I Again Attempt to Enter Cape Colony
I was now about to make a second attempt to march into Cape Colony. I
had great fears that my plans would leak out, since I was obliged to
mention them to the commandants. But I was not able to confine all
knowledge of my future movements entirely to the commandants. For I had
sent many a burgher home to fetch a second horse; and the burghers began
to make all sorts of guesses as to why they had to fetch the horses; and
one could hear them mutter: "We are going to the Colony."
But nevertheless they were all in good spirits, with the exception of
some, who had for commander a most contradictory and obstinate officer.
By January the 25th nearly the whole of my commandos had assembled; only
General Philip Botha, with the burghers from Vrede under Commandant
Hermanus Botha, had yet to arrive in order to complete our numbers; and
he had been prevented coming.
President Steyn and the Government decided to go with me and my two
thousand burghers.
At Doornberg the council of war was called together by the Government.
President Steyn then communicated to the meeting that his term of office
would soon expire. He pointed out that the provisions of the law
designed to meet this contingency could not be carried out, because a
legally constituted Volksraad could not be summoned at the present
moment.
The council of war decided to propose a candidate to the burghers
without any delay, at the same time giving them the option of
nominating candidates of their own. Further, it was decided that the
candidate who should be elected should be sworn in as Vice-States
President, and retain that title until the time arrived when the
condition of the country should make it possible to hold an election in
conformity with the law.
After the voting had taken place, it was found that the former
President, Marthinus Theunis Steyn, had been unanimously re-elected.
At the burghers' meeting the voting resulted in the same way, except at
a meeting at which Mr. Cecil Rhodes was proposed as a candidate. This
proposal was not seconded!
President Steyn was declared elected. And he was then sworn in.
The executive Raad now consisted of the President, as chairman, with T.
Brain, Secretary of State, W.J.C. Brebner, Secretary of State, A.P.
Cronje, Jan Meijer and myself as members. Mr. Rocco De Villiers was
Secretary of the War Council, and Mr. Gordon Fraser, Private Secretary
to the States President.
No States-Procureur had been appointed since Mr. Jacob De Villiers had
been taken prisoner at Bothaville; but the Council appointed Mr. Hendrik
Potgieter, Landdrost of Kroonstad, as Public Prosecutor.
Various causes had made it impossible for a legally constituted
Volksraad to sit. Some members had, as we called it, "hands-upped";
others had thought that they had done quite enough when they had voted
for the war. I would be the last to assert that they had done wrong in
voting thus. The whole world is convinced that, whatever the Boers might
have done, England was determined to colour the map of South Africa red!
And England succeeded beyond her expectations! For South Africa was
stained with the blood of burghers and defenceless women and children,
and with the blood of English soldiers who had died in a quarrel for
which they were not responsible, and which could have been avoided!
There were other members--and I had no patience with them--who had said:
"We will give our last drop of blood for our country," and then had
taken good care that no one should have a chance of getting even the
first drop! They preferred to remain quietly at home, and wait for the
English to come and make them prisoners of war!
Only a minority of the members had remained faithful to our cause, and
these did not constitute a quorum; and so no sitting could take place.
This small party, as far as I can recollect, consisted of the following
ten members: C.H. Wessels Bishop, Chairman; Wessel Wessels (Vrede); J.B.
Wessels (Winburg); A.P. Cronje (Winburg); Jan Steijl (Bloemfontein); Jan
Meijer (Harrismith); J.J. Van Niekerk (Fauresmith); Daniel Steyn
(Heilbron); Hendrik Ecksteen (Vrede); and Hendrik Serfontein
(Kroonstad).
We marched from Doornberg on the 26th of January to Commandant Sarel
Hasebroek's farm, which is eight miles to the north of Winburg.
There was a strong English force seven or eight miles to the east of
Winburg, and another body of the enemy eleven or twelve miles still
further to the east. In addition, a column was marching northwards from
Ventersburg, west of our position.
It was perfectly plain that the enemy were aware of our intentions; but
this, as I have already said, could not be helped. Our army was so
constituted that no secret could be kept; and I decided for the future
to tell no one of any further plans I might form.
On the 27th of January I reconnoitred to the east of Winburg, and took
care to let myself be seen, for I wished to make it appear that it was
my intention to proceed in that direction in the evening. Meanwhile I
secretly sent my scouts to the west.
That night I marched to the west of Winburg, crossing the branch
railway without meeting with any opposition, and arrived on the
following morning at the Vet River--to the south of the town. We did not
advance very fast,[81] as we expected that we should soon once more have
to face the difficulty of marching with exhausted horses.
In the afternoon we continued our way till we had passed Tabaksberg. The
following morning, January 28th, I received a report that the English
were advancing in two divisions. I ordered my burghers to up-saddle and
to occupy positions to the east of Takasberg.
The enemy's right wing was to the east, and we stationed ourselves on
some ridges that lay in front of them, but were unable to deliver an
attack. We charged their left wing, however, and captured a
Maxim-Nordenfeldt, which was in perfect order, at the cost of one killed
and three wounded. Our other losses amounted to a very small number.
As to the enemy's losses, they took some of their dead and wounded away,
but they left behind them several of their dead at the spot where we had
captured the gun.
To remain there and continue the fighting the next day could not even be
thought of; for if we had waited the English would have had time to
bring up reinforcements, and my plan of entering Cape Colony would have
been rendered impossible.
Our position was difficult enough. The enemy were at our heels, and we
had to get away as best we could. In front of us there was the line of
fortifications from Bloemfontein to Ladybrand, which had been greatly
strengthened since we had forced our way through it at Springhaansnek.
It was impossible to get through at Springhaansnek now.
I decided to march towards Thaba'Nchu. But in order to deceive the
English I sent a strong patrol on the following day in the direction of
Springhaansnek, ordering them to make no attempt to conceal their
movements.
I could advance for eight miles without attracting the enemy's notice;
but if I had gone further I should have been seen from the forts. I need
scarcely say that it was greatly to my advantage not to give the English
a chance of seeing me. And so when we had covered eight miles we
off-saddled. If I had allowed the English to discover what I was doing
they would have brought up troops from Thaba'Nchu, Sanna's Post and
Bloemfontein; and these troops in combination with the force behind me
might have put me into a very awkward position.
My old friend, General Knox, whose duty it had been to prevent me
entering Cape Colony on a previous occasion, was again entrusted with
the same task. Any person who has had dealings with this General will
acknowledge that he is apt to be rather a troublesome friend; for not
only does he understand the art of marching by night, but he is also
rather inclined to be overbearing when he measures his strength with
that of his opponents.
And now, as we were in camp, congratulating ourselves that we were safe
for the time being, my scouts reported that this same General Knox was
approaching. I at once ordered the burghers to up-saddle, and to inspan
the ten waggons we had with us laden with ammunition and flour.
I left behind me a portion of my commando under General Fourie, whose
duty it was to check General Knox, whilst I myself was going forward to
clear a road through the enemy's forts.
It was lucky for us that General Knox had been deceived by the strong
patrol I had sent in the direction of Springhaansnek, and that he had
come to the conclusion that my commando was marching to the same place.
He therefore started off in that direction and continued until he
discovered his mistake. Then he turned aside and came in contact with
General Fourie. Our men held him back for a few hours, and lost two men,
very badly wounded in the engagement.
Whilst this was occurring I had reached the forts between Thaba'Nchu and
Sanna's Post. When I was there a reinforcement of cavalry approached
from the direction of Bloemfontein.
I immediately opened fire (with a gun and a Maxim-Nordenfeldt at a range
of 4,000 paces) on the fort, which obstructed my road. After we had
fired a few shots the English abandoned that fort and fled to the
nearest fort to the east. Shortly afterwards this fort was also
abandoned.
The fort to the west was captured by Commandant Steenekamp and the
Heilbron burghers. They succeeded in taking a few prisoners; but most of
the enemy fled to Sanna's Post. Only one of the Heilbron burghers was
wounded--Piet Steenekamp, the son of the Commandant.
And now our road was clear; and we passed through! General Fourie joined
us two hours after sunset. Then we marched on to Dewetsdorp[82] where we
arrived on January 31st.
General Knox, I heard, proceeded to Bloemfontein; thence he sent his
troops to the railway bridge across the Orange River, near Bethulie. He
was now aware that we were determined to enter the Colony at all costs,
and so he stationed troops everywhere to turn us back. He placed forces
not only at Bethulie railway bridge, but also at Springfontein, and
Norvalspont. Thus he could easily prevent us crossing at the fords.
I had now to find some trump card which would spoil the game he was
playing!
I ordered General Froneman to proceed from the source of the Kaffir
River in the direction of Jagersfontein Road Station, to the west of
Dewetsdorp: General Fourie I despatched in the direction of
Odendaalsstroom, on the Orange River, to the farm of Klein
Kinderfontein, to the west of Smithfield.
I then sent scouts to the neighbourhood of Odendaalsdrift. They told me
that there was an English patrol at the drift, and that they had heard
that the enemy expected that we should try and cross into Cape Colony at
that spot.
The following day I ordered a patrol to ride up and down the river; and
I caused a report to be spread to the effect that I considered it too
dangerous to cross the Orange River below its junction with the Caledon,
owing to the river being already very full and quite unfordable if there
was any rain at all; and that I had for this reason decided to recall
General Froneman, and to take Odendaalsstroom by force, or else to
attack the enemy at the Aliwal-north Bridge.
I felt quite sure that this rumour would reach General Knox that very
day, for he had plenty of friends in the neighbourhood of the Caledon
and the Orange River.
General Froneman had orders to march in the direction of Zanddrift,
which is about half-way between Norvals Pont railway bridge and that of
Hopetown. He succeeded in capturing a train close to Jagersfontein Road
Station, by the simple device of blowing up the line both in front of it
and behind it. In this train the burghers found a great quantity of
things they greatly needed.
It should not be forgotten that there were scarcely any factories in
South Africa, and this was more especially the case in the two
Republics. And, as all imports had been stopped for some considerable
time, it was natural that any booty which consisted of such things as
saddles, blankets and ammunition was very acceptable.
When the burghers had helped themselves to what they wanted, the train
was burnt.
For the space of a day I remained quiet, so that I might be quite sure
that the English had received the report I had spread.
I soon discovered that my plan had been quite successful. The English
marched off in the direction I wished, believing, no doubt, that the
rumours they had heard were true; whilst I, on the evening of the 5th of
February, 1901, took some of the burghers, with the guns and waggons, to
a spot between the stations of Springfontein and Jagersfontein, and the
following day remained in hiding.
I left General Fourie behind me with a horse-commando, with orders to
remain there for two days, and to carry on manoeuvres in the direction
of Odendaalsstroom.
I crossed the railway line that evening without any mishap to my force,
but to my great sorrow the valiant Lieutenant Banie[83] Enslin, one of
the best of my scouts, was severely wounded the same night, and fell
into the hands of the English. He had ridden in advance with one of
Theron's Scouting Corps, with the object of finding a favourable spot
where he could lead us across the railway. The night was very dark, and
he had lost his way. We crossed, as I have already said, without
hindrance; but he and his companions rode into an outpost of the enemy a
few miles to the north. The English opened fire on them, with the
unhappy result that the estimable Banie was so seriously wounded that he
had to be left behind. His comrades joined us the following morning,
bringing the sad news with them.
We now continued our march at as rapid a pace as was possible; but the
road was so soaked by rain that it was difficult for the oxen and the
mules to draw the waggons and the guns.
On the 8th of February we overtook General Froneman at Lubbesdrift, six
miles to the north of Philippolis. We pushed on that evening towards
Zanddrift, which we reached on the 10th of February. Then we crossed
over into Cape Colony.
When we had crossed the river, I received a report from my scouts that
there were about twenty of the enemy in a strong _schanze_ on a kopje,
which was about half an hour's march further up stream. I gave orders
that a veldtcornet and twenty-five men, among whom was one of my staff,
Willem Pretorius, should go and capture the _schanze_.
The veldtcornet preferred not to approach beyond a certain distance, and
consequently Willem Pretorius and four other men were left to do the
work.
Willem climbed the hill from one side, and the others, dividing into
two, climbed it from the other side at two different points. They were
met by a severe fire from the fort, but when they got to close quarters
up went the white flag, and the English shouted "We surrender!"
Thus Willem Pretorius and four burghers captured twenty prisoners and a
like number of horses, saddles, bridles, rifles and bandoliers, not to
mention some three thousand cartridges.
When the veldtcornet at last arrived with his twenty men, he certainly
proved himself very useful in carrying away the booty!
This veldtcornet was shortly afterwards "Stellenbosched."[84] I then
nominated in his place Willem Pretorius[85] as veldtcornet.
We left the river that afternoon behind us, and marched south to Mr.
Bezuidenhout's farm. The following day we waited there for General
Fourie to join us. He arrived the next day--and now we were ready to
begin the game once more!
Our position was embarrassing, for not only was there a large English
force at General Fourie's heels, but also there were two strong columns
on the north from Colesberg, which were making for Hamelfontein. And
these two columns were some twelve miles from us.
I at once set out in the direction of Hamelfontein, and the following
day I discovered that the enemy's columns had divided into two parties;
one of them had gone in a westerly direction, whilst the other was
marching straight towards us. Meanwhile the force which had pursued
General Fourie had crossed the river at Zanddrift.
My intention had been to divide my force into three divisions directly I
arrived in the Colony. But I had been obliged to wait till General
Fourie could join me; and when he had come, there was such large numbers
of the enemy on every side that they gave me no opportunity of carrying
out my original intention.
I may mention here that Lieutenant Malan, who became afterwards
Commandant, and ultimately Vechtgeneraal, had penetrated into the Colony
with fifty or sixty men, and had advanced considerably farther than I
had done.
That afternoon I ordered the small waggon to proceed to a point between
Philipstown and Petrusville.
We had several slight skirmishes with the English; and at sunset we
nearly fell into their hands, but fortunately we were successful in
holding the enemy in check until our small laager had passed.
During that night we marched to Hondeblaf River. The following morning
we found that there was no grass for the horses, for the locusts had
eaten it all. The horses, poor creatures, were very hungry, and also
much exhausted by all those forced marches. When we had been at Winburg,
the pasture had been very poor although it had rained every day. This,
of course, was very good for the veldt; but unfortunately it did not
rain grass--the veldt required time to produce it.
All this was most unlucky. Already some of my men had to go on foot, and
there were no horses to be obtained in that district.
The number of my burghers had now been diminished by nearly six hundred
men. Commandant Prinsloo had remained behind with three hundred men,
Vice-Commandant Van Tonder with one hundred, and lastly, Commandant De
Vos at the Orange River with two hundred.
There was now only one course open to us--and that was to cross as
quickly as possible the railway line near Hopetown, for if an English
force was brought down by rail, it would mean our utter destruction.
We accordingly moved away at once from Hondeblaf River. The following
day the English were again hot on our track. I ordered General Fourie
and General Froneman to oppose the enemy, for it was necessary that
something should be done to save our rearguard from being cut off. These
Generals had several sharp engagements with the English, resulting in
the capture of a number of prisoners, and a considerable loss in dead
and wounded to the English.
After we had been on the march for a short time, a "Broodspioen"[86]
came rushing up to me. (Had not my scouts been riding in a different
direction they would have given me notice of his proximity.) He told me
that he and a friend of his of the same calling had gone to a farm near
by to buy bread, but when they had approached the house, a number of
English soldiers appeared at the door and called out "hands up!" His
friend had been captured, but he having been some fifteen paces from the
house, had managed to escape under a hail of bullets. He had had to
gallop one thousand paces before he could get out of range behind a
ridge that stretched between us and the farm. I ordered the burghers to
halt behind the ridge, and sent a small body of men ahead to determine
the strength of the enemy. We could now see that the English had hidden
their horses behind some fruit-trees. When they caught sight of our men
on the top of the ridge, they took up positions behind kraals and a
dam-wall not far from the house, knowing well that escape was
impossible.
I thought it best to send a note to this handful of men, advising them
to surrender, for I did not wish that any of my burghers' lives should
be sacrificed in an unnecessary attack. Whilst I was writing the letter
they punctuated it by an incessant fire, to which the burghers replied
by a few shots, although none of the enemy were visible. As soon,
however, as my despatch rider appeared with a white flag, their firing
ceased. The answer they returned left something to be desired--"We shall
not surrender!"
I immediately ordered fifty of my men to attack them. Hardly had I given
the order, when a number of young burghers sprung on their horses and
galloped at break-neck pace towards the kraals.
And now there was an end to all boasting, for without firing a single
shot the enemy surrendered.
We took twenty prisoners there, and an equal number of rifles and
bandoliers. The horses we captured--again twenty in number--were in
excellent condition, and all up-saddled. We now had made ninety men our
prisoners since we crossed the Orange River.
The joy of the Broodspioen, who had been for fifty minutes in the hands
of the English, was very great; and I believe he never returned again to
his very doubtful profession.
The following day we came to a farm about six miles to the east of
Houtkraal Station, which we christened Moddervlei,[87] on account of the
experience we had on the night following our arrival.
The great English force was close behind us, and when night fell the
enemy were not more than five miles from us.
It was at the hour of sunset, shortly before we came to the swamp, which
I shall presently describe, that my scouts came across fifteen of the
enemy. When the English saw our men they turned round at once. But they
did not get away before one was shot from his horse, and another
seriously wounded, and several of them taken prisoner.
I now sent two patrols to blow up the railway, seven miles at each side
of the point where I intended to cross. I had no wish that an armoured
train should appear and prevent my crossing.
But, before we could reach the railway line a swamp lay in our way. This
swamp was about one thousand paces broad, and was covered knee deep with
water, and in some places even deeper; for heavy rain had fallen during
the afternoon. The water, however, would have been a matter of very
little consequence, had it not been that the bottom of the swamp was of
such a nature that the horses sank in it up to their knees, and even
sometimes up to their girths. But we fourteen hundred riders had to get
over it somehow or other!
Let the reader try to picture to himself the condition of the swamp when
the last burgher had crossed!
Many of the men lost their balance as their horses struggled in the mud,
and several of the burghers had to dismount and lead their poor
tired-out animals.
The guns and the waggons caused us a great deal of trouble. We inspanned
thirty oxen to each gun; but if it got stuck fast in the mud, fifty oxen
were sometimes not sufficient to move it.
At last we got the guns through, and succeeded in getting a trolley,
and the little waggon which carried my documents and papers, safely to
the other side. But the ammunition and flour-waggons were impossible to
move when they had once entered the swamp.
It was a night which I shall never forget!
We had now to determine what we should do with the waggons. The day
would soon break and we could only cross the railway line when darkness
covered our movements. It would be disastrous to us if, while we were
still between the swamp and the railway, troops should be brought up by
rail from De Aar and Hopetown.
It was perfectly clear that those who had crossed the swamp must go on.
And so I advanced, at the same time giving General Fourie orders to
remain behind with a hundred of the men whose horses were less exhausted
than those of the other burghers, and to try to get the waggons through.
In the event of the enemy arriving before his task was completed, I told
him to leave the waggons and make his escape to the south.
Having given these orders, I proceeded with my commando to the railway
line. Only the weakest of the horses were with us, so that many of my
burghers had to go on foot.
The ninety prisoners we had taken were with me. I could not release
them, because I did not want them to tell the enemy how exhausted our
horses were. Should the English know this they would know exactly where
our weak point lay.
I pitied the poor "Tommies," but what else could I do but order them to
march with me? I treated them as well as I could, and made no difference
between them and the burghers. And after all, many of our own men had to
go on foot.
Any delay was dangerous, and so we hurried on as fast as possible. When
we reached the railway line, day had already begun to break.
Fortunately, we met with no opposition; the patrols had followed my
orders and broken the line.
When the sun rose one could see what a terrible condition the burghers
were in. On every man's face utter exhaustion could be read. But how
could it have been otherwise? The men had had fighting to do the
previous day, and had only once been able to off-saddle, and that not
long enough to cook a piece of meat. Rain had also been falling in
torrents, and most of the men were wet to the skin, for very few of them
had waterproofs. And to make matters still worse, the burghers were
covered with the mud from the swamp that still clung to them.
Twenty-four hours had passed without the men being able to lie down and
rest; and sleep, of course, had been entirely impossible.
Three miles beyond the railway line I gave orders to off-saddle,
although there was no grass for the horses. Hardly had we dismounted
when I was told that we should find grass about one hour's ride further
on. And so we mounted again, fatigued though we were, and found pasture
at last for the poor animals. I thought it better that the masters
should endure more hardships than that the horses should go without
grass. We were rewarded for our short ride by the knowledge that our
horses had something to eat, and we could sleep in peace without having
to think that our animals were starving.
But before we could sleep hunger compelled us to kill a sheep which we
had bought from a farmer living near. In that part of Cape Colony
sheep-farming is almost the only occupation, and so well adapted is this
district for rearing sheep that it is quite an exception to see a lean
one. It may interest some of my readers to know that the African sheep
has a very remarkable peculiarity; it possesses a huge tail, which
sometimes weighs as much as ten pounds.
We were unable to obtain bread, and our flour had remained behind in the
waggons. The sound of an explosion had told us that General Fourie had
not been able to save them, and that by now they must have been burnt.
I heard later on that General Fourie had been attacked by the English
and had not been able to set fire to the waggons himself. But the
English, so my scouts informed me, had done the work for him, and so
thoroughly that they had also burnt some of their own waggons which had
got into the swamp.
After we had helped ourselves to a good "African boutspan," and had
slept with our saddles as pillows, we were all in good spirits again,
although we could not forget our experiences in the swamp.
The burghers whom I had with me were of the right stamp, and were
prepared to sacrifice everything for the freedom of the people. If any
one had asked them whether they were ready to undergo any further
hardships, they would have replied that a hundred swamps would not
discourage them. They knew that freedom was a pearl of such value that
no man since the world began had been able to set a price upon it.
When General Fourie had abandoned the waggons, he retreated to the
south, crossing the railway at De Aar. He joined me again near
Petrusville when I was returning to the Free State.
As the English had to march round the swamp, leaving their waggons
behind, we were not pressed for time, or obliged to march very far. We
took advantage of this respite to give our horses a little rest.
I now proceeded to the west of Hopetown, in the direction of
Strijdenburg. The following day the English were again on our heels in
greater numbers than ever, and advancing more speedily than before. I
was obliged to engage their vanguard for nearly the whole of that day.
That evening we arrived at a spot about ten or twelve miles to the
north-west of Strijdenburg. Here I left Commandant Hasebroek behind
with three hundred men, till the following morning, with orders to watch
the enemy and hold them back if necessary. This would give my burghers
who were on foot, or whose horses were exhausted, a chance of getting
away.
I might here explain to the uninitiated our methods of checking the
advance of the enemy.
The burghers who had the best horses would remain behind any rise or
kopje they could find in the neighbourhood. When the enemy approached
and saw ahead of them two or three hundred burghers they would halt and
bring their guns (which were usually placed in the middle of the column)
to the front. When they had got the guns in position, they would bombard
the ridge behind which the burghers were stationed. But as our men had
no wish to remain under fire, they would then quietly withdraw out of
sight. But the English would continue bombarding the hill, and would
send flanking parties to the right and left. Sometimes it would take the
English several hours before they could make sure that there were no
Boers behind the rise.
It was tactics such as the above that gave my burghers who were
handicapped by the condition of their horses, time to retreat.
It sometimes happened, in these rearguard actions, when the position was
favourable, that the enemy were led into an ambush, and then they were
either captured or sent racing back under our fire to bring up their
guns and main force. Had we not acted in some such way as this, all my
men would have been taken prisoner in this and in many other marches.
The large forces which the English on all occasions concentrated round
me deprived me of any chance of fighting a great battle; and I could
only act in the way I did.
If the reader is eager to know how it was that I kept out of the enemy's
hands until the end of the war, I can only answer, although I may not
be understood, that I ascribed it to nothing else than this:--It was not
God's will that I should fall into their hands.
Let those who rejoice at my miraculous escapes give all the praise to
God.
[Footnote 81: Our forethought proved later on to have been of little
avail. For notwithstanding the bountiful rains which had fallen at the
end of November and the beginning of January in the southern and western
parts of the State we found, when we arrived there, that the grass had
been entirely destroyed by the locusts. Neither could we obtain any
fodder; and so the difficulty of providing for our horses was as great
as ever.]
[Footnote 82: At this date the English had not re-garrisoned the town.]
[Footnote 83: Barend.]
[Footnote 84: Stellenbosched: this was the word the English applied to
officers, who, on account of inefficiency, or for other reasons, had to
be dismissed. Stellenbosch was a place where only very unimportant work
was performed.]
[Footnote 85: I must give a short account of Willem Pretorius, for he
was a dear friend of mine. He had only reached the age of twenty when I
made him a Veldtcornet. His courage certainly could not be surpassed,
yet he never let it go beyond his reason. About twenty days before the
conclusion of Peace, he was killed by a bullet at a range of 1,100
paces. Throughout the whole previous course of the war fortune had
favoured him almost miraculously: six horses had been killed and many
more wounded under him; yet he had never received more than a scratch.
But in the end he, like so many other brave men, was destined to die for
the country that he loved so dearly. Poor Willem! You and the other
heroes in our struggle will live for ever in our memories.]
[Footnote 86: Broodspioen: _literally_ a bread spy. This was the name
applied to a burgher, who, with or without an order from his officer,
rode in advance of his commando to obtain bread for himself and his
comrades. He was frequently a man who placed the interests of his
stomach before the safety of his commando.]
[Footnote 87: A swamp.]