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By B.J. Vorster, jun., on behalf of Baron Eugene Oppenheim, about July or August, 1890, to C.C. van Heerden, member of the Volksraad for Wakkerstroom, one spider; A.A. Stoop, member of the Volksraad for Wakkerstroom, one spider; F.G.H. Wolmarans, member of the Volksraad for Rustenburg, one spider; B.W.J. Steenkamp, member of the Volksraad for Piet Relief, one spider; J.P.L. Lombard, member of the Volksraad for Standerton, one spider; H.F. Grobler, member of the Volksraad for Middelburg, one spider; W.L. de la Rey, member of the Volksraad for Bloemhof, one spider; D.W. Taljaard, member of the Volksraad for Standerton, one spider; J.C. van Zyl, member of the Volksraad for Heidelburg, one spider; J.P. Botha, member of the Volksraad for Pretoria, one spider; H.P. Beukes, member of the Volksraad for Marico, one spider; J.F. van Staden, member of the Volksraad for Vryheid, one spider; J.M. Malan, member of the Volksraad for Rustenburg, one spider; N.M.S. Prinsloo, member of the Volksraad for Potchefstroom, one cart; T.C. Greyling, member of the Volksraad for Heidelberg, one cart.
We were now safely on our way back to Rustenburg, and had to leave General French with his 30,000 or 40,000 men to drive along helpless women and children, and all the cattle he could lay hands on. Commandant-General Louis Botha had strictly forbidden the women to leave their farms after the Battle of Boesmanskop, so that the enormous woman lager received no new additions.
They were formed, therefore, by the Government at convenient centres, chiefly at Pretoria, Johannesburg, Krugersdorp, Middelburg, Potchefstroom, Rustenburg, Heidelburg, Standerton, Pietersburg, Klerksdorp, and Volksrust in the Transvaal; Bloemfontein, Kroonstad, Bethulie, and Edenburg in the Orange Free State.
From your side you deemed it necessary, before answering us, first to receive the instructions of your foreign principals. Before you could give us the result the President explained his intentions at Heidelberg, and afterwards at Rustenburg and Johannesburg. Your letter, now under consideration, contains practically a definite answer to our communication to you.
He left my brother and me with Captain Kirsten, who had to reconnoitre in the direction of Rustenburg along the Magalies Mountains. We first of all passed through Commandonek, and found that deserted by the enemy. We had no adventures on our way to Rustenburg.
Methuen's division, which had been doing very arduous service in the north of the Free State during the last six weeks, now received orders to proceed into the Transvaal and to pass northwards through the disturbed districts en route for Rustenburg, which appeared to be the storm centre.
Towards the end of July Carrington marched his force to Rustenburg, and thence past Wonderboompoort, while another force proceeded from Olifantsfontein in the direction of Witbank Station. We were, therefore, threatened on both sides and obliged to fall back on Machadodorp. The beginning of August saw my commandos falling back on Machadodorp.
'Sir, these are indisputable facts, which I have repeated as accurately as I could, leaving your readers to draw their own conclusions. 'Rustenburg, Transvaal: July 1901. A long and curious letter appears in the 'Suisse Liberale' from a young Swiss who spent the whole time of the war upon a farm in the Thabanchu district of the Orange Free State.
Its advance was further delayed by a break of gauge on the railway between Beira and Buluwayo; it was pulled hither and thither, and was never able to co-operate effectively with the general operations. It was moved in driblets, and some details did not reach Buluwayo until September. A portion of it came along the Western line, and Rustenburg was saved by the Imperial Bushmen.
There were many such instances of bravery, but one that is almost incredible occurred at the place called Railway Hill, near the Tugela, on February 24th. On that day the Boers did not appear to know anything concerning the position of the enemy, and James Marks, a Rustenburg farmer, determined to go out of the laager and reconnoitre on his own responsibility.
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