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The State Artillerymen, who had now been deprived of their guns, were transformed into a mounted corps of 85 men, under Majors Wolmarans and Pretorius, and placed under my command for the time being. It was now time we should assume the offensive, before the enemy attacked us.
The Boers of the Great Trek resented the annexation, and one Pretorius took the field, but was beaten on August 29 at the battle of Boomplatz by Smith, who had under his command six companies of infantry and two squadrons of cavalry; a force which strangely contrasts with the masses of soldiery opposed to Pretorius' successors, Joubert, Botha, Cronje, De Wet, and Delarey.
They were, of course, on the safe side. But many committed themselves, if not in deeds, then in words. To cite a few cases: One of our officers, Captain Pretorius, dismounted one evening at the farm of a Mr. B. in the district of Bethulie. The farmer, hearing a tap at the door, went and opened it. Pretorius, who posed as an English officer, asked Mr. B., "Where are the Boers?"
He could not see why females should be prevented from dispensing liquor. Such a clause would prevent many respectable young women from making a living. Mr. PRETORIUS said there were many memorials on this subject, and in compliance with the wish expressed therein the article was inserted in the Liquor Law. Of course, it was for the Raad to decide. Mr. RENSBURG spoke strongly against the clause.
The meeting was opened with prayer. General Nieuwouwdt, seconded by General Brand, made the following proposal: Mr. P.R. Viljoen, seconded by General H.A. Alberts, made a proposal, amended afterwards by General Smuts and Judge Hertzog, which appears later on under the proposal of H.P.J. Pretorius and C. Botha.
Pretorius retired across the Vaal where he joined Potgieter, who, after the failure of his attack on Dingaan in 1838, had gone into Moselekatse's country and had driven him beyond the Limpopo. A Republic was set up beyond the Vaal which the British Government recognized as independent in the Zand River Convention of 1852. Such is in brief the story of the Boers' claim to Natal.
At 7 o'clock next morning General Botha and his men arrived at Elandslaagte and off-saddled in hopes of getting something to eat. They were also doomed to disappointment. Such wanton destruction of God's bounty was loudly condemned, and had Mr. Pretorius, the Commissioner of Stores, not been discreet enough to make himself scarce, he would no doubt have been subjected to a severe "sjamboking."
The Boers, four hundred in number, were sent by the late Mr. Pretorius to attack the Bakwains in 1852.
When the veldtcornet at last arrived with his twenty men, he certainly proved himself very useful in carrying away the booty! This veldtcornet was shortly afterwards "Stellenbosched." I then nominated in his place Willem Pretorius as veldtcornet. We left the river that afternoon behind us, and marched south to Mr. Bezuidenhout's farm.
When I was at Lindley I sent Commandant Johannes Meijer, one of my staff, with forty men, to Cape Colony. With him went that brave soldier, Captain Willem Pretorius, of whom I have made mention previously.
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