Page 181 - The Diary of A. H. W. Behrens

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1899
The choirs sang and the brass bands played constantly. We had organised accommodation and food, as well as services and speeches. It was great and father was in his element and Chief Jakobus had organised meat by slaughtering a couple of oxen. Father never suspected that this would his last feast!
In October 1899 the three-year war erupted between South Africa, or actually Transvaal and Free State, and England. The boers marched over the border first. President Paul Kruger
and President Steyn against Millner and Chamberlain. This thunderstorm had long been on the horizon. Now the British came from Natal under General Buller and van der Kaap under General Robberts along the railway lines. The boers were under Paul Kruger, Steyn, Botha, Smuts, Kemp, De la Rey, Beyers and others. At Elandslaagte, Colenso, Spioenkop etc. severe battles took place, also at Modderspruit and other places. But nothing helped, the British were too strong and in May 1900 they were in Pretoria and had taken over the other towns such as Kimberley, Mafeking and Bloemfontein. Then
a guerrilla war started and continued until mid-1902. The British had the land. It is well known how the war unfolded. I will rather write about what we experienced in the three years in 1900, 1901 and 1902. The end was the peace agreement in Vereeniging.