BETHAL
BETHAL AND THE SECOND FREEDOM WAR,
1899-1902
The provisional appointment of H S Grobler, on 1 March 1899 as
Mr W H Ackerman, a former teacher of Hoogehout High
School, did the community of Bethal; a special favour, by recording
memories of ex-combatants. These memories are derived from his
book Opsaal, which served as an important source.
#The Jameson-raid
With an armed force, attacked Dr Jameson on New Year’s Eve 1895 the Transvaal, but the next day he was forced to surrender. The attack on independence of the Republic was averted in that way, because Jameson together with a group of foreigners in Johannesburg had conspired to overthrow the government of President Paul Kruger. Commandant Piet Erasmus tells of a time in New Year’s Eve of 1895 when he, as a young man, attended a dance at the farm Mooimeisiesfontein. Suddenly, there arrived a commanding man and read out names of the people who were to report at Trichardtsfontein the following day. From there they were to travel to Johannesburg in order to curb the threat of a revolt.
#Prelude to the Second Freedom War
After the Jameson Raid the relationship between the Boer
Republic and Britain worsened. The government of the Z.A.R.
prepared for war and began large scale armament. Weapons like
Creusotsen Krupp cannons, Longtoms, Mauser rifles, cartridges and so
on, were imported from France and Germany.
When war clouds were threatening, the Commandant General had ensured that the citizens were equipped for battle. In circulars from the Commandant General received on 2nd and 3rd May by Magistrate’s and * Veldkornet offices; instructions were given that: "laat door elk VC (veldkornet) of Ass. VC onderzoeken of elken burger in bezit is van zijn 50 Gouvts. Patrone." Roughly translated means: “let each *VC (veldkornet) or Assistant VC examine if each citizen is in possession of 50 Government’s cartridges..."
The army of Transvaal was organised as follows:
people of age
16 and 60 were service obligated, and there were a total of about 30
000 men. The Commandant General (Gen. Piet Joubert, was
succeeded during the war, by General. L Botha), [who] was the
commander-in-chief, and was assisted, by a number of generals. A
field general issued orders, out on several commandants, who in turn
were in charge of districts. The districts were divided into wards,
each with a commanding *
veldkornet.
In Bethal, Commandant Piet Greyling was assisted by Daniel Breytenbach (Ward 1: South of the watershed) and H S Grobler (Ward 2: North of the watershed). During the war it was Breytenbach and later Grobler who followed Greyling as commandants, in such a way that Piet Erasmus and Koos de Villiers were the new *veldkornets.
The war begins
On 25 September 1899 amicable negotiation between Britain and Boer Republic broke. War was in the air and Transvaal battle forces were ready. Greyling commissioned his *Veldkornets to assemble all obligation citizens in the Church Square, with “horse, saddle and bridle, and food provision for eight days.” That same day departed Bethal commando of 400 men to face the ominous. They crossed the Vaal River during the dark where the lighting its first victim struck, one known as Botha. The commando went to Sandspruit, in order to invade Natal, where the main forces of the Transvaal were concentrated.
The Boer Republic issued an ultimatum to Britain on 9 October which would expire on 11 October. At Sandspruit the government sent a telegram at 5.51 pm that says Britain rejects the ultimatum and the war therefore begins.
To Natal
Under the command of General Lucas Meyer pulled the Bethal Commando inside Natal.
About this, uncle Frikkie of Eeden tells more: "I was shot the first blow in Natal
on the Talana Hill and they left me for dead. A piece of shrapnel grenade got here
in my jaw in my sleep and went out through my mouth. I slept for seven months at
hospital in Pretoria and thereafter I went back to the commando."
That the Bethal Commando delivered exceptional service, is evidenced by the fact that General Botha, who was Commander-General who took over from H S Grobler, commanded that hundred best men of this commando should be sought out, so that he could use them as a reserve force in emergencies. These were once sent out on a weather clearing up mission. For three days they were trapped beneath murderous cannon fire. Among them a twenty-one year old Henry Hancke tells: “Our horses were so hungry that they ate each other’s mane and necks raw, and the stones around them were finely chewed.
The *Bethallers participated in the battles at Talana, Spionkop and the Siege of Ladysmith... During August and September 1901 General L Botha entered Natal for the second time, Bethal Commando made up the biggest part of his trip.
From the "Roll of Honour", published by the Junior Rapportryerkorpse of Natal Region, the below extract of *Bethallers who paid, in Natal, the supreme sacrifice: Talana (Dundee) – 20 October 1899: killed: C P Brits, A Dreyer, M D Greyling, W A Pretorius. Battles around Spionkop – 18-23 January 1899: Killed: W Malan Mishaps elsewhere in Natal, Glencoe: P F J Pretorius (accident) and C G Smith (accident).
Donkerhoek and Dalmanutha
After Lord Roberts took over Johannesburg and then Pretoria, the morale was low among citizens. Commandant H S Grobler tells: "The people’s moods were down and many went home. I then got command from General Botha to also go home and try to organise them…The mission was fortunate, because the citizens were equally willing to return to the war, with about two hundred men I returned to Donkerhoek."
#The battles at Donkerhoek (near Pretoria) were in favour of the Boers. The * Bethallers performed yet again, because when General Botha reported to President Kruger by telegram, he mentioned in particular, the distinguished performance of Bethal Commando. "When the English horse riders met with Bethal commando, the English turned back with great loss."
Meanwhile President Kruger evacuated Pretoria and departed with railway to Machadodorp out, with Lord Roberts following afterwards. At Dalmanutha the Boer forces fought hard, determined to stop Lord Roberts; and heavy fighting ensued there. Amid the fighting, the young Henry Hancke was one of three volunteers sent to fetch a fatally wounded Captain Dalwig. This is what uncle Hendrik tells about this: "When we wanted to pick him up on the blanket near the cannon, he said: 'Let me just stand because I am dying already'. I then said to him, 'Captain, you can die if you wish, but we are taking you away from here'"
The Bethal Commando move to its own environment
After the lost battle of Dalmanutha General Botha realised that the British superior force could no longer be overcome with conventional battles.
Following General De Wet's success with a new tactic – Guerrilla warfare – Botha also decided on that. Accordingly, the Boer forces were to be divided into smaller, mobile units that would operate, in as far as possible, into their own familiar environment. Units would act independently of each other and would take care of their own food and ammunition. The aim was to exhaust the enemy and to make it tired for the war. For this reason, major conflicts would be avoided and to concentrate more on the destruction of the enemy’s line of connections. General Botha scattered out the commando all over the Highveld. Bethal was still not in the hands of British and Commandant H S Grobler was asked to retain it at all costs.
Powerless against the Boers new fighting tactics, Lord Kitchener, who succeeded Lord Roberts meanwhile as commander of the British forces in South Africa, also changed his war tactics. By the end of 1900, the British army split into smaller, more mobile units and drive hunts organised by the flying columns. Spread over a line of fifty or more kilometres, they tried to block Boers against manned blockhouses that were connected by barbed wire. Through this, not much success was achieved. Uncle Cornelius de Jager (Uncle Fishaan) tells how easy the Boers could slip through the blockhouses: "During such times things had to be done gently. If the wire had to be cut, it was done in the evening and then the commando had to cross through there during midnight. The citizens with their horses passed there quietly, but oh, the pack horses with their dear pot porridge and tin buckets; could make such a noise!"
When the ride-hunt did not deliver enough success,
Kitchener decided to destroy the Boers' subsistence
resources by means of a *scorched – earth policy.
Farms and towns, with everything in them, were destroyed.
Women and children were taken to concentration camps.
Commandant Grobler threw a bank of hope against
General French’s Flying Squad that was harassing the
Highveld. Two of the Squads under control of
Colonel Beatson and Colonel Benson, did the most
destroying work in the Bethal-District.
During June 1901 the Boers succeeded to inflict defeat to the English columns at the battle of Wilmansrust. Here seven citizens were killed, they were buried on K***stad, were the memorial was erected. Commandant Grobler’s wife noted in her diary how their homestead on the farm Rensburghoop was burned down during June 1901. Her husband and a group of citizens could not prevent it. Mrs Grobler was taken away and along the road homesteads on the farms Witbank, Bakenlaagte also were burnt down. After ten days in appalling conditions, the group of women and children reached Springs, were they were transported on open coal train coaches to Johannesburg concentration camps.
Ruins of Uncle Danie Erasmus’s house which was burned down at
Yzervarkfontein during the war. The photo below shows the
house that was
built after the war.
Rebuilt house
Bethal is destroyed
Mrs Liebenberg, wife of a local minister, noted on her diary how Bethal was destroyed by the English troops on 21st and 22nd May 1901. According to her diary, all the officials and other men left the town on the previous day. The women and children, on the 20th were removed from their homes and taken on open wagons to a hill outside town.
The tarpaulin was strung over two wagons; Mrs Liebenberg spent the night under the wagons. The soldiers removed the furniture out of the houses, chopped it as firewood and gave it to the women. They spent the next two days in May cold, amid crying children, terrified they look on how Bethal went up in flames.
The women were from here taken to Standerton concentration camp. On the journey and in the concentration camp, they endured many hardships arising from shortage of food, clean water and shelter. Deaths; especially among small children, were regular occurrences.
The battle of Bakenlaagte, October 30th, 1901
When General Botha invaded Natal again in August and September, he took most of Bethal Commando with him. Only few men under Piet Erasmus remained. Consequently Colonel Benson applied his *scorched – earth policy with little effort.
On 20 October 1901 Benson left Middelburg with fresh and well equipped convoy, consisting of 1 900 men. His goal was to beat the *Bethallers and to "Clean sweep the Highveld once and for all". Benson was a special formidable opponent. He had grasped the art of guerrilla warfare and had applied it himself. By making use of Boere traitors and working people who knew the area, he made Bethal Commando suffer very hard.
Commandant Grobler returned to Bethal from Natal, commanded by General Botha, because there were British troops in Bethal. On 22 October Grobler was informed that Benson was spotted at Steenkoolspruit. Botha was informed of it and of when he showed up. Benson had his hands full with *Bethallers, reinforced by Middelburg Commando; they severely restricted his movements.
General Botha joined Commandant Grobler with his main force on 30 October, and distribute his 1 200 men on a line of about two kilometres. Benson, oblivious of Botha’s presence, moved with his army right up to the Boers line. At two O’clock in the afternoon, his convoy was on the hill Nooitgedacht, while his artillery and the majority of his troops were on Kruisementfontein.
Due to the deceiving nature of the terrain, the English only spotted the Boers when they were right
up to them. The Boers rushed with an effort to first
overpower the cannons. Fifty yards of the cannons,
the Boers jumped off their horses, lied flat and
started shooting. With the small fireworks, the Boers
and Britons reaped each other. Benson summoned
reinforcements from the cannons, but they too were
cut off. Gradually however, the Boers got the upper
hand and concluded the battle in their favour.
Benson was seriously wounded and died the next morning. In submission to the Bethal Commando that had previously harassed him, he called on his death, that his arms should be handed to Commandant Grobler. 77 British were slain compared to 52 Boers, of which 16 were of the Bethal Commando.
Uncle Klasie Grobler was a 17 years old lad who fought in the Battle of Bakenlaagte. During the battle he was hit by shrapnel and he narrowly escaped death.
The last bitter seven months
After the battle of Bakenlaagte, new blockhouses were erected between Standerton and Ermelo. To make the holding pen even smaller, the same was done between Brugspruit and Greylingstad. With more than 20 000 men renewed ride hunts were launched. The number of traitors serving the British army took such a rate that Bethal and surrounding parts became extremely unsafe.
Food, clothing and ammunition were very rare and could only be obtained by plundering British. Uncle Albert van Rensburg tells that they went during the nights to steal in the English camp. The *Bethallers number was decimated by many who were caught. In December 1901 Rev. Liebenberg and many civilians were caught. In April, 74 were caught at Slagkraal.
The surrender
Early in May 1902, commandant Grobler responded as follows to General Botha’s question: "General, you cannot expect to get more from the broken *Bethallers..." During the meeting of Representatives held from 15 May at Vereeniging, commandant Grobler gave the following report on the situation in Bethal: “The district Bethal has been devastated by one after the other [calamity]. He (Commandant Grobler) has no food for your commando and sits with 300 family members. The families’ situation was worse. Women of k***s ...
The war was ended with Peace of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902. *Bethallers laid their weapons down on the farm of Uncle Danie Grey’s farm on 7 June. It is here that for the last time, General Botha is discussed.
SIMPLE TRANSLATION OF OPEN BRIEF OPEN LETTER
To all Officials and Citizens of Z.A.R. which have hitherto exercised their duties for the Country and People’s faith.
BROTHERS AND COUNTRY MEN,
We feel it our duty to say thank you and goodbye to you to focus on termination of our struggle. It is our duty to inform you that a peace is very close, as set out in the Agreement to be signed by the two Governments, and was set up in the decision taken today by the People’s Assembly, in Vereeniging.
We say thank you for heroism, for your sacrifice on so much that you loved and hold dear; for your obedience; and for thy faithful performance of duty, which stretches all the honour and glory for the Afrikaner people.
We recommend all of you to rest in peace, quiet and to behave and obey the new Government with respect. We also propose to inform you that the representatives of both countries Main Committees were appointed for the purpose of obtaining money and resources to provide as much as possible, the needs of the Widows' wellbeing, whose husbands and fathers lives were lost in the battle for freedom and justice, but whose memory will live on in our history. We also express this in our heart, actual Sympathy that mourners pray that the Lord may give them strength to cross.
We must... also give a word of thanks to our Women and Children...
Now there is peace, and although not a peace just as requested by us, let us acquiesce in that way in which God has led us. We can, with a clear conscience declare that People’s two and half year’s battle, has ruined in a manner just as almost unprecedented in history.
Let us now grasp one another’s hand for the great struggle before us; good and welfare of our people in spiritual and social field ... and let us learn to forget and so forgive, so that the deep wounds may be healed ...
S W BURGER LOUIS BOTHA Vereeniging 31st May 1902.
Citizens’ grave memorial is revealed here on 22 November 1974 by the former State President and Prime Minister, B J Vorster.
The Penkoppe
The Penkoppe were young boys who were not yet [military] service obliged, but nevertheless joined the commandos.
Uncle Ben said: "There was a time when I walked away to the commando, and came to my father's commando. He gave me a dressing down and sent me home. I stayed home for few days and ran away again in another direction and came up to Captain Jack Hindon and Henri Slegtkamp. They soon provided me with a horse and gun, and I also met my eldest brother Gert - everything was right this time round."
Uncle Cor says: When the war started, I was willing to join the commando, but because I was still thirteen years old, my mother would hear none of it. After the English captured Johannesburg, I ran away to the commando, and stayed with the *Bethallers until I was caught and sent to Bermuda,” as related by uncle Gert.
Uncle Jannie Ras says: “I was only 12 years old when I ran away to the commando. In the beginning I had to hold the horses when there was fighting, but I stayed with the Bethal commando in the field and was never caught. On June 7, 1902 I travelled with the commando's weapons on to Grey's farm.
#The prisoners-of-war
Rev Liebenberg’s diary tells of his experiences as a prisoner-of-war after he was caught at Oshoek on December 4, 1901. Below are some excerpts:
"The 4th of December was one of the important days, but the Scriptures says: “All things work together for good, and there are other sheep of the flock – the prisoners of war – that must be cared for spiritually…The first night of our imprisonment, we slept on one of the blockhouses…tied together and over one another. Our shoes were all in one heap outside the wire fort."
While they were in a camp just outside Ladysmith waiting for transport that would take them to an overseas prisoners of war camp; the following scene played out:
"...On a certain evening, some of the guys treated the camp community to a concert and hinted a little too tight on the enemy, that the following week we were transported to warmer quarters. We were loaded in one of the infected transport ship from Durban Bay, where some of us almost died due to Durban’s oppressive summer climate, and poorly ventilated undersea, eat and sleep cabins."
"It was my worst experience and the difficult time during the whole war period. In the end we were transported on a third ship of the same calibre to India and we landed in Madras. There, we were in different camps with other prisoners-of-war...
"In India we enjoyed wonderful times that one can exchange with nothing on the world: regular, two services per day – morning and evening. The school was established for the large number of child prisoners-of-war and young people. Brave boys! So early in the war mill! A regular catechism class was held and an Endeavour Society was formed...
"When mail was delivered in the camp, there were always tears of sorrow and heart pain, because sickness and death of women, mothers and children from the concentration camps in South Africa, was the order of the day. Even the minister was not immune from this, because he had to give up one of his two young children."
From the diary of Daniël Dirk du Plooij, on 10 December 1901 on the farm Rotterdam, Bethal district; who was taken captive; the following excerpts comes as he originally wrote:
The train ticket issued to Mr C D Kleynhans of Bethal, during his prisoner-of-war journey, to St Helena.
#
"We left Standerton on
Saturday 14th December 1901...Departed from Ladysmith on Monday 16th December 1901...
Departed from Durban on 17th December 1901...
Arrived in Cape Friday 20th December 1901...
Cape departure Saturday 21st January 1901...
Bermuda arrived Friday 17th January 1902...
Hawkins Island arrived on Saturday 17th January 1902...
We are informed of Message of peace discussion on
14th April 1902. Message that peace is made, was
announced on June 1st ...
From Hawkins [we] left for Hinsons Island and arrived
on Friday 25 July 1902 at Hinsons...
Arrived in Bermuda departed on Monday 25th August 1902...
Cape arrived 17th September 1902...
Departure from Simon Camp (at Simon's Bay) on Friday
26th September 4 o'clock in the afternoon...
Standerton arrived on Thursday 2nd October.
Standerton departure Wednesday 22-10-1902...
Bethal arrived Friday 24-10-1902..."
