posts of duty by the fascinating and seemingly
generous proposals contained in some proclamations. Had the
Field-Marshal only understood the Boer character better, and strictly
adhered to his first proclamation, and not violated its conditions, and
replaced it by others calculated to harass the surrendered Boer to such
an extent that war, with all its hardships and dangers, seemed
preferable to a life of continual dread and vexation, thousands of
surrendered burghers who enlisted would assuredly never have fired a
shot at the British troops. And it is just possible that that
proclamation would have secured victory for the British arms at a much
earlier date had it been abided by with more discretion. But then others
came in quick succession. And so it often happened that by proclamation
a burgher would be disarmed while another would compel ten others to
take the field. They were undoubtedly the best commandeering agents the
Boers ever had. Thousands of Boers and Colonists were from time to time
commandeered by the stringent and drastic obligations imposed upon them
by these proclamations. On the other hand they facilitated matters very
greatly for the enemy. Where the soldier could not go the proclamation
was sent; what the former could not do the latter often successfully
accomplished. Officers and burghers who had baffled the enemy by their
movements, and had routed them time and again, were captured
by--proclamations.

Everything and anything the enemy required was secured by proclamation.
Horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, ammunition, rifles, barley, wheat, hay,
corn, maize, vehicles, and even luxuries, such as sugar, jams, etc.,
were all gathered in by--proclamations. Besides, by proclamation the
non-combatant farmer, who was supposed to be neutral, was compelled to
report, at the nearest column or British post, the presence or
whereabouts of any armed Boer or Boers that he might happen to know
of--and that immediately, even at the risk of being shot should he fall
into the hands of the enemy he was reporting. Losing his life was, of
course, a matter of little consequence to the British.

When the enemy adopted such tactics, the Boers had to counteract their
proclamations by circulating others. Now in doing that the
non-combatants were placed between two fires. They had to serve two
masters in carrying out the instructions of proclamations diametrically
opposed to each other. The man who was ingenious enough to act a