A special train, provided by the Transvaal authorities, at the request of my Government, was waiting for us, and we started without a moment's delay.

As we journeyed on, the conductor would sometimes ask me whether I should like to stop at such and such a station, but my answer was always: "No! no! hurry on!" But when we got as far as Viljoen's Drift, there was an end to my "special train!" In spite of the Government's orders that I was to be sent forward without delay, I had to wait six hours, and then be content to travel as an ordinary passenger.
At Bloemfontein we found everything ready for us, and at once started on our journey of sixty or seventy miles to Magersfontein, where we arrived on December the 16th.
During the time I had spent in travelling, three important engagements had taken place, namely those of Colenso, Magersfontein and Stormberg.
At Colenso, the English had suffered heavy losses, and ten guns had fallen into our hands.

Magersfontein also had cost them dear, and there General Wauchope had met his fate; while at Stormberg seven hundred of them had been taken prisoners, and three of their big guns had been captured by us.
At Magersfontein were six or seven thousand Transvaal burghers under General Piet Cronje, with General De la Rey as second in command.

Thus it fell to my lot to take over the command of the Free-Staters.

The Commander-in-Chief of these Free State burghers, as well as of those who were camped round Kimberley, was Mr.C.J.