CHAPTER 111. 



CAPTAIN STRUBEN REQUISITIONED TO 



BECOME FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE ORANGE 



FREE STATE. 



On the 17th April, 1854, my father received a 

 requisition signed by members of the Volksraad of 

 the Orange Free State to allow himself to be 

 nominated first President, after the Sovereignty 

 was given back to the Boers at Sand River. The 

 signatures are : 



I. J. Janson van Rensburg. 

 A. J. Enssen. 

 P. L. Moolman. 

 G. Viljee. 

 C. J. C. du Toit. 

 Joseph M. Orpen. 

 H. J. Nalser. 

 E. Haines. 



The Governor did not wish him to leave, so nothing 

 came of it. 



On the 3rd May, 1854, a letter signed F. P. 

 Schnehage, Acting Landdrost, Winburg, by order 

 C. v. d. van Soelen, Government Secretary, again 

 urged him to become President and promised that 

 the Volksraad, which would sit on the 27th May, 

 would give him their full support and would write 

 him to that effect but it was too late, and Mr. Boshoff 

 was appointed in 1854. In the Natal Independent 

 arid General Advertiser of May 4th, 1854, the 



