ther, whose
name has escaped my memory, remained loyal to our cause. I mention these
men here, because their faithfulness redounds to their everlasting
honour.

In the district of Boshof, we could still reckon on Veldtcornet
Badenhorst,[43] and twenty-seven men.

Jacobsdal was represented by Commandant Pretorius (who had succeeded
Commandant Lubbe, after the latter had been wounded and taken prisoner
at Tabaksberg), and forty men.

In the district of Fauresmith, Commandant Visser and some seventy men
had remained faithful.

In Bethulie, Commandant Du Plooij, with nearly a hundred men, were still
in arms.

Bloemfontein was represented by Commandant Piet Fourie and two hundred
burghers.

The commandos of Rouxville, Smithfield, Wepener and Ladybrand, fell far
short of their full complement of men, as a great number had remained
behind at home.

Of the burghers from Winburg, Kroonstad and Heilbron, many had already
laid down their arms, and the drain upon our troops in these districts
was still continuing.

None of the burghers belonging to the districts of Ficksburg,
Bethlehem,[44] Harrismith and Vrede had yet surrendered--their turn was
to come.

All told, we were 8,000 burghers.

After my men had gone northwards, those burghers of Hoopstad, Jacobsdal,
Fauresmith, Philippolis, Bethulie, Smithfield, Rouxville, Wepener,
Bloemfontein and the southern part of Ladybrand, who had laid down their
arms and remained at home between the beginning of March and the end of
May, were left undisturbed by Lord Roberts--so far as their private
liberty was concerned.

* * * * *

I was now camped at Frankfort, waiting for the ammunition, which ought
to have already arrived from Greylingstad Station. It was about this
time that the Government decided, on the recommendation of some of the
officers, that the rank of Vechtgeneraal should be abolished. In
consequence of this decision all the officers of that rank resigned. I
did not approve of this course of action, and obtained from the
Government the rank of Assistant Commander-in-Chief. I was thus able to
re-appoint the old Vechtgeneraals, Piet de Wet, C.C. Froneman, Philip
Botha and Paul Roux, and I at once proceeded to do so.

[Footnote 43: Afterwards Commandant, and, still later, Assistant
Commander-in-Chief.]

[Footnote 44: At the conclusion of peace it was the Bethlehem commando
which had the greatest number of burghers under arms.]