He was not, however, to compel anybody to do so, because I was of opinion that a coerced burgher would be of no real value to us, and would besides be untrustworthy.

The following officers were to serve under Fourie: Andrias, Van Tonder and Kritzinger.

The last-named had been appointed in the place of Commandant Olivier, who had been taken prisoner at Winburg.[70] I had appointed Judge Hertzog as a second Vice-Commander-in-Chief, to carry out the same work in the districts of Fauresmith, Philippolis and Jacobsdal.

He had under him Commandant Hendrik Pretorius (of Jacobsdal) and Commandant Visser.

The latter was the man who, when the burghers from Fauresmith, even before the taking of Bloemfontein, had remained behind, broke through with seventy or eighty troops.