couting purposes,
Danie Theron and his corps of eighty men, recruited from almost every
nation on the face of the earth; Captain Scheepers and his men also
served me in the same capacity.

The Government and its officials were placed under my protection;
and I was to set out, on July the 15th, in the direction of
Kroonstad-Heilbron.

The second division was entrusted to Assistant Commander-in-Chief Paul
Roux, with P.J. Fourie and C.C. Froneman as Vechtgeneraals. It was
composed of burghers from Fauresmith, under Commandant Visser; from
Bloemfontein, under Commandant Du Plooij; from Wepener, under Commandant
Roux; from Smithfield, under Commandant Potgieter; from Thaba'Nchu,
under Commandant J.H. Olivier; from Jacobsdal, under Commandant H.
Pretorius; and of the Deetje Bloemfontein commando, under Commandant
Kolbe.

This force was to wait until the day after my departure, that is, until
the 16th, and then proceed in the evening in the direction of
Bloemfontein. From the capital it was to go south, and during its
advance it was to bring back to the commandos all those burghers in the
southern districts who had remained behind.

General Crowther was given the command over the third division, which
consisted of the burghers from Ficksburg, under Commandant P. De
Villiers; from Ladybrand, under Commandant Ferreira; from Winburg, under
Commandant Sarel Harebroek; and from Senekal, under Commandant Van der
Merve.

This division was to start on the 16th, and marching to the north of
Bethlehem, was to continue advancing in that direction until it fell in
with the commandos from Harrismith and Vrede under Commander-in-Chief
Hattingh. It would then operate, under his directions, in the
north-eastern districts.

The remainder of Commandant Michal Prinsloo's Bethlehem men--that is to
say, the burghers of Wittebergen--were to stay behind as a watch, and to
take orders from Mr. Marthinus Prinsloo. This watch was divided into
three sections: the first to occupy a position at Slabbertsnek, the
second at Retiefsnek, and the third at Naauwpoort. They were forbidden
to use waggons; thus if the enemy should appear in overwhelming numbers,
it would always be possible for them to escape across the mountains.

My reason for selecting these men in preference to others, was that they
belonged to the district, and thus were well acquainted with every foot
of this rough and difficult country. Their duties were simply to protect
the large