TOPIC:

1900 - In the Gatsrand, near Fochville, Commandant Danie Theron was planning an attack with General Liebenberg's commando on General Hart's column. Whilst out scouting to discover why Leibenberg was not at the agreed position, Theron ran into seven members of Marshall's Horse. During the resultant engagement Theron killed three and wounded the other four. The column's escort was alerted by the firing and immediately reinforced the hill, but Theron managed to avoid capture. Finally the column's artillery, six field guns and 4.7 inch navel gun, were readied and the hill bombarded. Theron was killed by the artillery fire. Eleven days later, his body was exhumed by his men and later reburied next to his fiancée, Hannie Neethling, at her father's farm of Eikenhof, Klip River.



On learning of Theron's death, De Wet said: "Men as lovable or as valiant there might be, but where shall I find a man who combined so many virtues and good qualities in one person? Not only had he the heart of a lion but he also possessed consummate tact and the greatest energy... Danie Theron answered the highest demands that could be made on a warrior".

Letter from Botha to Roberts:

To this letter the head of the Boer army replied as follows:

Commissariat Camp, Sept. 4, 1900.
To Lord Roberts, Field Marshal, Commander-in-Chief of the British Troops in South Africa:

Your Excellency,

In reply to your Excellency's letter of the 2nd I have the honor to make the following reply, to wit: Considering that our military forces are very small in comparison to those of your army, it can naturally not be expected to find large commandoes of Boers everywhere in the field, and therefore it stands to reason that whatever was expected from our side was to be accomplished by small bodies (commandoes), as throughout the whole course of the war and even now we are still compelled to cut our forces up into small bodies in order to resist the robbing patrols under Your Excellency's command, who ravage the country and carry away stock and provisions from the various homesteads.

Second—With regard to your contention that there exists no regular body of war forces except those under my personal command, I deny emphatically any such statement, since our military troops are still divided and controlled on the same basis as in the beginning of the war according to the laws of the country.

Third—With regard to article 3 of your letter now under consideration, I am already cognizant of the fact that similar barbarous acts were perpetrated by troops under your command, and that not only near or along railway lines, but also far away.

Whenever your troops moved about, not only houses were burned down or blown up with dynamite, but also helpless women and children were driven from their homes and deprived of food and clothing without the slightest ground for any such deed.

Fourth—With regard to article 4 of your letter now under consideration, I sincerely regret to see that the determination of me and my burghers to persevere in the strike for our independence will be avenged by you on our wives and children. Since it is the first instance of this kind known to men in the history of civilized warfare nothing else remains for me to do but to protest against your proposed intentions, it being against the principles of civilized warfare and extremely cruel to women and children.

It is especially cruel in the case of aged women were it with regard to the wife of His Honor, the State President, who, as you must be aware, cannot travel without fear of losing her life, and it would simply mean a murder to force her to travel thus. The pretext mentioned by you, viz., that by such action you wish to protect yourself against any information being brought over to us, is doubtless a delusion, since such precaution was not deemed necessary by you when our troops were in immediate vicinity of Pretoria. It is unnecessary to add that we have never received any information through women and children with regard to military operations.

Fifth—In case Your Excellency persists in carrying out your plans, which I trust will not be the case, I request Your Excellency to give me notice in time of date and particulars of their expulsion, as I intend to take steps to send the families on to Europe.

Referring to Your Excellency's remark concerning accommodation for the families, I am prepared to send, for the sake of their convenience, cars to any place mentioned by Your Excellency, as also machines for the line between Watervaal Biven and Watervaal Bridge, provided that Your Excellency guarantees the safe return of such cars and machines.

Sixth—In conclusion, I wish to state that nothing done by you to our women and children will prevent us from continuing the war for our independence. I have the honor to be,

Louis Botha, Commandant-General.

1901 - General Lyttelton succeeds to the Natal command from General Hildyard.

1901 - Cape Town, Wednesday.—An armoured train was derailed while entering Taungs Station on the 2nd inst., a native having turned the points the wrong way. Treachery is expected, as there are Boers in the neighbourhood. Three men were killed by the accident, and five were wounded, including an officer. Taungs is about 80 miles north of Kimberley on the De Aar Rhodesia Railway.—Press Association.
The Gloucester Citizen, Thursday 5th September 1901

1901 - ....A member of the Cape Police who deserted and joined the Boers at Klipdam. and took part in the fighting round Kimberley, has been sentenced by the treason court here to seven years' imprisonment with hard labour.
Portsmouth Evening News, Thursday 5th September 1901