Page 189 - The Diary of A. H. W. Behrens

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1901
and asked him to ask the general for permission to go back to our home to organise everything before continuing the journey. The pastor and the officer went with me and I had time to organise everything with my wife. They gave her a protection certificate and told her that she could rest assured that nothing would happen to her. They took my shotgun and a bottle of wine and I never heard what became of my shotgun. It was not permitted to have a service. That afternoon half of the convoy moved to the other side of Kipton and I had to go along. My cart was always followed by about ten guards.
Soldiers of the convoy that had remained behind thoroughly plundered all our houses during the night after my wife and children, sister Christine, August and his family had been packed onto two wagons together with everything that they wanted to take along. They were taken to the camp where they could stay in a tent. My wife, with the help of August, had acted very wisely and had packed bedsteads, bedding, food, chairs and tables on the one wagon while everybody travelled in the small travel wagon. Our cattle, oxen, cows and calves were taken by the Englishmen and they followed us and the next morning they arrived where we were.
The morning after the plundering of our houses, the soldiers gave the order that everything should be carried onto the street, they wanted to burn down the houses. When everything was outside, Petrus Sepeng, teacher, showed them the protection certificate and they