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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
CONTINUED

Gerard Mari Johan van Dam
Born 9 Oct 1855 in Delftshaven, Netherland. He died 12 January 1940 in Pretoria.

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

His family came to the ZAR in 1868 and they settled at Potchefstroom. In 1876 he was living in Kimberley, and in 1877 he was part of the opposition to Shepstone in ZAR.
In November 1880 he was a burgher of the commando at Schoonspruit, being the commando that supported General PA Cronje.

In September 1888 he became the commandant of the police on Klerksdorp gold fields, and from there he went to Johannesburg. There he became the commandant of the Witwatersrand goldfields in November 1896. With the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War Van Dam was asked to lead 400 ZAR-policemen to Natal. He also led the ZARP in battle at, Stormberg and Colesberg. Later he fought in the ZAR at Sesmylspruit but in September 1900 he was badly wounded. On 19 April 1901 he was wounded again near Swaziland, at which time he was also captured. He was subsequently sent to Ladysmith and then to Durban, Natal. Till 1902 he was held as a prisoner at the Greenpoint Concentration Camp near Cape Town.

After the war he sailed to the USA, where for a period of six months he performed in Ben Viljoen's Boer circus at St. Louis. In 1906 he joined the Krugersdorp detective branch, and in 1908 he became Inspector of Police for Transvaal. Later he served as Commandant of Police at Potchefstroom and Rustenburg. He retired on 30 June 1919 as a major.
Die Boere-offisiere 1899 - 1902, pp. 137, 138.

J.H. Olivier
Born near Burgersdorp 24 January 1848, died at Volksrust 30 May 1930


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

On outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War he served as a commandant in the Northern Cape. South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992, p. 173.
"Four thousand men under General J.H. Olivier retreated from Colesberg at the end of February 1900". Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War: Illustrated edition, p. 196.
It appears that General J.H. Olivier operated in the Stormberg area rather than around Colesberg, see A.V. Oosthuizen, Rebelle van die Stormberg.

Other Boer-leaders involved:

P. H. de Villiers was sent with the commencement of the ABO with 100 men to go to Colesberg, he was a veldkornet at Ficksburg.

Commandant Havemann in November 1899 proceeded with his commando to Colesberg. Die Boere-offisiere van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog 1899 - 1902, p. 91.

Commandant JM de Beer was born in the district of Smithfield on 28 July 1935, and he died in Johannesburg. In 1899 his commando formed part of the Boer forces who occupied Colesberg. South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992, p. 73.

General Salmon Gerhardus (Manie) Maritz in 1899 went with the Boksburgse commando to the Natal front and from there to Colesberg and the Free State. In April 1900 he became a member of the Danie Theron Verkennerskorps.

Commandant O.A.J. Davel was at the battle of Modderspruit in Natal. From there he proceeded to Colesberg and fought under General Piet de Wet. Later he served at Paardeberg, under General C.R. de Wet. (South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992, pp.71, 72).

Commandant Marais fought at Arundel and Naauwpoort in December 1900 [1899]. South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992 p. 104, quotes Die geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899 -1902, II, p. 188

Commandant J.F. (Hans) Naudé was commandant of the Bethlehem commando and on 18 November he and his commando went to Colesberg. He with three other commandants took the strategic hills south east of Arundel on 12 December 1899 to try and cut the English off from Naauwpoort (Noupoort). He resigned in February 1900 and was replaced by Commandant Michael Prinsloo. South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992, p. 111.

Commandant JS Rudolph was a member of the ZARP in Johannesburg. He accompanied Commandant Havemann to Colesberg. Subsequently he went with General JH de la Rey to Bloemfontein to assist General Cronjé.

Commandant JPG Steyl was commandant of a commando made up of burghers from Senekal, Winburg and Bloemfontein. In December 1899 he and his men fought at Arundel.

Commandant MP van Staden was born in 1853 in Beaufort-West. He fought at Bastaards Nek near Colesberg. South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992, p.143.

Commandant J du Toit, he was already in 1898 a Free State Commandant. He fought at Arundel. Jacques Malan, Die Boere-Offisiere 1899 - 1902, p. 82. Breytenbach 1, p. 193 and Van Zyl, p. 52.

Hendrik Willem Lategan was born on 27 July 1858 in the district of Colesberg and was buried there on 27 September 1914. In November 1899 he joined the Boer forces at Colesberg under the command of Generals ER Grobler and HJ Schoeman. He raised a commando of 400 rebels of which he was the assistant commandant.
In January 1900 he fought at Colesberg and Graskop. Later on 10 May 1900 he fought at the battle of Sand Rivier. Once Pretoria fell he became the commandant of the Colesberg commando. He accompanied President M.T. Steyn to the Free State and then joined the forces of General De Wet (Most likely Chritiaan de Wet).
In January 1901 he joined up with De Wet to the Cape Colony and they returned to the Free State the following month. Later he went via Colesberg to Richmond and Graaff-Reinet, where he was wounded in July 1901. In Augustus 1901 he was back in the Free State, and in September he split his forces and attacked the Cape. It was during this time that Wynand Malan joined him.
General J.C. Smuts then divided the burghers into four groups and promoted Lategan to 'veggeneraal' for the Cape Midlands and Namaqualand.
In May 1902 he refused to lay down his arms and fled with General Manie Maritz and Edwin Conroy to German Suidwes-Afrika. There was a bounty placed on him.
A month after the signing of the Peace at Vereeniging he went to Hamburg Germany and then on to Argentina. In 1905 the Cape parliament declared an amnesty to all the rebels and thus he was able to return to Colesberg.
Hy was the only Cape rebel that was appointed as a 'veggeneraal'.

Commandant Edwin Conroy and Lategan were chosen by their commando to be their representatives at
the Vereeniging peace talks, which were to commence 15th May 1902. Conroy asked Oosthuizen and
Watermeyer to accompany him to Britstown to try and get permission from the English to go by train
to Vereeniging since there was not enough time to get there by horse. The English telegraphed
Kitchener regarding the request, Kitchener ordered them to arrest Conroy and then to be sent to
Victoria West by Cape cart. This photo is of Conroy being escorted by his English captors.
The angle of the photo indicates that it must have been taken in secret. The photographer
must have had the camera at ground level and managed to take this photo.
Photo supplied by Alwyn P Smit

Photo of two British soldiers spying, taken by the same photographer
Photo supplied by Alwyn P Smit

Johannes Jacobus Pienaar was born at Ladybrand 16th April 1877 and he died at Pretoria 29th April 1966. At the beginning of the Anglo-Boer War he served as a burgher under General HJ Schoeman. Pienaar was promoted field cornet, he fought at Rensburg Siding and was later wounded in a skirmish. Later he also served at Diamond Hill [Donkerhoek], Bergendal, Helvetia and Belfast. Ian Uys, South African Military Who's who 1452 1992, p. 182:

Important battles and skirmishes mentioned by Ian Uys: 13th November at Arundel and on the same day battles at Colesberg. On 11th December 1899 Colesberg, and also at Vaalkop, Colesberg. From 5 - 25 January at Colesberg. February at Colesberg. (No date provided), Ian Uys, South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992, p. 7.

General Jan Gabriel Celliers born Fraserburg 12 July 1861

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

Commandant Jan Gabriel Celliers was born at Fraserburg, Cape 12 July 1861. It is not known when he came to the ZAR. At the outbreak of war he was appointed to serve on the northern border of ZAR in the Soutpansberg district, as a precaution against a English attack from Rhodesia. From here he was transferred to the Cape. In the Cape he assisted De la Rey and Piet de Wet in battles around Colesberg. He was wounded a number of times. Times History, III, pp. 461 - 463, 466.

He later became part of the National Scouts.

On 20 February 1900 he was instructed to take his men to Bloemfontein and on 10 March he was at the battle of Abrahamskraal. Celliers then returned to ZAR. At the end of 1900 he and his men joined General Beyers' commando. In April 1901 he freely surrendered to the English at Potgietersrus and from October 1901 he started recruiting Boers to serve in the National Scouts.

Apparently he was a brave fighter without much fear. Preller described him as a man without one scare hair on his head, and that he was a brave as a lion. J. Krige, who served under him at the Cape, after the war gave testimony of his commander: "General Celliers did not know the meaning of the word calmness and as ever restless and impetuous...... He was always burning to be in the saddle and charging (our more expressive word was 'storming') the enemy".
J. van Dal who also served with Celliers' commando referred to him "as a fighting man he had no equals". During the battle at Abrahamskraal Cilliers tried to impress his men by walking away from his place of duty, and even though under heavy fire by the enemy, calmly would light his pipe while looking at the surroundings.
Celliers dare devil's attitude caused a confrontation between him and General Beyers in April 1901. While serving at the Cape Celliers was promoted to acting general, but Beyers refused to confirm this position on Celliers. Beyers told him: "Oom Jan, you are to reckless and will cause my burgers to be killed in action". Celliers blamed Beyers and felt that he did him a disservice. He departed from the commando and was determined "to get Beyers shot".
Die "Hensoppers" en "Joiners", pp. 317 - 318.

Other Celliers:
There were other Celliers too and it is easy to confuse them with the above mentioned one. There happened to be a General J. Cilliers from the Free State and General Johannes Gerhardus Celliers (12.07.1861 - 9.1.1931) from Lichtenburg. Then there was a Jan F Celliers who kept a diary - one of the best written during the War.

Johannes Gerhardus Celliers (Fraserburg, Cape 12.07.1861 - Potchefstroom 09.01.1931)
He grew up on the Diamond Fields, then worked at Zeerust. In 1880 he served in the Transvaal War under the then Field Cornet J.H. de la Rey. He subsequently served as postmaster general of Goshenland and farmed in the Marico district until the discovery of gold. In the SA War he served with the ZARP's from Krugersdorp and fought in Natal and the Northern Cape.
He was widely acclaimed for the way he put the British gunners out at Abrahamskraal. After General H.R. Lemmer's death he was appointed a general over Lichtenburg and Zeerust. Celliers devised the method of attacking by shooting while at full gallop, which was refined by De la Rey.
He was badly wounded in the attack on Lichtenburg on 02.03.1901, but recovered to serve valiantly at Ysterspruit, Tweebos, Harts River, Bosbult and Roodewal until the end of the war.
He remained a staunch supporter of General Louis Botha and became a major in the Defence Force. During the Rebellion he headed the Western Transvaal forces, then served in SWA (now Namibia). In 1920 he unsuccessfully contested the Lichtenburg seat against Tielman Roos, then retired to Potchefstroom.
South African Military Who's Who 1452 -1992, p. 39.


Johannes Francois Elias (Jan) Celliers he was born at Wagenmakersvallei [Wellington] on 12 Jan 1865 and died at Johannesburg 1 June 1940. He was the son of Jean Francois Celliers and Magdalena Bisseux.

Celliers on 28 October 1899 was sent to the Free State southern border on the Orange River. The defence of the southern border of the Free State had 2 500 Free State burgers, they had to protect the crossing over the Orange River. The increasing British activity at De Aar, Naauwpoort and Stormberg necessitated the Boer defenders. President M.T. Steyn thus requested of president S.J.P. Kruger to send a few thousand ZAR burghers to support the Free State forces which was under the leadership of General ER Grobler. Thus 700 inexperience citizens of Johannesburg and Pretoria was sent under the leadership of General Hendrik Schoeman to the Free State. Jan F Celliers and his younger brother, Isaac Celliers, were among the citizens of Pretoria and they were both under the command of R.C.L. Preller.

The ZAR burghers arrived on 31 October 1899 at Donkerpoort and here the Pretoria contingent remained for some time. It was here that Jan F Celliers on 10 November 1899 was appointed as commandant Preller's secretary. On 16 November 1899 the Pretoria contingent left Donkerpoort for Colesberg Bridge. On 26 December 1899 they went to Plessispoort, which was halfway between Colesberg Bridge and Colesberg. On December 1899 the Pretoria contingent, of which Jan Celliers were a part, went and joined the main Boer camp of General Schoeman at Colesberg. . He held this position until Preller retired on 1 March 1900, and Preller had been replaced by commandant G.H. Gravett. It was during this time that Celliers wrote up his information which was later placed at the Transvaal archives.

On 1 January 1900, General French attacked the Boers around Colesberg, and this was the first time Celliers saw active duty. The Boers repelled this attack and pushed the English back, by 12 February 1900 the English troops were forced back to Rensburg Siding.

When General P.A. Cronjé got into trouble at Paardeberg, these men were asked to leave the southern frontier to go and assist at the western frontier. The Boer forces were reduced to such an extent that when General Major RAP Clements (who took over from French) attacked Colesberg, the Boers who were then under the leadership of HR Lemmer had to evacuate Colesberg and retreat to the Orange River.

With the surrender by Cronje on 27 Feb 1900, and the fall of Bloemfontein on 13 March 1900 the Boers around Colesberg started to retreat hastily through the south and eastern Free State. Celliers was amongst the big throng passing Winburg and arriving at Kroonstad 31 March 1900.
Oorlogsdagboek van Jan F. E. Celliers 1899 - 1902, pp. 5 - 6.

Jan F E Celliers became progressively deaf since the age of eight, still he makes mention of speaking to the English prisoners, thus to what extend his impediment was at the time is uncertain. It has been said that he only "looked after the horses" but nevertheless according to his well-written diary, he knew everything about the whereabouts of the Boer forces at Colesberg and vicinity. Jan F.E. Celliers however never held a leadership position.

General Jacobus Hercules de la Rey born 22 October 1847 died 1914


General Jacobus Hercules (Koos) de la Rey (1847-1914),
one of the Boer leaders

He fought as a young man in two Basotho wars. During the first Anglo-Boer War 1880-1881 he served under General Piet Cronje, with the siege of Potchefstroom.

With the commencement of the Second Anglo-Boer War. He was given instruction to derail the train at Kraaipan. De la Rey disagreed with Cronje's strategy of placing Mafeking under siege. He also fought at Colesberg (he went to Colesberg on the 7th January 1900), Graspan and at the battle of Modder river he was wounded in the shoulder and his own son Adriaan was killed.

He died tragically 15 September 1914 when his driver did not stop at a police blockade, the police fired on the motor vehicle and General De la Rey was killed with a shot in his back.

andre@Rensburg.com