TOPIC:

1900 - First colonial VC gazetted to Sgt A H L Richardson, LSH
1901 - Botha let his 1,000-man commando camp near Utrecht rest

1900 - Ex-President Kruger was being held at Lourenço Marques by the Portuguese authorities.

....The Daily Telegraph of to-day publishes exclusive information of the highest importance in reference to Mr. Kruger. It is alleged that he is now virtually a prisoner in the bands of the Portuguese. The despatches from the Telegraph's correspondent are as follows :— ....Mr. Kruger is ostensibly a prisoner in the Governor's house. The Governor's secretary is held responsible for Mr. Kruger, and has been instructed that he must not leave the residence.
....The French Consul and the French Attaché called to pay their respects, but were not allowed to see Mr. Kruger. The latter's officials are also debarred from visiting him, and Mr. Kruger is greatly dejected.
....Mr. Potts, who hitherto has been Consul of the Transvaal here, has received a notification from the Governor General to the effect that he (the Governor) has been instructed by the Lisbon authorities that Mr. Potts is no longer to be recognised as a representative of the South African Republic and Orange Free State, both countries being now British territory. ....I now learn that Mr. Kruger is nominally held a prisoner at the instance of the British Consul-General, who has strongly protested against his using Portuguese territory as a base for communicating or directing his Executive.
....Hence his removal to the Governor's residence, where he is kept under the strictest surveillance, a military guard being posted.
....The majority of the Transvaal officials have returned to Komati Poort.
....I saw Mr. Kruger, the Governor-General, Governor Machado, and Under-State Secretary Grobler engaged in earnest conversation on the verandah. Mr. Kruger wore a "bell-topper," and appeared much older and more worried than when I met him two months ago at Waterval Onder. I managed to get a snapshot of the group.
....Mr. Kruger, it appears, harangued his burghers when leaving Nelapruit. He said that although the peace delegates had been unsuccessful, now he would go to Europe and call for intervention from the foreign Powers. He added that the burghers must not lose heart, as the war was only just commencing. ....Acting President Schalk Burger arrived here to confer with Mr. Kruger, but was not allowed to do so. He left again immediately for the Transvaal, accompanied by Mr. Van Alphen and Mr. Eloff.
....Her Majesty's ship Doris has arrived here. Her Majesty's ship Partridge was to have sailed yesterday, but she was detained. She made a circuit of the inner bay to-day. ....Five men were arrested here last night. They are charged with being concerned in a plot to blow up Mr. Potts's house, in which Mr. Kruger was residing until to-day. Three of them were released to-day, and two, Britishers, were detained. After investigation, I have come to the conclusion that no such outrage was ever contemplated.
....The Irish-American brigade are making a stir at Komati Poort. They are mostly desperate, lawless, and destitute characters, and are expected here soon. The banks have been warned to take every precaution.
....I had a brief interview to-day with the American Attaché who is homeward bound. He is of opinion that the war may drag on for a considerable time. The Boer, he says, is a strange mixture of uncertainty. One day he is morose and dull and will fight like a devil ; another day he is cheerful and hopeful and will run away. The enemy are now in the throes of despair, but intend to fight to the death.
....Mr. Van Alphen, who returned to the Transvaal to-day, stated to me that his private opinion was that most of the burghers now consider that the Afrikander Bond and party have played the Transvaal false. He goes back, he says, to do his duty to his country. If it is useless to stay he will return here to take ship for foreign parts. If he had his choice he would prefer settling in Natal or Cape Colony, but he will never again live in the Transvaal under British rule.
Derby Daily Telegraph, Saturday 15th September 1900