Commandant General Louis Botha

Commandant General Louis Botha

Photograph

Source: Rompel’s Heroes of the Boer War, 115.

“Shortly before the outbreak of the war, when the Transvaal Volksraad was appointing different leaders to fill the rank of general, no member of our legislature thought of giving a vote to Louis Botha. Louis was too young and had had no opportunity of displaying his tactical qualities. He had risen no higher than assistant field cornet. Lucas Meijer, the senior member for Vrijheid, for which district Botha sat as junior member in the First Volksraad, was appointed a general. He had been wounded in the neck in the war of 1880-1881 and had given proofs of great bravery in the Zulu War. The appointment therefore was only natural, and that Louis Botha was passed over is quite as intelligible. Like so many others, like De Wet, Kritzinger, Danie Theron, Beijers, Malan, he first displayed his great capacity during the course of the war. ” [continued below]

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