No general, no act of Volksraad could compel him to do any duty if he felt uninclined to perform it, and there was no power on earth which could compel him to move out of his tent if he did not desire to go.

In the majority of countries a man may volunteer to join the army but when once he is a soldier he is compelled to fight, but in the Boer country the man was compelled to join the army, but he was not obliged to fight unless he volunteered to do so.

There were hundreds of men in the Natal laagers who never engaged in one battle and never fired a shot in the first six months of the war.

Again, there were hundreds of men who took part in almost every one of the battles, whether their commando was engaged or not, but they joined the fighting voluntarily and not because they were compelled to do so.
When a Krijgsraad determined to make or resist an attack it was decided by the officers at the meeting how many men were needed for the work.
Immediately after the meeting the officers returned to their commandos, and, after explaining to their burghers the nature and object of the expedition, asked for volunteers.

The officer could not call upon certain men and order them to take part in the purposed proceedings he could only ask them to volunteer their services.