TOPIC:

I'm trying to do a bit of research into the Boers who were living in Natal, who left Natal to join a Kommando. There must have been some. I am trying to determine how many and if they can be identified.

I would expect some left just before the war, in the same way that some uitlanders left the ZAR.

I would also expect there may have been a few rebels.

Has anyone seen reference to such Boers before?

Cheers
Ryan

Here is an article warning rebels joining Pretorius. Anyone know what Kommando if any?

www.google.com.au/search?q=natal+rebels+...M:&spf=1525337973344

27.9.1899, titled 'Armed Boers in Natal,' newspapers.library.wales/view/3464023/3464026/48/
and a small piece, dated 7.11.1899, titled 'Disloyal Dutchmen' newspapers.library.wales/view/3744230/3744235/68/

The only article of any substance on the topic of rebel boers from Natal during the ABW, seems to have been written by J M Wassermann in 2005 ( University of Pretoria ). I know this because I consulted Google when I was wanting to research an ABO to Burger C C J Bester ( Harrismith Commando ) and found that he was charged when he returned to Natal from the OFS as being a Natal rebel. Evidently the magistrate who heard his case let him out on bail in terms of Rule 103 of the Special Court. Seemingly the military, the Natal Government etc were adamant that there was to be no bail for rebels. The magistrate , D G Giles ( Upper Tugela ) , was suitably admonished by none other than the Prime Minister, A H Hime who said , "The judges of the Supreme Court seem to doubt whether they have the power to release on bail, and I am rather surprised that you should have thought that you had the power. Please do not release any prisoners charged with treason on bail." After that dressing down, no one else dared release a rebel on bail. What happened to Bester after this is not recorded, but I expect that he carried on farming.
Mike

Johann Wasserman's thesis on the Natal Boer supporters is downloadable free of charge and is a cracking and very informative read.

I find that I have a copy of the Natal Rebel Register, the original of which is in the Natal Archives. This lists all the Boer fighters from Natal who were tried and sentenced for high treason during and after the War. The names are listed together with which district they were from, when they were tried and sentenced and the sentence. They seemed to serve relatively short prison terms but usually also with a fine. There were over 400 of them. My man , CCJ Bester was convicted on 22 January 1901 and sentenced to 6 months imprisonment and a fine of 150 pounds. A pretty small penalty for High Treason.
Regards
Mike