The Petticoat Commando | Page 2

proved to be a hopeless struggle for
independence and liberty.
As far as I was able I have also described the perils and hardships
connected with the Secret Service of the Boers and the heroism and
resource displayed by the men.
Although it is with the knowledge and consent of the Boer leaders that
I give publicity to what is known to me of the methods employed in the
Secret Service of the Boers, I do not wish to convey the impression that
these events of the war at any time bore an official character.
It is a purely personal narrative and has only been written at the
repeated request, during the last ten years, of the many friends
associated with the experiences of the diarist and of the principal

characters appearing in this book.
In order to preserve the historical value of the book no fictitious names
have been employed.
There are, as far as we know, very few records of this nature in
existence, owing to the dangers connected with keeping a diary under
martial law, and it seemed a pity, therefore, to withhold from the public
materials which may be of use to those who are interested in studying
or writing the history of those critical years.
I cannot vouch for the truth of every war rumour related here, nor for
the accuracy of the information which I have obtained from other
people, but the experiences of the diarist, as they were recorded from
day to day, are correct in every detail.
My Dutch edition of this book, Die Kappie Kommando, is now
appearing in the Dutch South African bi-monthly journal, Die
Brandwag, and will, when completed, be published in book form in
Holland.
In conclusion, I should like to take this opportunity of expressing my
thanks to the Honourable Sir Richard Solomon, G.C.M.G., etc., for the
help and assistance which he has so kindly given me in connection with
the publication of my book.
THE WRITER.
JOHANNESBURG, 1912.

CONTENTS
PAGE FOREWORD BY PATRICK DUNCAN, C.M.G., M.L.A. vii
INTRODUCTION ix
CHAPTER I.

THE SCENE OF ACTION 1
II. HOW THE MINES WERE SAVED 15
III. THE SURRENDER OF THE GOLDEN CITY 24
IV. MARTIAL LAW UNDER THE ENEMY 32
V. ONLY A BIT OF RIBBON GAY! 42
VI. PASSES AND PERMITS 46
VII. POSTAGE BY STRATEGY 56
VIII. OUTWITTING THE CENSOR 64
IX. JAN CELLIERS, POET AND PATRIOT 72
X. A LITTLE ADVENTURE WITH THE BRITISH SOLDIER 82
XI. PRISONER OF WAR 92
XII. THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS 106
XIII. A CONSULAR VISIT TO IRENE CAMP 124
XIV. NEW DEVELOPMENTS 135
XV. THE FORMATION OF THE NATIONAL SCOUTS CORPS 146
XVI. A CONSIGNMENT OF EXPLOSIVES 153
XVII. THE FIRST INTERVIEW WITH SPIES, INTRODUCING
TWO HEROES 157
XVIII. THE CASE OF SPOELSTRA 166
XIX. DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND! 179
XX. THANKSGIVING AND HUMILIATION 187

XXI. FLIPPIE AND CO. 194
XXII. THE SECRET RAILWAY TIME-TABLE 204
XXIII. THE SYSTEM EMPLOYED BY THE SECRET COMMITTEE
213
XXIV. THE DEATH OF ADOLPH KRAUSE 222
XXV. THE SHOEMAKER AT WORK 229
XXVI. BITTEN BY OUR OWN DOGS 234
XXVII. THE BETRAYAL OF THE SECRET COMMITTEE. A
MEMORABLE DAY OF TROUBLE 240
XXVIII. HANSIE EARNING THE VOTE 252
XXIX. A WAR-BABY AND A CURIOUS CHRISTENING 262
XXX. FORMING A NEW COMMITTEE 272
XXXI. "TEA FOR TWO" 279
XXXII. KIDNAPPING MAUSER THE KITTEN 283
XXXIII. THE FIRST SPIES AT HARMONY 291
XXXIV. THE CAPTAIN'S VISIT 301
XXXV. MEMORIES BITTER-SWEET 312
XXXVI. A SILENT DEPARTURE. "FARE THEE WELL" 316
XXXVII. BETRAYED 324
XXXVIII. THE RAID ON HARMONY 333
XXXIX. THE WATCHWORD. OILING THE HINGES 343

XL. PEACE, PEACE--AND THERE IS NO PEACE 356
CONCLUSION 375

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
THE WRITER Frontispiece FACING PAGE MRS. VAN WARMELO
4
THE SURRENDER OF THE GOLDEN CITY 30
LETTER FROM HEAD OF SECRET SERVICE TO PRESIDENT 70
THE SIX WILLOWS, HARMONY 83
CAPTAIN NAUDÉ 136
W.J. BOTHA 158
GENTLEMAN JIM'S ROOM 178
ADOLPH KRAUSE 225
THE APIARY, HARMONY 289

THE PETTICOAT COMMANDO
CHAPTER I
THE SCENE OF ACTION
When, on October 11th, 1899, shortly before 5 o'clock in the afternoon,
martial law was proclaimed throughout the Transvaal and Orange Free
State, South Africa, and after the great exodus of British subjects had
taken place, there remained in Pretoria, where the principal events
recorded here took place, a harmonious community of Boers and

sympathisers, who for eight months enjoyed the novel advantage of
Boer freedom under Boer martial law.
The remaining English residents were few in number, and kept, to all
appearance, "strictly neutral," until the morning of June 5th, 1900,
when the British troops poured into the capital.
The two people chiefly concerned in this story, mother and daughter,
lived in Sunnyside, a south-eastern suburb of Pretoria, on a large and
beautiful old property, appropriately called Harmony, one of the oldest
estates in