Witnek.

It was these tactics which enabled the British Press to state that the
Generals Plumer and Paget had a brilliant victory over Erasmus the
previous month; for, with the exception of a few abandoned carts at
Zusterhoek, they could certainly not have seen anything of Erasmus and
his commando except a cloud of dust on the road from Witnek to the
"boschveldt."

I had instructions to reorganise the commandos in these regions and to
see that law and order were maintained. The reorganisation was a
difficult work, for the burghers were divided amongst themselves.

Some wanted a different commando, while others wanted to keep to
Erasmus, who was formerly general and who had been my superior, round
Ladysmith. He, one of the wealthiest and most influential burghers in
the Pretoria district, did not seem inclined to carry out my
instructions, and altogether he could not get accustomed to the
altered conditions. I did all I could in the matter, but, so far as
the Pretoria Commando was concerned, the result of my efforts was not
very satisfactory. Nor did the generals who tried the same thing after
me get on with the reorganisation while Erasmus remained in control as
an officer. A dangerous element, which he and his clique tolerated,
was formed by some families (Schalkwyk and others) who, after having
surrendered to the enemy, were allowed to remain on their holdings,
with their cattle, and to go on farming as if nothing had happened.
They generally lived near the railway between our sentry stations and
those of the enemy. These "voluntarily disarmed ones," as we called
them, had got passes from the enemy, allowing them free access to the
British camps, and in accordance with one of Lord Roberts'
proclamations, their duty, on seeing any Boers or commandos, was, to
notify this at once to the nearest English picket, and also to
communicate all information received about the Boers. All this was on
penalty of having their houses burnt down and their cattle and
property confiscated. Sometimes a brother or other relative of these
"hands-uppers" would call on them. The son of one of them was adjutant
to Commandant Erasmus, and shared his tent with him, while the
adjutant often visited his parents during the night and sometimes by
day; the consequence being that the English always knew exactly what
was going on in our district. This situation could not be allowed to
go on, and I instructed one of my officers to have all these sus