Three Years' War   By: Christiaan Rudolf De Wet (1854-1922)

by

CHRISTIAAN RUDOLF DE WET

Frontispiece by John S. Sargent, R.A.

Four Plans and a Map

[Illustration: (signature) C. R. de Wet

New York Charles Scribner's Sons 1902 Copyright, 1902, by Charles Scribner's Sons All rights reserved Published, December, 1902 Trow Directory Printing and Bookbinding Company New York

TO MY FELLOW SUBJECTS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

Preface

By way of introduction to my work I wish, dear reader, to say only this short word: "I am no book writer." But I felt that the story of this struggle, in which a small people fought for liberty and right, is rightly said, throughout the civilized world, to be unknown, and that it was my duty to record my personal experiences in this war, for the present and for the future generations, not only for the Afrikander people, but for the whole world.

Not only did I consider this my duty, but I was encouraged to write by the urgings of prominent men among my people, of men of various nationalities and even of several British officers.

Well, dear reader, I hope that you will not feel disappointed in reading these experiences, as it is not in me, as is perhaps sometimes the case with historical authors, to conjure up thrilling pictures imaginary things and put them together merely to make up a book or to make a name for themselves. That be far from me! In publishing my book (although it is written in simple style) I had one object only , viz., to give to the world a story which, although it does not contain the whole of the truth, as regards this wondrous war, yet contains nothing but the truth.

The original has been written by me in Dutch, and I can therefore not be answerable for its translation into other languages.

C. R. DE WET.

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

I. I GO ON COMMANDO AS A PRIVATE BURGHER 3

II. NICHOLSON'S NEK 13

III. LADYSMITH BESIEGED 19

IV. I AM APPOINTED VECHTGENERAAL 22

V. THE OVERWHELMING FORCES OF LORD ROBERTS 26

VI. PAARDEBERG 39

VII. THE WILD FLIGHT FROM POPLAR GROVE 49

VIII. THE BURGHERS RECEIVE PERMISSION TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES 56

IX. SANNA'S POST 61

X. FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ENGLISH TAKEN PRISONER AT REDDERSBURG 71

XI. AN UNSUCCESSFUL SIEGE 77

XII. THE ENGLISH SWARM OVER OUR COUNTRY 82

XIII. OUR POSITION AT THE END OF MAY, 1900 92

XIV. ROODEWAL 96

XV. I MAKE LORD KITCHENER'S ACQUAINTANCE 108

XVI. BETHLEHEM IS CAPTURED BY THE ENGLISH 117

XVII. THE SURRENDER OF PRINSLOO 123

XVIII. I AM DRIVEN INTO THE TRANSVAAL 129

XIX. I RETURN TO THE FREE STATE 144

XX. THE OATH OF NEUTRALITY 156

XXI. FREDERIKSSTAD AND BOTHAVILLE 161

XXII. MY MARCH TO THE SOUTH 172

XXIII. I FAIL TO ENTER CAPE COLONY 180

XXIV. WHEREIN SOMETHING IS FOUND ABOUT WAR AGAINST WOMEN 191

XXV. I AGAIN ATTEMPT TO ENTER CAPE COLONY 197

XXVI. DARKNESS PROVES MY SALVATION 215

XXVII. WAS OURS A GUERILLA WAR? 225