from a neighbouring kop. The
President, and also some members of the Government, remained with me. We
had the opportunity of accepting the invitation of Mr. C. Wessels to
take breakfast at his house. It was there that General Piet de Wet came
to me and asked if I still saw any chance of being able to continue the
struggle?
The question made me very angry, and I did not try to hide the fact.
"Are you mad?"[62] I shouted, and with that I turned on my heel and
entered the house, quite unaware that Piet de Wet had that very moment
mounted his horse, and ridden away to follow his own course.
After breakfast we climbed the kop; and when we had made our observation
we followed after the laager. On reaching the commando, I gave orders to
outspan at twelve o'clock.
While this was being done I heard from my sons that Piet de Wet had
told them that we should all be captured that night near the railway
line. He had not known that it was my intention to cross the railway
that night, but he had guessed as much from the direction I let my
commando take.
At two o'clock I received a report that two divisions of English troops
were drawing near. One division was six miles to the left, and the other
eight miles to the right of the road along which we had come.
I gave orders immediately that the laager should break up. What an
indescribable burden this camp, with four hundred and sixty waggons and
carts, was to me! What a demoralizing effect it had upon the burghers!
My patience was sorely tried. Not only were we prevented from moving
rapidly by these hampering waggons, but also, should we have to fight, a
number of the burghers would be required to look after them, and so be
unable to fire a shot.
We marched to the farm of Mr. Hendrik Serfontein, on Doornspruit, and
whilst I was there, waiting for darkness, some burghers, who were not my
scouts, brought a report that there were English camps both at
Honingspruit and at Kaallaagte.
This alarmed the President and the members of the Government, because,
should this report prove true, we should be unable to cross the railway
line without hard fighting, and besides there would be a considerable
risk of being taken prisoner.
For myself, I did not pay any attention to these burghers. I relied on
my own scouts, and I waited for their reports. I knew that if there had
been any truth in what we had been told, that I should have heard the
news already from the men whom I had sent out in the morning in that
direction. At last some of Captain Scheepers' men appeared--he was
scouting in front, and Captain Danie Theron in the rear--and reported
that the railway line was clear, with the exception that at Honingspruit
there were half a dozen tents, and four in the Kaallaagte[63] to the
north of Serfontein, and a few small outposts. This information came as
a great relief to the President and the members of the Government.
If I was to escape from the large force which was dogging my footsteps,
it was now necessary to cross the railway. I had made all preparation
for this move. I had left behind me, that afternoon, on the banks of
Doornspruit a commando of burghers, with orders to keep the enemy back
until we should have crossed the line. And now I only waited until the
darkness should come to my assistance.
As soon as the night came I ordered the waggons to proceed in four rows,
with a force on each side, and with a rearguard and vanguard.
Immediately behind the vanguard followed the President and myself. When
we were about twenty minutes' march from the railway line I ordered the
two wings of my force, which were about three miles apart, to occupy the
line to the right and left of Serfontein Siding.
Before we had quite reached the railway I ordered the vanguard to remain
with the President, whilst I myself, with fifteen men, rode on to cut
the telegraph wire. Whilst we were engaged in this task a train
approached at full speed from the south. I had no dynamite with me, and
I could neither blow it up nor derail it. I could only place stones on
the line, but these were swept away by the cowcatcher, and so the train
passed in safety.
I had forbidden any shooting, for an engagement would have only produced
the greatest confusion in my big laager.
Just as the last waggon was crossing the line, I received a report that
Captain Theron had captured a train to the south of us. Having ordered
the waggons to proceed, I rode over to see what had happened. When I
arrived at the scene of action I found that the train had come to a
standstill owing to the breaking down of the engine, and that on this
the English troops had at once opened fire on my men, but that it had
not been long before the enemy surrendered. Four of the English, but
only one of our burghers, had been wounded.
It was very annoying that the laager was so far off, but it was
impossible to carry off the valuable ammunition which we found on the
train.
I gave orders that the four wounded soldiers, who were under the care of
the conductor of the train, should be taken from the hut in which I had
found them, and placed in a van where they would be safe when I set fire
to the train. After the burghers had helped themselves to sugar, coffee,
and such things, I burned everything that was left. My ninety-eight
prisoners I took with me.
We had not gone far when we heard the small arm ammunition explode; but
I cannot say that the sound troubled me at all!
Thus we crossed the line in safety, and Piet de Wet's prediction did not
come true. He knew that we had a large force behind us, and believing
that the railway line in front of us would be occupied by troops, he had
said: "This evening you will all be captured on the railway line." Yet
instead of finding ourselves captured, we had taken ninety-eight
prisoners, and destroyed a heavily-laden train! How frequently a Higher
Power over-rules the future in a way we least expect!
That night we reached the farm of Mahemsspruit. From there we moved on
to the Wonderheurel; and on the 22nd of July we arrived at the farm of
Vlakkuil. I remained here for a day, for I wished to find out what the
English troops (they had remained where we left them by the railway
line) were intending to do.
Whilst I was waiting I despatched some corn on a few of my waggons to
Mr. Mackenzie's mills near Vredefort, giving orders that it should be
ground.
During the afternoon it was reported to me that a strong column of
English were marching from Rhenosterriviersbrug to Vredefort, and that
they had camped on the farm Klipstapel, some eight miles from my laager.
Shortly after sunrise the following morning a second report was brought
to me. It appeared that the enemy had sent out a force to capture our
grain waggons, and had nearly overtaken them.
In an instant we were in our saddles, but we were too late to save our
corn.
When the enemy saw us they halted at once; and meanwhile the waggons
hurried on, at their utmost speed, to our camp.
The English numbered between five and six hundred men, whilst we were
only four hundred. But although we were the smaller force, I had no
intention of allowing our waggons to be captured without a shot, and I
ordered my burghers to charge.
It was an open plain; there was no possible cover either for us or for
the English. But we could not consider matters of that sort.
The burghers charged magnificently, and some even got to within two
hundred paces of the enemy. They then dismounted, and, lying flat upon
the ground, opened a fierce fire. One of the hottest fights one can
imagine followed.
Fortunately a few paces behind the burghers there was a hollow, and here
the horses were placed.
After an hour's fighting, I began to think that any moment the enemy
might be put to rout. But then something happened which had happened
very often before--a reinforcement appeared.
This reinforcement brought two guns with it; thus nothing was left to me
but retreat. Our loss was five killed and twelve wounded. What the loss
of the English was I do not know, but if the Kaffirs who lived near
there are to be trusted, it must have been considerable.
In the evening I moved my camp to Rhenosterpoort; whilst the English
went back to Klipstapel.
And now the English concentrated their forces. Great Army Corps gathered
round. From Bethlehem and Kroonstad new columns were constantly
arriving, until my force seemed nothing in comparison with them.
I was stationed on the farm of Rhenosterpoort, which is situated on the
Vaal River, twenty miles from Potchefstroom. At that town there was a
strong force of the enemy, on which I had constantly to keep my eye.
But, notwithstanding their overpowering numbers, it seemed as if the
English had no desire to follow me into the mountains of Rhenosterpoort.
They had a different plan. They began to march around me, sending troops
from Vredefort over Wonderheurel to Rhenoster River, and placing camps
all along the river as far as Baltespoort, and from there again
extending their cordon until Scandinavierdrift was reached.
We were forced now either to break through this cordon, or to cross the
Vaal River into the South African Republic. The Free-Stater preferred to
remain in his own country, and he would have been able to do so had we
not been hampered by a big "waggon-camp" and a large number of oxen. As
these were with us, the Boers found it hard to make up their minds to
break through the English lines as a horse-commando, as it necessitated
leaving all these waggons and oxen in the hands of the enemy. But there
we were between the cordon and the Vaal River.
Almost every day we came into contact with the enemy's outposts, and we
had an engagement with them near Witkopjes Rheboksfontein. On another
occasion we met them on different terms, in Mr. C.J. Bornman's house.
Some of his "visitors" were, unfortunately for themselves, found to be
English scouts--and became our prisoners.
We remained where we were until the 2nd of August. On that day we had to
drink a cup of bitterness. It was on the 2nd of August that I received
the news that Prinsloo had surrendered near Naauwpoort.
A letter arrived from General Broadwood in which he told me that a
report from General Marthinus Prinsloo addressed to me had arrived
through his lines. The bearer of it was General Prinsloo's secretary,
Mr. Kotzé. And now the English General asked me if I would guarantee
that the secretary should be allowed to return, after he had given me
particulars of the report he had brought.
Mr. Prinsloo's secretary must certainly have thought that he was the
chosen man to help us poor lost sheep, and to lead us safely into the
hands of the English! But I cannot help thinking that he was rather too
young for the task.
I had a strong suspicion that there must have been some very important
screw loose in the forces which we had left stationed behind the
Roodebergen, for on the previous day I had received a letter from
General Knox, who was at Kroonstad, telling me that General Prinsloo and
his commandos had surrendered.
In order to gain more information I gave General Broadwood my assurance
that I would allow Mr. Prinsloo's secretary to return unhurt.
When I had done this the President and some members of the Government
rode out with me to meet the bearer of this report. We did not wish to
give him any opportunities to spy out our positions. Half way between
the English lines and our own we met him. He presented us with this
letter:--
HUNTER'S CAMP, _30th July, 1900_.
TO THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, C.R. DE WET.
SIR,--
I have been obliged, owing to the overwhelming forces of the enemy,
to surrender unconditionally with all the Orange Free State laagers
here.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
M. PRINSLOO,
_Commander-in-Chief_.
I sent my reply in an unclosed envelope. It ran as follows:--
IN THE VELDT, _3rd August, 1900_.
TO MR. M. PRINSLOO.
SIR,--
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated
the 30th of last month. I am surprised to see that you call
yourself Commander-in-Chief. By what right do you usurp that title?
You have no right to act as Commander-in-Chief.
I have the honour to be,
C.R. DE WET,
_Commander-in-Chief_.
Hardly had I written this letter before two men on horseback appeared.
They proved to be burghers sent by General Piet Fourie, who was with
Prinsloo at the time of his surrender. These burghers brought from
Generals Fourie, Froneman, and from Commandant Hasebroek and others, a
fuller report of the surrender of Prinsloo. We learnt from the report
that not all of the burghers had surrendered, but that, on the contrary,
some two thousand had escaped. This news relieved our minds.
President Steyn and myself determined to despatch Judge Hertzog to the
commandos which had escaped, giving him instructions to bring them back
with him if possible. We had been told that these commandos were
somewhere on the Wilgerivier, in the district of Harrismith.
My position had now become very difficult. It seemed, as far as I could
discover, that there were five or six English generals and forty
thousand troops, of which the greater part were mounted, all of them
trying their best to capture the Government and me.
My force numbered two thousand five hundred men.
On the afternoon when I received the above-mentioned letter, there was
still a way of escape open to me, through Parijs[64] to Potchefstroom.
This road crossed the Vaal River at Schoemansdrift, and then followed
the course of the stream between Parijs and Vanvurenskloof. It was now,
however, somewhat unsafe, for that same afternoon a large force of the
enemy was marching along the Vaal River from Vredefort to Parijs. These
troops would be able to reach Vanvurenskloof early the following
morning; whilst the force at Potchefstroom, which I have already
mentioned in this chapter, would also be able to arrive there at the
same hour.
I led my burghers that evening across the Vaal River to Venterskroon,
which lies six miles from Schoemansdrift. The following morning my
scouts reported that the English were rapidly approaching from
Potchefstroom in two divisions; one was at Zandnek: the other had
already reached Roodekraal on its way to Schoemansdrift. One of these
divisions, my scouts told me, might be turning aside to Vanvurenskloof.
Now the road from Venterskroon passed between two mountain chains to the
north of Vanvurenskloof; and I feared that the English would block the
way there. I had to avoid this at all costs, but I had hardly a man
available for the purpose. The greater part of my burghers were still to
the south-east and south-west of the Vaal River.
There was nothing left for me to do except to take the burghers who
remained with me, and, whilst the laager followed us as quickly as
possible, to advance and prevent the enemy from occupying the kloof.
This I did, and took a part of my men to Vanvurenskloof, whilst I sent
another body of burghers to Zandnek.
Everything went smoothly. The enemy did not appear and the laager
escaped without let or hindrance--and so we camped at Vanvurenskloof.
I must have misled the English, for they certainly would have thought
that I would come out by the road near Roodekraal. But I cannot
understand why the force in our rear, which had arrived at Parijs the
previous evening, remained there overnight, nor why, when they did move
on the following morning, they marched to Lindequesdrift, eight miles up
the Vaal River, and not, as might well have been expected, to
Vanvurenskloof.
The burghers whom I sent in the direction of Roodekraal had a fight with
the enemy at Tijgerfontein. A heavy bombardment took place; and my men
told me afterwards that the baboons, of which there were a large number
in these mountains, sprang from cliff to cliff screaming with
fright--poor creatures--as the rocks were split on every side by the
lyddite shells.
The burghers came to close quarters with the enemy, and a fierce
engagement with small arms took place.
It appeared later that the enemy's casualties amounted to more than a
hundred dead and wounded. Our loss was only two men.
As I have already stated, we camped at Vanvurenskloof. The next morning,
while we were still there, we were surprised by the enemy--an unpleasant
thing for men with empty stomachs.
I did not receive any report from my scouts[65] until the English were
not more than three thousand paces from us, and had already opened fire
on the laager, not only with their guns, but also with their rifles. We
at once took the best positions we could find; and meanwhile the waggons
got away as quickly as possible. They succeeded in getting over the
first ridge, and thus gained a certain amount of shelter, whilst we kept
the English busy.
The enemy approached nearer and nearer to us with overpowering forces.
Then they charged, and I saw man after man fall, struck down by our
merciless fire. We were quite unable to hold the enemy back, and so we
had to leave our positions, having lost one dead and one wounded.
That night we marched ten miles to the east of Gatsrand, on the road to
Frederiksstad Station, and the following morning we arrived at the foot
of the mountain. Here we outspanned for a short time, but we could not
wait long, for our pursuers were following us at a great pace. It was
not only the force from the other side of Vanvurenskloof with which we
had to deal. The united forces of the English had now concentrated from
different points with the purpose of working our ruin.
The English were exceedingly angry that we had escaped from them on the
Vaal River, for they had thought that they had us safely in their hands.
That we should have succeeded in eluding them was quite beyond their
calculations; and in order to free themselves from any blame in the
matter, they reported that we had crossed the river at a place where
there was no ford, but this was not true; we had crossed by the waggon
and post ford--the well-known Schoemansdrift.
But whether the enemy were angry or not, there was no doubt that they
were pursuing us in very large numbers, and that we had to escape from
them. That evening, the 7th of August, we went to the north of
Frederiksstad Station, and blew up a bridge with two spans and wrecked
the line with dynamite.
The following day we arrived at the Mooi River. This river is never dry
winter or summer, but always flows with a stream as clear as crystal. It
affords an inexhaustible supply of water to the rich land that lies
along its bank. It is a fitting name for it--the name of Mooi.[66]
At the other side of this river we found General Liebenberg's commando,
which, like ourselves, was in the trap.
The General joined us on our march, and the following day we were nine
miles from Ventersdorp.
Early that morning a report came that the English were approaching and
were extended right across the country.
"Inspan!"
No man uttered a word of complaint; each man did his work so quickly
that one could hardly believe that a laager could be put on the move in
so short a time. And away the waggons and carts skurried, steering their
course to Ventersdorp.
It was impossible to think of fighting--the enemy's numbers were far too
great. Our only safety lay in flight.
We knew very well that an Englishman cannot keep up with a Boer on the
march, and that if he tries to do so, he soon finds that his horses and
oxen can go no further. Our intention was then to march at the very best
pace we could, so that the enemy might be forced to stop from sheer
exhaustion. And as the reader will soon see, our plan was successful.
Nevertheless we had to do some fighting, to protect our laager from a
force of cavalry that was rapidly coming up with us.
They wanted to make an end of this small body of Boers, which was always
retreating, but yet, now and again, offering some slight
resistance--this tiny force that was always teaching them unpleasant
lessons; first at Retiefsnek, then to the north of Lindley, then on the
railway line, then near Vredefort, then at Rhenosterpoort, and then
again at Tijgerfontein. Yes; this sort of thing must come to an end once
for all!
We attacked the approaching troops, and succeeded in checking their
advance. But our resistance could not last long, and soon we had to
retreat and leave one of our Krupps behind us.
Had I not continued firing with my Krupp until it was impossible to save
it, then, in all probability, the laager would have been taken. But
with the loss of this Krupp we saved the laager.
I withdrew my burghers; I released the prisoners whom I had with me.
And now it was my task to make it as difficult as possible for my
pursuers. The winter grass on the veldt was dry and very inflammable,
and I decided to set fire to it, in order that the English might find it
impossible to obtain pasture for their oxen and cattle. I accordingly
set it alight, and very soon the country behind was black.
We hurried on until we reached Mr. Smit's farm, which is one hour on
horseback from the southern slopes of the Witwatersrand--the great
dividing chain of mountains that runs in the direction of Marico.
Crossing this range, we continued on the march the whole night until, on
the morning of the 11th of August, we arrived at the southern side of
the Magaliesberg.
In the afternoon we went over the saddle of the mountain and across the
Krokodil River.
My idea was to remain here and give our horses and oxen a rest, for the
veldt was in good condition, and we could, if it were necessary, occupy
the shoulder of the mountain behind us.
General Liebenberg took possession of the position to the west, near
Rustenburg; but hardly had he done so, before the English made their
appearance, coming over another part of the mountain. He sent me a
report to this effect, adding that he was unable to remain where he was
stationed.
Thus again we had to retreat, and I was unable to give my animals the
rest I had intended to give them.
We now took the road from Rustenburg to Pretoria, and arrived the
following evening close to Commandonek, which we soon found was held by
an English force.
I left the laager behind and rode on in advance with a horse-commando.
When I was a short distance from the enemy, I sent a letter to the
officer in command, telling him that, if he did not surrender, I would
attack him. I did this in order to discover the strength of the English
force, and to find out if it were possible to attack the enemy at once,
and forcing our way through the Nek, get to the east of the forces that
were pursuing me.
My despatch rider succeeded in getting into the English camp before he
could be blindfolded. He came back with the customary refusal, and
reported that although the enemy's force was not very large, still the
positions held were so strong that I could not hope to be able to
capture them before the English behind me arrived.
I had therefore to give up the thought of breaking through these and
flanking the English. Thus, instead of attacking the enemy, we went in
the direction of Zoutpan, and arrived a few hours later at the Krokodil
River.
I had now left the English a considerable distance behind me; and so at
last--we were able to give ourselves a little rest.
[Footnote 62: I put down here the very words I used, for any other
course would not be honest.]
[Footnote 63: Kaallaagte--a barren hollow.]
[Footnote 64: Parijs is situated on the Vaal River.]
[Footnote 65: The reason why Captain Scheepers was so late in sending
his report was because he himself was engaging the enemy with six of his
men near Zandnek. He had come across a convoy of fourteen waggons and
thirty men, and had, after an hour's fight, nearly brought them to the
point of surrendering, when reinforcements arrived. He was thus forced
to retire, and then discovered that the enemy were approaching our
laager; and he had a hair's breadth escape from capture in bringing me
the report.]
[Footnote 66: "Mooi" means beautiful in the Taal language.]