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A wounded Cape Rebel and later POW - S.J. Esterhuizen 7 years 2 months ago #57650

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Samuel Jacobus Esterhuizen

Burger, Vryburg Kommando – Anglo Boer War

- Anglo Boere Oorlog Medal to Burg. S.J. Esterhuizen
- Lint Voor Wonden

Samuel Esterhuizen pretty much won the trifecta in the Boer War – he was, all in the space of two years, a Cape Rebel, Wounded in action and taken Prisoner of War – not a record to be especially proud of one would imagine.

Born in Victoria West, a small hamlet in the epicentre of the arid Karoo region of the Cape Colony in about 1845, he was the son of Samuel Jacobus Esterhuizen and his wife Susannah Maria Esterhuizen (born Vermeulen). As was (and still is to a large extent) the Afrikaner tradition the family names in their entirety were passed down from his father to him and from his son.

The Esterhuizen’s were farmers – the actual definition of the Dutch term “Boer” and would have been earning their living from their pastoral pursuits “far from the madding crowd” as it were. The family were still living in the Victoria West are in the early 1860’s when Samuel took a local girl, Martha Maria, as his bride. At some point in the following years Esterhuizen took his family to the Vryburg area of the Northern Cape where he purchased a farm, “Morokweni” which he worked together with the sons that followed – Marthinus Petrus and Anthonie Jacobus. There was another son, his namesake in the Dutch tradition already alluded to, who passed away at the age of 26 on 1 April 1899 at the house of Jim Gregorie at Morokweni in the District of Vryburg.

This was, quite naturally, a setback for Esterhuizen – one is not expected, in the natural order of things, to stand at the graveside of your own children. But that wasn’t the only event of import in that year, one away from the dawn of a new century. The two Dutch Republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State had been at loggerheads with the might of Imperial Great Britain for some time and this animosity now spilled over into open war on 11 October 1899.

Esterhuizen was a citizen of the Cape Colony which, by implication, made him a British subject. Any attempt by him or his ilk to join sides with the Boer forces would, rightly, have been regarded as treasonous and so it was that the majority of law-abiding Dutch burgers in the Cape Colony, whilst sympathetic to the Boer cause, kept their distance and their allegiance from them.

On the morning of 21 October 1899 General De La Rey and a Commando of 1200 men and three field pieces marched into Vryburg and hoisted the Transvaal flag proclaiming the Vryburg district as part of the South African Republic. He also announced that several Vryburg burgers had already joined him and that he hoped more would do so. Richard Tillard, the Resident Magistrate, obtained from De La Rey permission for any citizens of the area to be allowed to leave the town which permission was granted in what was a very civil affair.

Tillard, writing from Fort Beaufort on 28 November 1899, to the Law Department in Cape Town added that, “I believe a considerable number of persons resident in the Vryburg District, and subjects of Her Majesty the Queen, joined the forces of the South African Republic” and “I was informed that about 200 joined at Vryburg, and that more joined the Commando as it passed Dry Hartz.”

Still later, on 16 July 1900, Tillard wrote from Vryburg whence he had returned after the Boers had lost possession of the place, that, “I estimate that the number that joined the enemy was 502; doubtful 70, remained loyal 312; total 884. Thus 85% of the Dutch joined, and 95% counting the doubtfuls.” In another communication dated 16 July 1900 Tillard had reassessed his earlier claims and now reported that “Quite 75% joined the Boers; Quite 24% refused to join; Quite 22% , left the district, either to avoid having to join, or having been sent out. The extent of commandeering was considerable.”

Whether or not Esterhuizen was one of those who willingly joined or was commandeered against his will, we will never know – what is known from his Vorm B – the form completed to claim his Anglo Boer War medal – is that he joined what was known as the Vryburg Commando, commanded by, variously, Kommandant Van der Merwe; General De Villiers and Feld Kornet J.H. Theron of Alletas Rust near Vryburg. These would have been the men whom the men would have elected, in accordance with the Boer military tradition, as their leaders.

Now firmly in the saddle on the side of the Boers Esterhuizen was termed a “Cape Rebel” – someone who had committed treason by joining the forces of an enemy opposed to his Queen of whom he was a subject. One of the first actions or battles that he claimed to be involved in was that of Silkaatsnek which took place on 11 July 1900.

This date was important as it marked the start of the Guerilla phase of the Boer War – small highly mobile “hit and run” type Boer Commando actions against isolated and thinly spread British lines of communications and posts – the action of Silkaatsnek was but one of three successes, with resultant timely encouragement to Boer morale in the Western Transvaal, causing dismay to the British forces

After the fall of Pretoria on 5 June, and the battle of Diamond Hill - 10 miles (16 km) east of Pretoria - on 11 and l2 June, the Boer elements disappeared into the wilderness north of the Magaliesberg. Silkaatsnek, about 17 miles west of Pretoria, is one of some seven passes or Neks in the mountain range surrounding the area. General De la Rey had commanded the northern sector of the Boer forces at Diamond Hill. After this battle, De la Rey, who also commanded the Western Transvalers, fell back to the Bronkhorstspruit-Balmoral area. Thus, on 10 July, De la Rey was travelling north of Silkaatsnek towards Rustenburg with some 200 men, when his scouts brought information that the Nek was lightly held and that the commanding shoulders of the Nek had been ignored. He decided to attack.

The 2nd Dragoons, Royal Scots Greys, commanded by Lt Col the Hon W P Alexander Bart, were at Derdepoort, a cavalry outpost, 4 miles north of Wonderboom fort on the railway line, and were under instructions to relieve the 1 500 men and two batteries at Silkaatsnek and Commando Nek under Baden-Powell. Baden-Powell had stressed that both Silkaatsnek and Commando Nek should be held, and that with a reserve detachment should be stationed between the two on a hill 2 miles east of the Paul Kruger bridge over the Crocodile River on the southern Pretoria - Rustenburg road via Commando Nek.

On Tuesday 10 July, the 2nd Battalion The 10th Foot The Lincolnshire Regiment, under Col H R Roberts, was sent out from Pretoria to relieve the cavalry who were needed to join a column forming under Col H L Smith-Dorrien to clear out the Boers south of the Magaliesberg and further west.

The area was also familiar to the Lincolnshires. Five understrength companies reached Silkaatsnek on the afternoon of 10 June after their 17 mile march from Pretoria. Two of the companies, D and F, with a Maxim machine gun, who were to have gone on to Commando Nek, bivouacked at the foot of the Nek next to the road half a mile to the rear in anticipation of continuing their march the following day.

It would seem that the start of the attack did not go entirely according to plan, since at 05:30 there was firing from the Lincolnshire pickets on the right. The picket on the right had been surprised, surrounded and forced to surrender after the loss of four men killed. Seven or eight minutes passed before the Boers replied from the east.

The Times History states that at 05:30, a sentry noticed Boers on the summit of the eastern shoulder and gave the alarm by firing his rifle. The Official History states that at daybreak, Mauser fire broke out from the peaks. In any event, pandemonium must have broken out. The left picket fell in towards the kopje and the guns, whilst the rear flank guard (A Coy) also came in to support the guns as the bullets flew harmlessly overhead. The Scots Greys were in a good position to climb the eastern end of the kopje to answer the enemy fire from the right. Col Roberts then asked them to reinforce his left picket which they did with an officer and twenty men. The enemy was seen working across their front to the left, eventually firing on the picket from some rocky ledges further left.

The British force on the kopje then found itself in a crossfire between Boers to the north-east on the well-wooded northern shoulder and those to the south-west on the rocky buttress commanding the pass. Shortly afterwards, the Boers advanced through the bush and attacked the centre kopje and the right of the left picket. In creeping closer, ground was gained by three or four good shots establishing themselves when cover was good; under their fire, others could creep up.

In their haste to reach cover, personnel in the main camp (of A, B and G Coys) situated to the east of the road near the summit, left the heliograph behind in the camp, which was also exposed to the cross-fire. Despite several attempts to reach it, it was not recovered until shortly before sunset.

Communication with reserves at Rietfontein and Commando Nek was thus severed. However, just after 06:00, Col Alexander heard the firing and reported to Pretoria that the Nek had been attacked.

Meanwhile, a section of the Boer force under De la Rey was bringing up a Vickers-Maxim, two field guns and two one-pounder Maxim Nordenfeldts (Pom Poms), to make a frontal attack on the kopje from the cover of the thick bush. The forces on the eastern and western buttresses continued with an enveloping movement. The firing lasted about two hours until 9:25. Capt. Edwards saw that the Boers were working round his left flank and sent to Col Roberts for reinforcements.

At this stage the action developed into a struggle for the guns; the gunners could not leave the shelter of the sangar despite covering fire from the kopje against an enemy almost invisible amongst the vegetation and boulders. At 10:30 the Boer guns began shelling the left picket. Edwards attempted unsuccessfully to extend his left flank. The Boers completed their flanking movement opening a severe fire on the picket and on the kopje.

At about 14:00 word was brought to Scobell that Boers were on the eastern end of the kopje. Scobell and Conolly went to look and found seven or eight boers establishing themselves 40 yards away. A shot disabled two and dispersed the rest. After shooting down the gunners at about 15:00, the Boers overran the guns, an event which caused the Boers their greatest losses. Just as the buttress overlooked the kopje, the guns were overlooked by the kopje, so that the tables were reversed. Once captured, the guns, which it had not been possible to spike, were taken further north and turned, by 16:00, against the troops on the kopje with considerable effect.

For a couple of hours, a state of suspended animation existed due to a lack of ammunition on the Imperial side, and possibly also on the Boer side. Skirmishing between small groups of men continued, however; and during the afternoon, the Boers worked their way around the kopje, as they had worked around the guns. They also gained a hold on the eastern end of the kopje by 15:00 and it was evident that the men on the left had been overpowered. The Boers were then within 200 yards.

According to the Pretoria Friend of 14 July, a subaltern (Lt Prichard or Lt Pilkington) had asked a few men to accompany him to charge the enemy. Fifteen responded, but only two of the sixteen came back. And later, two armed natives came out from the Boer lines and asked a couple of soldiers who were in a detached position to surrender. The response was a firm negative in the form of rifle shots through the head at a range of 10 yards. Neither was there any sign of response from Pretoria which had been expected about 15:00. The rescue force had set out from Pretoria only at 14:00 with 450 mounted infantry, 500 infantry and four guns, and was still six miles from the Nek by 16:00. This force had come within a few miles of the Nek before the whole force then returned to Pretoria.

The abandoned force on the kopje realised the hopelessness of their position. Not even retiring by night was practicable owing to the brilliant moon and the open country to the south of the range. In addition, they had over seventy casualties. In view of the situation and to prevent more casualties, Col Roberts decided to surrender shortly after sunset. A white flag was raised. By this time, the Boers had overrun the camp and were looting it. De la Rey himself came down to take over the prisoners. The wounded were allowed to proceed to Pretoria during the night and next day. The Boers assisted in carrying the wounded down the Nek.

They considered their own casualties to be substantial. In his report on l2 July, de la Rey gave the number killed as six, now known to be eleven. There were eight wounded, two seriously.

Casualty figures on the Imperial side differ, but twenty-two are known to have been killed and a further four Lincolnshires died of wounds and are buried in Pretoria. One of them died along the road the following evening. One man died beside the wagon before it started and was buried at the Nek.

Thus it was that Esterhuizen’s first action had ended in victory for the Boers. The next in which he took part was that of Boegenhoutskloof followed by an action at O’Reilly’s Pan – both of these would appear to have been little more than skirmishes and not much has been written about them although in his book “A fight to a finish”, Major C.G. Dennison, D.S.O. and O.C. of Dennison’s Scouts wrote (pages 116 and 117),

“We left Vryburg in November 1900, for Schweizer Reneke……. On our arrival at O’ Reilly’s Pan (so named after an old hunter, Jack O’ Reilly), about thirteen miles from Vryburg, we made our first halt, had breakfast and camped for the night. Early the next morning we started on, the scouts well in advance, and on nearing O’ Reilly’s Kop, a few miles beyond the Pan, firing commenced on my left.

The Boers, about 60 in number, cleared as I brought my right screen flank round, and retired down the flat, hastened by the shells of our 15-pounder. With the scouts I advanced at a gallop and drove the Boers on….. Barely had we got a few miles from our camping ground when my right flank was fired on, but as the supports came up the enemy retired. Constant sniping continued without any casualties on our side, until we got on top of the rise, where I called a halt for the convoy to get nearer…… The reported that Koppies Dam, now about three miles ahead, was held by a large number of Boers, as also the ridges on either side.”

On page 123 of his book he wrote, “We camped in a large dry farmhouse near O’Reilly’s Pan, from whence I that night sent two of my scouts to Vryburg for reinforcements. We knew the Boer force to be strong – as they themselves stated about 800 men – whereas we only had about 200 mounted men all told, and about 250 infantry. Our total loss was five killed and fifteen wounded; no prisoners.

The next morning just at daylight we moved on again away from the Pan, and barely had we moved a mile from our camping ground when we saw in the distance our relief force advancing from Vryburg.”

Esterhuizen’s next – and final action – took place at Vaalboschlaagte. An article in the May 17, 1902 edition of the Bolton Evening News reported, under the heading “CAPTURES IN ORANGE RIVER COLONY” as follows:-

“Bloemfontein, Tuesday

Colonel Rochfort’s combined column moved from Bloemfontein on the night of the 24th ult. After two forced night marches, the troops came upon the enemy at Gannapan, south west of Hoopstad. Driscoll’s Scouts rushed two farm houses at Gannapan and Vaalboschlaagte. The captures included 22 prisoners, with wagons, Cape carts, horses, mules, rifles, ammunition, about 800 cattle and many sheep. Four other prisoners were also taken by the Sussex Mounted Infantry.”

This snippet of information, a small insert in a far-away newspaper, had far-reaching repercussions for Esterhuizen – he was one of the 26 taken Prisoner of War on that day – a mere two weeks before the end of hostilities would have seen him able to return to his farm.

He had also been wounded – his application for the Lint Voor Wonden (Wound Riband) completed by his wife, confirmed that he received a “kogel den rechten arm ook ander wonden” – a bullet in the right arm and other wounds.

Sent on to a P.O.W. camp at Kimberley Esterhuizen’s war was over – he had the end of the war to thank for the fact that there was no time to send him down to Cape Town for shipment to one or other of the overseas P.O.W. camps that abounded.

The war over Esterhuizen was released but there was an additional complication in his case – it must be remembered that he had committed a treasonous act by fighting with the Boers as a British subject and the day of reckoning was nigh – according to Taffy Shearing’s work “The Cape Rebel of the South African War”, Esterhuizen had been a Voter in Ward 6 in the 1899 Vryburg Voter’s Roll. His name appeared as an absconded rebel in 1900 and he was sentenced to Penal Servitude for 15 years on 22 March 1902 in Vryburg for High Treason, being under arms and attempted murder. A Royal Commission reduced his sentence to three years and he was granted a partial amnesty during March 1903.

Samuel Jacobus Esterhuizen passed away at the age of 67 years 15 days on 24 October 1912 on his farm “Donegal” in the District of Vryburg. He was survived by his wife, three daughters and two remaining sons. Both his ABO medal and his Lint Voor Wonden were claimed by his widow in June 1921 – a year after the South African Government commissioned the award of the medal. She was resident at King Edward Street, Potchefstroom at the time.

Long after his death, on 16 June 1933, the Master’s Office received a letter from a Mrs S.D. Nell writing from Magaliesburg Station. The letter, translated, read as follows:-

To the Master, Vryburg

Dear Sir

My request is to hear from you if what I have heard is true. An uncle of mine recently asked me if I had withdrawn the money that I had received and which was left to me in the bank in Vryburg. This is the first I had heard of it.

Now sir let me explain – I am the daughter of the late Samuel Jacobus Esterhuizen and was married to a Nell. Sir I can’t explain everything as I don’t really know my family as I lost my father when I was 3 years old – he had an accident with a rifle – but an uncle who stays in Vryburg with the name of Josias Esterhuizen – he has lived there for years and is well-known he could possibly tell you where uncle Willem lives, the one who told me about the money I am writing about.

My mother’s name was Anna Maria Moolman and she was remarried to Salomon Johannes Claase. So sir if you can let me know anything about it because there appears to be a crime committed against me. I hope you can help me.” A postscript read “As I understand it £40 was put in the bank for me after the Boer War.”

This letter shows not only family greed but also gives us a cause of death for Esterhuizen – was the rifle accident “accidental” or suicide?