ed generals, men
who combined practical experience with the advantage of a military
training. These generals for the most part had achieved glory and renown
in many a campaign--in Afghanistan, Egypt, and elsewhere--and thus came
to South Africa, not to get their first lessons in warfare, but as
experienced leaders of a great army. With such men to lead the British
forces on to battle, if not to victory, three months were considered all
too long by many to crush and wipe out of existence two small republics.

Opposed to these (famous) British officers stood the inexperienced Boer
leaders. What a contrast! The Boer officers, with very few exceptions,
were men without a shadow of military training, some even poorly
developed mentally. They were, with few exceptions, peasants pure and
simple, who left their ploughfields and flocks to take upon themselves
the command over no less inexperienced burghers. These Boer leaders,
elected by the people in times of peace, went to the front without the
least practical knowledge of warfare. True, a few of them, such as
Cronje, De la Rey, and Prinsloo had been leaders in Kaffir wars, and in
such the burghers placed implicit confidence. Needless almost to state
that in most of these so-called Kaffir warriors the Boers were utterly
disappointed. It was one thing to attack natives badly armed, it was
another thing to face an organised army well equipped with death-dealing
instruments. We were thus at a great disadvantage at the commencement of
hostilities as far as leaders were concerned. Gradually our staff of
officers was improved, for the best men came to the front, and some of
the older officers, who were unfit, were replaced by younger and abler
ones. All these changes, however, took a long time, and were not
effected before we had been subjected to two great disasters: one that
of Cronje's capture on the 27th of February, 1900, the other, Prinsloo's
surrender on the 1st of August, 1900, disasters which proved decisive
epochs in the Anglo-Boer war.

Some of the Boer leaders, though inexperienced and untrained, proved
themselves quite a match for their opponents. They have astonished
military circles by their valorous actions and daring enterprises, and
have merited imperishable honour and glory. Well may we be proud of
leaders such as Louis Botha, Christian De Wet, and Jacobus De la Rey,
men whose names deserve a place in the rolls of history. We were
fortunate in securing the servic