In the first named of these districts, only Gordon Fraser and Norval, in the second only Cornelius du Preez and another, whose name has escaped my memory, remained loyal to our cause.

I mention these men here, because their faithfulness redounds to their everlasting honour.
In the district of Boshof, we could still reckon on Veldtcornet Badenhorst,[43] and twenty-seven men.
Jacobsdal was represented by Commandant Pretorius (who had succeeded Commandant Lubbe, after the latter had been wounded and taken prisoner at Tabaksberg), and forty men.
In the district of Fauresmith, Commandant Visser and some seventy men had remained faithful.
In Bethulie, Commandant Du Plooij, with nearly a hundred men, were still in arms.
Bloemfontein was represented by Commandant Piet Fourie and two hundred burghers.
The commandos of Rouxville, Smithfield, Wepener and Ladybrand, fell far short of their full complement of men, as a great number had remained behind at home.
Of the burghers from Winburg, Kroonstad and Heilbron, many had already laid down their arms, and the drain upon our troops in these districts was still continuing.
None of the burghers belonging to the districts of Ficksburg, Bethlehem,[44] Harrismith and Vrede had yet surrendered--their turn was to come.
All told, we were 8,000 burghers.
After my men had gone northwards, those burghers of Hoopstad, Jacobsdal, Fauresmith, Philippolis, Bethulie, Smithfield, Rouxville, Wepener, Bloemfontein and the southern part of Ladybrand, who had laid down their arms and remained at home between the beginning of March and the end of May, were left undisturbed by Lord Roberts--so far as their private liberty was concerned.
* * * * * I was now camped at Frankfort, waiting for the ammunition, which ought to have already arrived from Greylingstad Station.

It was about this time that the Government decided, on the recommendation of some of the officers, that the rank of Vechtgeneraal should be abolished.

In consequence of this decision all the officers of that rank resigned.

I did not approve of this course of action, and obtained from the Government the rank of Assistant Commander-in-Chief.