Second Boer War (1899-1902): Siege of Kimberley (14 October 1899 – 15 February 1900) - Battle of Modder River (Afrikaans: Slag van die Twee Riviere), 28 November 1899 - Battle of Veertien Strome (Veertienstromen), near Warrenton, Northern Cape - Battle of Silikaatsnek (Silkaatsnek), after occupation of Pretoria.
Under General de la Rey in the districts of Wolmaransstad, Lichtenburg, Potchefstroom and Bloemhof: Battles at Hartebeestfontein, Lichtenburg, Makwassiebergen, Brakspruit (1 March 1902) and Rooiwal/Roodewal (11 April 1902, near Lichtenburg)[2]
Du Toit in the Eerste Volksraad parliament, Pretoria.Du Toit (left) with his staff in the Second Boer War.Death notice for Sarel Petrus du Toit, December 1930. The namesake son Sarel Petrus is not mentioned here.
Sarel was the eldest of seven children of Sarel Petrus Johannes du Toit (Beaufort West, Cape Province, 14 May 1839 – Potchefstroom, Southern DC, NW, 10 November 1929)[4] and Lydia Magdalena Cordier (Kaap de Goede Hoop, 1843 – Potchefstroom, Transvaal, 9 November 1888).[5] He married Louisa Hosea Jordaan (Orange Free State, around 22 December 1865 – Enkeldoorn (Chivhu), Southern Rhodesia, 27 March 1934),[6] and had four daughters and four sons by her.[1]
Second Boer War
At the outbreak of the Second Boer War du Toit joined the Boer troops at Polfontein on 9 Oktober 1899 and was soon appointed by general Piet Cronjé as an assistant general for the districts of Wolmaransstad, Bloemhof and Lichtenburg.
Siege of Kimberley
With general de la Rey he went from Vrijburg to Kimberley, where he was ordered to take the command of the Siege.[2] On 25 November 1899 a British raid from Kimberley to create an opening for the oncoming troops of Lord Methuen failed.[7]
Boer military and besieged citizens had their last confrontation on 28 November 1899, whereafter Boers turned their attention to the advancing British army of Methuen. On 7 December 1900 no more than 1500 Free Staters were left around Kimberley, under the command of General du Toit.[8] By 17 March 1900 du Toit had a large force north of Kimberley.[9] He complained about the lack of a proper canon to attack Kimberley, and received a Long Tom on 6 February 1902 which was the next day.[10]Naas Ferreira and Du Toit agreed to the proposal of the French volunteer George de Villebois-Mareuil to storm Kimberley, but this plan was not realised. When the cavalry of French finally arrived at Kimberley, the Free State military fled and Du Toit had to retreat rescuing the cannon.
Du Toit fought many skirmishes with British troops, including battles at Hartebeestfontein, Lichtenburg, Makwassiebergen, Brakspruit (1 March 1902) up to the last engagement, the Battle of Rooiwal on 11 April 1902 near Klerksdorp in Western Transvaal.
Treaty of Vereeniging
Du Toit was a delegate for Wolmaransstad at the negotiations for the Treaty of Vereeniging, starting on 15 May 1902.[12]
Honours
Sarel du Toit was awarded the Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst, the so-called "Anglo-Boere Oorlog Medalje" (Anglo-Boer War Medal) by the Union of South Africa Government, together with 590 other Boer military officers from the Second Boer War.[13][14]
^ abcdA.E., Onze Krijgs-officieren. Album van portretten met levens-schetsen der Transvaalse Generaals en Kommandanten, 1904, p. 37.
^Hillegas, Howard C. (1900). "With the Boer Forces". angloboerwar.com. David Biggins (website). Retrieved 26 May 2023. Hillegas, Howard C. (1900). "With the Boer Forces". gutenberg.org. Methuen & Co., London. Retrieved 26 May 2023. Chapter VII. The Generals of the war, p. 176 and 217.
^"Du Toit, Sarel Petrus. Vecht General". angloboerwar.com. David Biggins. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2023. Served: Bloemhof. Awarded the DTD (Dekoratie voor Trouwe Dienst).
A.E., Onze Krijgs-officieren. Album van portretten met levens-schetsen der Transvaalse Generaals en Kommandanten (Translated title: Our Military Officers. Album of portraits with life sketches of the Transvaal Generals and Commandants), Volksstem, Pretoria 1904. In Dutch with a preface by Louis Botha. PDF on Wikimedia Commons. Page 39.
M. P. Bossenbroek, Yvette Rosenberg (Translator), The Boer War, Seven Stories Press, New York, NY, 2018. ISBN9781609807474, 1609807472. General reference and page 191.
J. H. Breytenbach, Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899–1902, Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1969–1996. In Afrikaans.
Breytenbach, J. H. (1971). Die eerste Britse offensief, Nov. – Des. 1899 [The first British offensive, Nov. – Dec. 1899]. Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899–1902 (in Afrikaans). Vol. II. Pretoria: Die Staatsdrukker. Pages 381–382, 384–385, 388–389, 395–396, 398, and 404–405, foto no 19.
Breytenbach, J. H. (1977). Die Boereterugtog uit Kaapland [The Boer retreat from the Cape Colony]. Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899–1902 (in Afrikaans). Vol. IV. Pretoria: Die Staatsdrukker. Pages 81, 195, 197, 205, 210, 218–220, 222–227, 238, 247, 251, 264, 268, 275, 278, 287, 340, 371, 374, and 488.
Breytenbach, J. H. (1983). Die Britse Opmars tot in Pretoria [The British advance to Pretoria]. Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899–1902 (in Afrikaans). Vol. V. Pretoria: Die Staatsdrukker. ISBN9780621083606. OCLC769254652. Pages 15–16, 29, 31, 36–37, 166, 327–348, 351–358, 381, 384–391, 394, 412, 488–497, 520, 524, 527, 544, and 553.