Commandos and Civil War of 1864 106 



well, and we got across. I was ordered to wait for 

 the commando (which crossed later), and was cen- 

 sured for risking the artillery so recklessly. On the 

 south side of Horn's Nek we " laagered." I was told 

 the gun would not go off after being submerged. 

 To prove that it would, I aimed at a bush on the side 

 of Magaliesberg, over the heads of the many spans 

 of oxen grazing below, forgetting that with the best 

 intentions towards the enemy it was loaded with 

 home made grape and cannister! Ma conscience! 

 I got a fright when all the ox herds fell flat and the 

 missiles rained dust among the oxen and started 

 them off. A court-martial was held, and I was 

 informed that while the country was deeply grateful 

 to me for my patriotism, and self-sacrifice, my reck- 

 less behaviour in the Crocodile River, and again in 

 so wastefully firing off Government ammunition, as 

 I had just done, (endangering the lives of Kaffirs 

 and oxen) they were regretfully obliged to relieve 

 me of my command. Did I feel downhearted ? No ! 

 The gun was handed over to Moritz Preller on 

 arrival in Pretoria, and he, rash man, fired it off to 

 see how it would shoot. The charge came out at 

 the wrong end, a piece struck him below the belt, he 

 studied Transvaal artillery in bed for several weeks, 

 and never quite recovered his health. One piece 

 nearly killed my servant Ben Holder. So not 

 hankering after too much honour and glory, I did 

 not volunteer to run another "park of artillery." 

 It was rather a different story when (about forty 

 years later) Mr. Kruger, with three millions of 

 revenue derived from the Rand Gold Mines, im- 

 ported the best Krupp and Creuzot guns to fight the 

 British, when he invaded Natal 1899-1900. 



Acting President Rensburg's commandos and 

 those of Stephanus Schoeman alternately occupied 



