Well, dear reader, I hope that you will not feel disappointed in reading these experiences, as it is not in me, as is perhaps sometimes the case with historical authors, to conjure up thrilling pictures—imaginary things—and put them together merely to make up a book or to make a name for themselves. That be far from me! In publishing my book (although it is written in simple style) I had one object only, viz., to give to the world a story which, although it does not contain the whole of the truth, as regards this wondrous war, yet contains nothing but the truth.
The original has been written by me in Dutch, and I can therefore not be answerable for its translation into other languages.
C. R. de WET.
Contents
| CHAPTER | PAGE | |
| I. | I Go on Commando as a Private Burgher | [3] |
| II. | Nicholson's Nek | [13] |
| III. | Ladysmith Besieged | [19] |
| IV. | I am Appointed Vechtgeneraal | [22] |
| V. | The Overwhelming Forces of Lord Roberts | [26] |
| VI. | Paardeberg | [39] |
| VII. | The Wild Flight from Poplar Grove | [49] |
| VIII. | The Burghers Receive Permission to Return to their Homes | [56] |
| IX. | Sanna's Post | [61] |
| X. | Four Hundred and Seventy English taken Prisoner at Reddersburg | [71] |
| XI. | An Unsuccessful Siege | [77] |
| XII. | The English Swarm over our Country | [82] |
| XIII. | Our Position at the End of May, 1900 | [92] |
| XIV. | Roodewal | [96] |
| XV. | I Make Lord Kitchener's Acquaintance | [108] |
| XVI. | Bethlehem is Captured by the English | [117] |
| XVII. | The Surrender of Prinsloo | [123] |
| XVIII. | I am Driven into the Transvaal | [129] |
| XIX. | I Return to the Free State | [144] |
| XX. | The Oath of Neutrality | [156] |
| XXI. | Frederiksstad and Bothaville | [161] |
| XXII. | My March to the South | [172] |
| XXIII. | I Fail to Enter Cape Colony | [180] |
| XXIV. | Wherein Something is Found About War against Women | [191] |
| XXV. | I Again Attempt To Enter Cape Colony | [197] |
| XXVI. | Darkness Proves my Salvation | [215] |
| XXVII. | Was Ours a Guerilla War? | [225] |
| XXVIII. | Negotiations with the Enemy | [230] |
| XXIX. | President Steyn's Narrow Escape | [242] |
| XXX. | The Last Proclamation | [246] |
| XXXI. | Blockhouses and Night Attacks | [260] |
| XXXII. | My Commando of Seven Hundred Men | [267] |
| XXXIII. | A Success at Tweefontein | [275] |
| XXXIV. | I Cut my Way Through Sixty Thousand Troops | [284] |
| XXXV. | I go to the Transvaal with President Steyn | [298] |
| XXXVI. | Peace Negotiations | [305] |
| XXXVII. | The End of the War | [319] |
| Correspondence | [325] | |
| APPENDICES | ||
A.—Report of the Meeting of the General Representatives held at Vereeniging in the South African Republic on the 15th of May, 1902, and the Following Days | [333] | |
B.—The Conference at Pretoria between the Commission of the National Representatives and Lords Kitchener and Milner (May 19th-May 28th, 1902) | [365] | |
C.—Minutes of the Meeting of the Special National Representatives at Vereeniging, South African Republic, Thursday, the 29th of May, 1902, And the Following Days | [397] | |
| INDEX | [429] | |
| MAP | At end of volume | |