The last fight of the war was fought in the first part of April, near Heidelburg. Commandant Joacham Prinsloo, a young and energetic Boer, a most gracious and lovable man, one of the best officers I ever saw, here made his last charge. Preceding the charge, a very hot fight took place, and Commandant Prinsloo received two bad wounds, but he nerved himself up, ordered and led his last charge, saw the last battle of the war a victory, and the last shot fired in that last battle gave the commandant a third wound, a fatal one, and he rolled from his horse and died a contented patriot.
The brave Veldtcornet Vander Walt, badly wounded himself, felt sorely grieved as he gazed upon the lifeless remains of his beloved commander, but consoled himself in the knowledge that Commandant Prinsloo had lived to see his enemy utterly routed.
DESPERATE PRISONERS OF WAR IN BERMUDA, FROM SEVEN YEARS UPWARDS
PEACE TERMS—PROCEDURE TO BE ADOPTED IN SELECTING PRISONERS OF WAR FOR RETURN TO SOUTH AFRICA
It was about the beginning of April, that Acting President Burger received from Lord Kitchener a copy of the correspondence that had passed between the British and Netherlands Governments. As this related to peace in South Africa, Schalk Burger, so he said, took this act of Lord Kitchener as an invitation to discuss terms and the termination of the war. All knew that Schalk Burger, Lucas Meyer and J.B. Krogh were always anxious to surrender or make peace at any price, and for this reason every one of them should have been removed, and patriotic men put in their places.
It was just a year ago that Schalk Burger sent that letter to President Steyn begging him to surrender, as the people were starving and it was impossible to fight any longer. Yet the burghers had fought another year, had been more successful than at any other time during the war, and all were still fat, saucy and in high spirits. However, he managed again to get a meeting of the two governments, which was authorized, by Lord Kitchener. As Lord Kitchener, Lord Roberts, Joe Chamberlain and Milner were continually telling the English public that it was the officers, and not the burghers, who were carrying on the war, it was decided to have a conference of delegates, duly elected and instructed by the burghers themselves. For this purpose, all military operations were suspended and the different commandos in their respective districts came together to make known their feelings and elect a delegate.
I was then with the Johannesburg Commando, on the Sabi River, near Lydenburg. Lucas Meyer and J.B. Krogh arrived with the necessary instructions, and explained everything to the burghers. They tried in every way to deceive the burghers into voting for surrender and peace, but utterly failed. Every man in the commando declared for independence or war, and the men of the Lydenburg Commando did the same.