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The Van Rensburg's of Rensburg Siding, Colesberg, Cape part 1
The Anglo-Boer War Introduction part 2
The Anglo-Boer War around Rensburg Siding: Boer Leaders part 3
The Anglo-Boer War around Rensburg Siding Nov 1899 part 4
The Anglo-Boer War around Rensburg Siding Dec 1899 part 5
The Anglo-Boer War around Rensburg Siding Jan 1900 part 6
The Anglo-Boer War around Rensburg Siding Feb 1900 part 7
The Anglo-Boer War in retrospect part 8
Australian units, persons and casualties part 9
MAIN MAP source http://www.mjvn.co.za/anglo-boer/mainmap1.jpg

The Anglo-Boer War: Australians capture De Wet's artillery gun at Rensburgdrift part 10

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The Anglo-Boer War around Rensburg Siding:
Boer Leaders

The Boers were not soldiers, the majority of them were mere farmers who wanted to protect themselves from an imperialistic empire. Colesberg with its kopjes was natures provision of natural forts used by the Boers against a far greater enemy. There was no big decisive battle, rather the battle field was stretched out over many kilometers as both sides tried to cut the other off, the opposing sides always ensuring that their flank or flanks were being covered al all cost.

General Hendrik Jacobus Schoeman
Born 11 July 1840, died 26 May 1901.

General Hendrik Johannes Schoeman (1840-1901).
He surrendered on 5 June 1900 to General French, two days after the fall of Pretoria.
He was arrested July 1900 by Commandant PF Coetsee while sitting at his home.
He was seen as a 'hands-upper'. Later he and some friends were blown to smithereens
when a lyddite shell, which he had brought back from Colesberg and which graced
his parlour, exploded when it was used as an ashtray - an occurrence which pious Boers
saw as the 'finger of God on a traitor' Military History Journal - Vol 3, No 1,
The Hands-Uppers, by V.E. Solomon http://rapidttp.co.za/milhist/vol031vs.html

Schoeman was the Boer general in charge at the beginning of the war facing General John French in 1899 at Norvalspont. He operated in a very cautious manner and never took hold of the opportunity to give the foreign forces a decisive punch when the opportunities were presented to him, in fact his approach had a negative influence on his men. In addition to this Schoeman became disolutioned and angry when General H.R. Lemmer was appointed as Head Commandant, taking the place of General De la Rey. Schoeman's own men were placed under the command of General Lemmer and Schoeman was asked to assist A.D. Wolmarans in Bloemfontein to round up deserters and enlist them on commando duty. The reluctant Schoeman did not want this, and started a campaign of undermining Lemmer and De la Rey. He was able to persuade some of his commandants (Preller and Havemann) to continue the agitation and undermining. Schoeman hereby went to Pretoria to complain to President Paul Kruger about the whole matter. As he had hoped for, Kruger appeared to be very lenient towards him.

In June 1900 Schoeman surrendered to the English. He was then accused of treason by the Boers, since on 7 October 1900 he accompanied Captain WP Anderson of the South African Constabulary to enter talks of surrender and peace with General De la Rey. On 13 December 1900 he was taken in custody at Pietersburg (today Polekwane), but he was set free on parole. He died after throwing a match in an old lyddite bomb which he was using as an ashtray. The unexpected explosion that followed led to his equal unexpected death. The Boers believed that this was the wrath of God upon him, since he laid down his arms against the enemy. In personal correspondence with Alwyn P Smit, he mentioned that his grandfather MJ de Jager, while at Warmbad, was the prison guard for the period of four days of Anderson and Schoeman when they were caught by the burghers between Pretoria and Rustenburg in the Transvaal (ZAR).
D.J. Potgieter (editor) SESA, IX, pp. 516 -517.
A.M. Grundlingh, Die "Hensoppers en Joiners", pp. 86 - 89.
Alwyn. P Smit (red.), Gedenkboek van M.J. de Jager (1872 - 1939), Boerekryger, Staatsartilleris en militêr, pp. 96 - 97.

General FA (Groot Freek) Grobler
Born c 1850 and died 13 May 1901 at Sterkfontein, district of Waterberg

Source: Jacques Malan, Die Boere-offisiere van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog 1899 - 1902

FA Grobler fought in the first war of independence in the 1880's, and also in the 1890's against Makhado, Makgoba, Malebogo en Mphephu. In 1891 he was the veldkornet of Swagershoek, district of Waterberg. In October 1899 he served as assistant general for Waterberg and Soutpansberg. While there he also had to take care of the northern and north western border of ZAR. The first place where he made his presence felt was at Rhodesdrif, by blowing up the railway line to Bulawayo. His burghers refused to go and fight on the other side of the border. When Grobler was ordered to go to Colesberg in January 1900, he went under protest. Though he was second in command, he was not a particlular good assistant to General Lemmer.

After Bloemfontein fell he returned with Lemmer via the Eastern Free State to the ZAR, where in May 1900 he fought against lord Roberts at Kliprivier near Johannesburg and also at Tabaksberg. When Pretoria fell in June 1900, he returned to the north and acted as liaison between Generals Louis Botha and Koos de la Rey. De la Rey was not impressed with his leadership in general. He was dismissed from his position on 6 September 1900 and replaced by General C.F. Beyers. Nevertheless he continued to fight as a burgher, but later contracted fever and died on his farm in 1901.
Nienaber 1: p.92; OKO: pp. 33, 34, 112; SABW III, p. 363;
Alilali Tshilamulele Mphephu (ca. 1868 - 1924), Venda-opperhoof. D.W. Krüger and C.J. Beyers (editor), SABW, vol III, p. 656;
Gedenkboek van M.J. de Jager (1872 - 1939) Boerekryger, Staatsartilleris en militêr, p. 8;
Ian Uys, South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992, p. 95.

Esaias Reinier Grobler
He was born near Philippolis 3 Jan 1861 and died at Bloemfontein 31 Aug 1937.

ER Grobler was a member of the Free State Volksraad from 1886. In 1893 he attended the Chicago World Expo. Grobler was also vice-chairman of the Volksraad and chaired its last meeting in 1899.
During the ABO he commanded burghers on the Cape border and was one of the chief cmdts under General Hendrik Schoeman. He was commander in chief of the southern Free State forces. Grobler defeated General Gatacre at Stormsberg and also fought at Colesberg and Paardeberg. He took leave in January 1900 and he was replaced by Piet de Wet. Grobler was wounded near Springfontein, and taken as POW and held at Bloemfontein. From 1907 - 1910 he was president of the legislative council of the Free State and became a senator after union. From 1915 - 1922 he was administrator of the OFS.
South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992, p. 95.

General Schoeman on Monday 13 November left at 8 am with a commando from Donkerpoort to go to Allemansdrift where he would join head commandant ER Grobler. Together they crossed the Orange River (Gariep) to go to Colesberg. Commandant Preller stayed behind with the supply wagons and his place was filled by commandant Daniel Marais from Pretoria.
A.G. Oberholzer (compiler), Oorlogsdagboek van Jan F. E. Celliers 1899 - 1902, p. 25n. This note refers to J. Schoeman, Generaal Hendrik Schoeman -- was hy 'n verraaier? Pretoria, 1950, p. 123.

Olivier who was in the Free State received a letter dated 27 November with instruction to go to Stormberg and take over command from ER Grobler. Since Grobler was instructed to go to Naauwpoort to stop the English advance. Grobler proceeded to Naauwpoort via Steynsburg.
A.V. Oosthuizen, Rebelle van die Stormberg, p. 72.

According to Albert Grundlingh, ER Grobler decided to discontinue fighting and subsequently had handed in his weapons during March 1900, Grundlingh thus accusing Grobler of being a "hensopper". Grobler also proposed to Lord Kitchener that they should work towards getting a quorum of the Volksraad that opposed the war. Grobler, a member of the Free State Volksraad for Philippolis, was of opinion that the "farcical manner" in which the Peace Committees (vredeskommittees) handled matters would not be successful.
Albert Grundlingh, Die "Hendsoppers" en "Joiners", p. 138.

After Grobler was taken captive he was put in the Bloemfontein concentration camp. Being held there is another indicator that he voluntarily handed in his arms.

Commandant Robert Clunie Logie Preller
born 5 May 1846 at Pietermaritzburg, Natal, and died 1916

Source: Jacques Malan, Die Boere-offisiere van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog 1899 - 1902

The Preller family moved to the Transvaal in 1861, and in 1865 to the Free State. He fought in the Basuto war 1865 and 1868 at Naauwpoort, Thaba Bosigo and Korannaberg. With the war against Sekhukhne he was an assistant veldkornet, with the war against Mapocho he was only a burgher. He served from 1893 - 1895 as a member of the Soutpansberg occupation commission. In 1899 he was commandant over some Johannesburg and Pretoria burghers fighting in the southern Free State. He was wounded 7 Sep 1901 in the Colesberg area, where he fought the enemy with General Hendrik Schoeman and taken as POW to Shajahanpur, India. He was from the farm Klipdrif in the Pretoria district and was married to Stephina Schoeman, a daughter of commandant-general Stephanus Schoeman. Their son, Gustav Schoeman Preller (*Pretoria 4 Oct 1875 - Pelindaba, district Pretoria, 6 Oct 1943) became a well known journalist, a campaigner for the Afrikaans language, and a keen historian. Commandant Preller died in 1916.

W. J. de Kock (editor), Suid-Afrikaanse Biografiese woordeboek, Deel 1, p.673;
Jacques Malan, Die Boere-offisiere van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog 1899 - 1902, p. 116;
J.H. Breytenbach, Die geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899 -1902, I, p. 193;
Die geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899 -1902, IV, pp. 10, 23, 441, 449.

General Hermanus Richard Lemmer
Born 29 June 1849 at Hartebeesfontein in the district Potchefstroom, died December 1900

Source: Jacques Malan, Die Boere-offisiere van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog 1899 - 1902

In 1886 HR Lemmer fought for Moshete against Machua in the Western Transvaal and was wounded. Before the ABO he was a member of the first Volksraad. In October 1899 as a burgher he joined the Boer war effort in Natal, where he was promoted to general. He operated and fought mainly at Colesberg, the Free State and Western Transvaal. He was very successful at Slingersfontein and Keeromskop. He is also remembered for the battles he fought in the Northern Cape and against lord Methuen.

He also fought at Kraaipan and later took part in numerous actions. Unfortunately he had a disease of the kidneys and this forced him to relinquish his authority to command G. Gravett. After the fall of Pretoria and the Battle of Diamond Hill [at Donkerhoek] he was sent to the north of Pretoria to reorganise burghers from the Western districts.

Lemmer died in battle against lieutenant colonel C.G. Money, whose convoy he attacked in December 1900 somewhere between Lichtenburg and Marico.

Die Boere-offisiere 1899 - 1902, p. 40;
South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992, p. 131.

Pieter Daniel de Wet
Born De Wetsdorp 18 August 1861, died at Lindley 27 February 1929

Boer leader General Piet de Wet

Piet de Wet was the brother of C.R. de Wet. During the first war of Independence, he fought with the Transvalers at Majuba [1881]. He settled at Lindley and was elected to the OFS Volksraad. At the outbreak of the ABO War he was amongst the first to attack Ladysmith, Natal.
De Wet was then sent to Colesberg and soon promoted to general. He then distinguished himself at Abrahamskraal, Sanna's Post and Lindley. In July he surrendered to the British and became one of the "National Scouts leaders". After the war he returned to farming.
South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992, p. 65.

Pieter Daniel (Piet) de Wet he was born on Nuwejaarsfontein in die district of Dewetsdorp. In 1881 he fought under General PJ Joubert in Natal and in 1882 against the Nyabela in the ZAR. In 1883 he farmed at Lindley and in 1890 he accompanied his brother Christiaan to Heidelberg, ZAR. He subsequently returned to Lindley and in 1892 he became a member of the Free State Volksraad, a position held till 1898.

In 1899 he fought for the Boers at Ladysmith in Natal and from there he went to Colesberg. When General Grobler became ill, president M.T. Steyn appointed De Wet in his place as the Commandant. On 16th December De Wet defeated the British at Vaalkop. In January 1900 he captured 500 English POW. After the relief of Kimberley he fought with his brother at Modderrivier and Abrahamskraal. On 19 July 1900 he entered in talks at Rietrivier with is brother and expressed to him that the war was futile.
Not only was he a "hensopper" but he even became the chair of the Burgher Peace Committee. In Augustus 1900 he became the leader of the Orange River Colony Volunteers and took up arms against his own people. He and his brother became estranged and he was despised as a traitor (verraaier) in Afrikaans history.
Die Boere-offisiere 1899 - 1902, p. 28;
Albert Grundlingh, Die "Hendsoppers" en "Joiners", p. 296.

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