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Frans Van Aard as their Commandant. That night we set out for Paardenkraal, twenty miles to the north-east of Kroonstad, staying there until the evening of the 19th. The time for my attack on the railway line having now come, I divided my men into three parties for that purpose.

There we stayed a few days until the enemy again began to concentrate at Heilbron. I then divided my commando into two parts. General Philip Botha nominated Veldtcornet P. De Vos as Commandant of the Kroonstad contingent instead of Commandant Frans Van Aard. He made a good choice, for Commandant De Vos was not only a valiant officer, but also a strictly honourable man.

The attack was pressed with the greatest vigour on the positions held by Commandants Van Aard and Piet Fourie. It became impossible for these officers to maintain their ground; and, at about twelve o'clock, before I was able to send them any reinforcements, they were compelled to give way. Thus retreat became inevitable, and the enemy entered Bethlehem.

Before we came to the railway line the English opened a cross fire on us from the north-east, from the direction of Roodewal; and almost directly afterwards another party fired on us from the south. We succeeded, however, in getting through with the waggons which Commandant Van Aard had with him, but we lost one man killed, and three wounded.

I was in supreme command of the first division, which was to march under the orders of General Botha. It consisted of burghers from Heilbron, under Commandant Steenekamp, and of Kroonstad men, under Commandant Van Aard.

When this was done we departed and rode on to Rietspruit, where we up-saddled, and then pushed on to Rhenosterpoort. The Oath of Neutrality Arriving at Rhenosterpoort, I found there Commandant F. Van Aard, with his commando. He told me that after I had left the laager, the burghers had not been troubled again by the English.

Commandant Van Aard started off on his errand, but alas! a few days afterwards I heard that he one of the most popular of all our officers had been killed in a fight near his own farm between Kroonstad and Lindley. He was buried there, where he had fallen, on his own land. And now began the great work which I had proposed to accomplish.