W.J.
Selm as secretary; the representatives chosen were General Brand and
Commander J. Rheeder; and the burghers were equally determined to keep
their independence.

I went on to Bloemfontein, and thence by rail to Brandfort, and
afterwards to the Quaggashoek Farm, where, on the 11th, I held my eighth
meeting, with the commandos of C.C.J. Badenhorst. The chairman was Mr.
N.B. Gildenhuis, and the secretary Mr. H.M.G. Davis. The elected
representatives were General Badenhorst and Commandants A.J. Bester and
Jacobsz. This was my last meeting, and it also decided on maintaining
the independence.

The commandos under the Commandants Van der Merwe and Van Niekerk
(Vredefort and Parijs), Flemming (Hoopstad), Nagel (part of Kroonstad),
and General Nieuwouwdt (Fauresmith, Philippolis, and Jacobsdal), were
visited by Commander-in-Chief Judge Hertzog, Member of the Executive
Council. At meetings held with these commandos the following
representatives were chosen:--General Nieuwouwdt, and the Commandants
Munnik Hertzog, J. Van der Merwe, C. Van Niekerk, Flemming, A.J. Bester,
F. Jacobsz, H. Pretorius, and Veldtcornet Kritzinger.

At these meetings also the burghers were unanimous in their decision not
to give up their independence. I must add that Commandant H. Van Niekerk
was chosen as representative of the bodyguard of President Steyn. It had
been agreed with Lord Kitchener at Pretoria that if the chief officers
of a commando were chosen as representatives, then there would be an
armistice between this commando and the English during the time the
officers were absent at the meeting at Vereeniging. It was also decided
that Lord Kitchener should be informed of the date of the departure of
such officers.

This was done. I sent the following telegram on the 25th of April to
Pretoria:--

"TO HIS EXCELLENCY, HEADQUARTERS, PRETORIA:

"At meetings held in the districts of Vrede and Harrismith and in
that part of Bethlehem east and north-east of the blockhouse lines
of Fouriesburg, Bethlehem, and Harrismith, General Wessels and the
Commandants were duly chosen as representatives.

"I have decided that all the representatives shall leave their
different commandos on the 11th of May, and therefore, in
accordance with our mutual agreement, I shall expect an armistice
to be granted to the different commandos from that date until the
return of their commandants from the meeting at Ver