Orange Free State Armies."

In answer to this I received the following telegram:--

"IMPERIAL RESIDENCY, PRETORIA,
_May 12th_.

"TO GENERAL DE WET, BRANDFORT.

"I have given orders, according to our Agreement, that from
to-morrow, the 13th inst., all commandos, whose leaders or chief
officers have been chosen to attend the Meeting at Vereeniging,
shall be exempted from being attacked by my columns during the
absence of their leaders, in so far as such commandos withhold from
offensive operations. But that does not imply that outposts cannot
be taken prisoner in case they should approach our lines.

"KITCHENER."

It was rather surprising to me that Lord Kitchener, in this telegram,
spoke only of an armistice beginning on the 13th of May, because in his
telegram of the 25th he had agreed that there should be an armistice
from the 11th of May. I heard also from officers of Heilbron, Vrede,
and Bethlehem, whom I met, on the evening of the 14th of May, at
Wolvehoek Station, that the English columns had operated in their
districts on the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th. My order was that my
officers should not operate, but should retreat, if the enemy should
unexpectedly operate on the 11th. On the above-mentioned dates houses
were burnt down, cattle carried away, maize and other grain destroyed,
burghers taken prisoner, and (in one instance) shot.

Such a misunderstanding was very regrettable, and all the more so
because we were never indemnified for the damage thus done.

CHAPTER XXXVII

The End of the War

On the morning of the 15th of May, I arrived at Vereeniging with some of
the Free State delegates. The others were already there, together with
the thirty Transvaal delegates, Commandant-General Louis Botha and
General De la Rey. In addition to the above, the following had also
arrived: Vice-State President Burger, States-President Steyn, the
members of the two Governments, and General J.C. Smuts (from Cape
Colony).

I was exceedingly sorry to find that President Steyn was seriously ill.
For the last six weeks he had been in the doctor's hands; and, since his
arrival at Pretoria, had been under the care of Dr. Van der Merwe, of
Krugersdorp. This physician said that serious consequences might ensue
if his patient were to attend our meetings, and advised him to go to his
home at Krugersdorp, where he could be properly nursed. It was sad for
u