A woman's wanderings and trials during the Anglo-Boer War

by Jacoba Elizabeth De la Rey

I hastened to pack everything into the waggon, and prepared to start on my pilgrimage.

On Friday, December 1, 1900, I drove out of Lichtenburg after taking leave of my friends. The oxen were put to the waggon; the children got into it. I had still a couple of milch cows that I could take with me. I and my daughter followed behind in my carriage. It was raining hard as I left my village behind, not knowing whether ever I should step foot in it again. Lord Methuen’s order had been that I was to go ten miles away from the village and not to come nearer. Next day I came to the place where Commandant Vermaas and his commando were staying. He told me that I could go to his farm and remain there as long as I liked; but as my husband’s work then lay for the most part in the Rustenburg district, I preferred to go on, instead of staying at the commandant’s farm. So I went from there to Kafferspan, a place about eighteen miles from the village of Lichtenburg. When General De la Rey heard that I had been sent out of the village he sent my son Coos to come to fetch me. Then I heard that on the 3rd of December 1900 they had captured a convoy near Magaliesberg and had struck a good blow at the English. I said, “That is right! It is not only I who have been in adversity; they too” (the English) “have had their reverses.”

I went from there to Zuurfontein, a place belonging to Mr Kritzinger, not far from Rustenburg; he gave me a house to live in. The people there were all kind and friendly. After I had been staying with Mr Kritzinger about a week, General De la Rey arrived with his staff; it was a great delight to see them all again. It was a good thing for them, also, that I was out of the village. But after having remained a few days they had to go off again to join the commando. Where I was living was not very far from the English camp; it was a mountainous district, and we could hear the cannon shots distinctly every day. On the 13th of December General De la Rey took General Clement’s laager, at a place called Nooitgedacht, behind the hills, and for a short time after that there was no more fighting. As Christmas was coming nearer and nearer, I had been wondering what sort of a Christmastide it would be for me; but as the English still kept quiet, General De la Rey and his staff came back to us again. They arrived just the day before Christmas, and once more I had the great joy of having my own dear ones round me. There were a great many people on the farm where I was then staying, and on Christmas Day many friends came together there. As soon as Christmas was over they all went away again to the commando; but, as there was nothing to be done that week, our people all returned for the New Year, and, owing to this, we were also able to spend a happy, though quiet, New Year’s Day together. A little while later they heard that many English laagers were trekking up, and that the place where I was staying lay right in their way, so that I had to pack up everything in the greatest haste ready for flight. The day was just over when I got this news, and we had to pack the waggon in the dark. Very early the next morning we left the farm behind us.

As I had some cattle and sheep this time to take with me, and as we did not exactly know which way the English were coming, we could not think where to move to for safety. After going some distance, we waited to hear from which side the laagers were coming. In a day or two we heard that the English troops had gone back again, and so I went back also to the farm belonging to Mr Kritzinger, whose family had accompanied me in my flight. I stayed with them there for two months, and often heard the booming of the cannon among the mountains.

Mrs De la Rey beside her waggon.

For nineteen months after that I wandered round in my waggon, and, just as one gets attached to the room in which one sleeps, so did I grow to love my waggon. Many a stormy night, when it was blowing and raining, have my Kaffirs had a hard job to get the sailcloth covering firmly fixed, so that the wind should not blow it right away. Over many a hill and across many a river this waggon has taken me safely. For in my darkest and most anxious nights never did I fail to put my trust in the Lord, and never did His guidance forsake me. Sometimes in my journeyings I would come to houses which had not been completely destroyed, and where, perhaps, one room would still be under shelter; then I would have it cleaned quickly; we would stay there during the heat of the day. Sometimes I would come to a place where I had meant to spend a few days, and then at once would have to leave in all haste and continue my flight. One day we came to Mr Basson’s place (in the Lichtenburg district), and, almost the same moment, General De la Rey and his staff arrived from the Zwartruggen (in the district of Rustenburg). When he came up with my waggon he was tired out, and, after having some dinner, he got into the waggon to lie down a little and rest. But he had hardly been there half-an-hour when a man came hurrying up, crying, “Why are you all so quiet here? The “khakis” are upon us!” And there were the “khakis,” just half-an-hour’s distance on horseback from my waggon. There was no commando that could have turned them; General De la Rey and his staff flew to saddle their horses, and jumped up and rode out to see what the “khakis” were doing. When they (General De la Rey and his staff) had ridden up the rise they saw that the English troops were drawing back. Then I had to fly still farther. A bare country lay before me to be crossed, and I thought that this time I should never be able to get away safely, but we found afterwards that though the “khakis” had been so near us they had had no idea of it, and we managed to come away safe and sound. The same thing often happened, and it seemed wonderful that I was not taken prisoner. As they had blocked up all the roads with their blockhouses, it became so difficult to get through that I had to go in the direction of Harts River, a bare and unpleasant tract of country. As we went on we found thousands of dead sheep lying about, killed by the English. They had not been able to keep up with the march, and had been driven together and slaughtered, and there they were scattered, some shot, others cut down, and others with their heads taken off by a sabre cut. Many a time did I repeat, “Ah, this is indeed a cruel war! What bitter suffering has it not caused both to man and beast!” Often I have thought, “What is going to come out of all these trials and troubles!” Even when I looked at the comet I wondered what it could portend that it should appear three mornings running in the east, and then again every evening in the west, during a whole month—this was in the months of June and July 1901. As I was journeying on the open veldt I could see this star plainly every evening; and when this sign was no longer to be seen, then another made its appearance. Every evening after sunset this other token appeared in the sky; a bright red radiance filled the air, and would remain visible for about three-quarters of an hour.

“Whither, pilgrim—whither art thou flying?

We are driven onward by the enemy’s sword.

A terrible sword are the guns and the cannon,