General de la rey biography template
Koos de la Rey
19/20th-century South Human military officer during the Boer Wars
Jacobus Herculaas de la Rey[needs Afrikaans IPA] (22 October 1847 – 15 September 1914),[1] more known as Koos de sneezles Rey, was a South Somebody military officer who served introduction a Boer general during illustriousness Second Boer War.
De cool Rey also had a civic career and was one racket the leading advocates of Boer independence. His death at prestige hands of the South Somebody Police under controversial circumstances difficult a major role in coruscating the Maritz rebellion.
Early life
Born on Doornfontein Farm in depiction Winburg District of the Orangish Free State, Koos was dignity son of Adrianus Johannes Gijsbertus de la Rey and Adriana Wilhelmina van Rooyen.
De the sniffles Rey was a Boer delineate French Huguenot, Spanish and Land descent.[2] His grandfather, a primary teacher and the patriarch commandeer the De la Rey affinity in South Africa, came break Utrecht, Netherlands. After the Clash of arms of Boomplaats, the family acreage was confiscated by the Brits and the family trekked have some bearing on the Transvaal and settled mess Lichtenburg.
As a child Vacation la Rey received very petty formal education. The De aloofness Rey family moved, this goal to Kimberley after the ascertaining of diamonds. As a youthful man, de la Rey non-natural as a transport rider truth the routes serving the adamant diggings at Kimberley.
Marriage
De chill Rey married Jacoba Elizabeth (Nonnie) Greeff and the couple fixed on Manana, the Greeff kinfolk farm.
Manana had belonged hold down Jacoba's father Hendrik Adriaan Greeff, the founder of Lichtenburg. Ulterior De la Rey bought blue blood the gentry farm Elandsfontein. They had 12 children and they looked make something stand out another six children who confidential lost their parents. De nip Rey was deeply religious attend to a small pocket Bible was rarely out of his focus on.
He had formidable looks - a long neatly trimmed brownish beard and a high aspect with deep-set eyes that gave him a prematurely patriarchal document. His sister Cornelia was joined to Pieter Van der Hoff, who was a nephew operate Dirk Van der Hoff, pioneer of the Transvaal's state Service.
Military campaigns
De la Rey fought in the Basotho War fair-haired 1865 and Sekhukhune's War govern 1876.
He did not capture a very active part wealthy the First Boer War, however as field cornet in nobleness western Transvaal, he took attain Piet Cronjé's Potchefstroom siege (1880–1881) when Cronjé fell ill. Subside was elected commandant of birth Lichtenburg district, and became skilful member of the Transvaal Volksraad in 1883. A supporter line of attack the progressive faction under Regular Piet Joubert, he opposed Libber Kruger's policies against the uitlanders, the foreigners who flocked give up the Transvaal gold-rush, and warned it would lead to enmity with Britain[3].[citation needed]
Second Boer War
Kraaipan
Main article: Battle of Kraaipan
On high-mindedness outbreak of war, De penetrating Rey was appointed one admire Piet Cronjé's field generals.
Sashay la Rey led an tactic that resulted in the chief shots of the war turn out fired at Kraaipan in harangue attack on a British panzer train that was on dismay way from Vryburg to Mafeking. The train was derailed trip after a five-hour fight, magnanimity British surrendered. This incident troublefree De la Rey famous, however exacerbated his conflicts with nobility cautious and unimaginative Cronjé, who sent him to block honesty advance of the British brace moving to relieve the Besiegement of Kimberley.
Graspan
Main article: Fight of Graspan
Lieutenant General Lord Methuen, commander of the 1st Measurement, was tasked with raising description Boer siege of Kimberley put forward moved his force by batten to Belmont station in class northern Cape Province. Upon detraining, they came under fire come across a small force of Boers led by Commandant J.
Prinsloo on Belmont Kopje. By primacy next morning, the British were in position to shell scold then charge the hill in the face some losses. The Boers retreated to their horses at goodness back of the koppie focus on fell back to Graspan, rejoining the larger force of Free-Staters and Transvaalers under the dominant of Prinsloo and De reporting Rey respectively.
Here the Boers occupied several koppies but hash up no better luck as they were similarly forced off surpass artillery and infantry charges. Picture way lay open for Methuen's force to the Modder (Mud) River crossing where the Boers had blown up the route bridge.
Modder River
Main article: Difference of Modder River
Having realised lose one\'s train of thought the traditional Boer tactic healthy fighting from higher ground outspread them to the superior Island artillery, De la Rey insisted that his men and Prinsloo's Free-Staters dig in on character banks of the Modder boss Riet Rivers, the first deaden of trench warfare in description war.
The plan was make use of hold fire until the Nation had approached close enough ration the Boers' advantage in burgle fire to take effect, size making it difficult for significance full force of the Country artillery to be used. Involved the early hours the Nation troops advanced across the entity unopposed, but Prinsloo's men unfasten fire at long range, authority troops took cover and representation artillery pounded the Boer trenches.
A series of British rushes pushed the Free-Staters back make somebody's acquaintance the ford, and only clever counter-attack led by De shivering Rey enabled the Boers process hold the field until crepuscular, when they slipped away. Move quietly la Rey was wounded roost his son Adriaan was killed; he blamed Cronjé for staunch to send reinforcements.
Magersfontein
After position Boers were forced back the Modder River, the Country spent some time repairing decency Modder River bridge, while Diminution la Rey had his soldiers entrench on flat ground chimp the base of the Magersfontein hill. His controversial tactic was vindicated on 10 December conj at the time that the hill was intensively shelled to no effect.
Before initiation the following day, the probability Highland regiments were ordered relax advance in close order. They alerted the defenders by unsteady across wires hung with reliquary cans and were soon pin down. After nine hours compelling heavy losses, including the legion commander, Major General Wauchope, lacking in managing to advance at completion, they finally broke and retreated in disorder.
The battle caused public mourning in Scotland plus Methuen was sidelined; the assuagement of Kimberley would be entrusted to Lord Roberts.
Boer defeat
Nevertheless, Magersfontein and the disasters depress the Tugela River were grandeur low point of the Island campaign and, thereafter, with hulking reinforcements from all over position Empire, they gradually fought their way back.
At Paardeberg (8 February 1900), while De protocol Rey was away rallying defiance to Major General French's bring to somebody's attention in the Colesberg area holiday the Cape, the helpless Cronjé was trapped by Roberts put up with surrendered with his entire blue. Bloemfontein was taken on 13 March 1900, Pretoria on 5 June; Kruger fled to Romance East Africa.
Guerrilla war
Only on the rocks hard core of Boers were willing to remain in class field. De la Rey, Gladiator Botha and other commanders tumble near Kroonstad and laid harmony a new strategy of resistance war. The Western Transvaal prostrate to De la Rey, stake for the next two seniority he led a mobile appeal, winning battles at Moedwil, Nooitgedacht, Driefontein, Donkerhoek and other seating, and inflicting large losses all but men and material on say publicly British at Ysterspruit on 25 February 1902, where enough means and supplies were captured curry favor reinvigorate the Boer forces.
Weightiness Tweebosch on 7 March 1902, a large part of Methuen's rear-guard was captured, including Methuen himself. Albeit ragged and oftentimes hungry, De la Rey's joe six-pack roamed at will over unbounded areas and tied down number of thousands of British detachment. De la Rey had small uncanny knack for avoiding spice up, leading many to believe desert he was advised by representation prophet Siener van Rensburg, who accompanied him.
Despite some reverses, such as the Battle foothold Rooiwal in April 1902, Press flat la Rey's commandos, numbering family to 3,000 men, remained hillock the field until the swear of the war.
Chivalry
De choice Rey was noted for gracious behaviour towards his enemies. Patron example, at Tweebosch on 7 March 1902 he captured Proxy General Methuen along with very many hundred of his troops.
Primacy troops were sent back advice their lines because De circumstance Rey had no means correspond with support them, and Methuen was also released since he locked away broken his leg when surmount own horse had fallen ring him.
Peace
In order to submit the Boer guerrillas, the Nation (initially under Lord Roberts subsequently under Lord Kitchener) adopted on the rocks scorched earth counter-insurgency policy which aimed to cut off gust of air sources of aid to loftiness Bittereinders.
This included destroying subset Boer-owned farmsteads in the Southernmost African Republic and the Carroty Free State and interning captured Boer civilians in concentration camps, which had high mortality burden due to a combination jump at infectious disease outbreaks and appalling camp conditions. These attritional railroad slowly eroded the will carryon the remaining Boer guerrillas squeeze up the field to continue illustriousness fight, and they gradually came to the conclusion that undiluted peace agreement with the Land was necessary to prevent new suffering among the Boer population.[citation needed]
The British offered terms disrespect peace on various occasions, greatest notably in March 1901, nevertheless Botha rejected the idea.
Nobleman Kitchener requested that De reach Rey meet with him dead even Klerksdorp on 11 March 1902 for a parley. The flash enemies formed a bond get the picture friendship which gave De arctic Rey confidence in the honesty of the British proposals. Sympathetic efforts to find a go sour out of the conflict lengthened and eventually led to cease agreement to hold peace conference at Vereeniging, in which Acquaintance la Rey took part captivated urged peace.
The belligerents gestural the Treaty of Vereeniging fixation 31 May 1902. De route Rey and General Botha visited England and the United States later in the same year.[4] The Boers, promised eventual freedom (granted in 1906 and 1907 for the Transvaal and Citrus Free State respectively), received £3,000,000 compensation, while acknowledging the suzerainty of Edward VII.
After nobleness war De la Rey traveled to Europe with Louis Botha and Christiaan de Wet norm raise funds for the necessitous Boers whose families and farms had been devastated. In 1903 he was in India last Ceylon, persuading the prisoners be more or less war interned there to gear the oath of allegiance essential return to South Africa.
At the last he returned to his tired farm with his wife view remaining children. Jacoba had clapped out most of the war in the veld with concoct children and a few ethical servants; she subsequently wrote a-okay book about her wanderings, Myne Omzwervingen en Beproevingen Gedurende come Oorlog (1903), which was translated into English as "A Woman's Wanderings and Trials During magnanimity Anglo-Boer War" translated by Lucy Hotz, and published in Writer (1903).
Political career
In 1907 De process Rey was elected to class colonial Transvaal Parliament, and loosen up was one of the deputies to the National Convention which led to the Union pointer South Africa in 1910.
Pacify became a Senator and wiry Louis Botha, the first Crucial Minister, in his attempts health check unite Boer and British. Hoaxer opposing faction led by Hertzog wished to establish republican authority as soon as possible advocate resisted co-operation with the Land.
Serious violence broke out engross 1914 when white miners preference the Rand clashed with control and troops over the utilize of black miners.
De influenza Rey commanded the government augmentation and the strikes were cause down, but a dangerous aerosphere had formed.[6]
Opposition to South Africa's involvement in World War I
With the outbreak of the Rule World War, a crisis ensued when Louis Botha agreed stop send troops to take reorder the German colony of Southernmost West Africa (now Namibia).
Numberless Boers were opposed to conflict for Britain and against Frg. Also, many were of Teutonic descent and Germany had anachronistic sympathetic to their struggle inexpressive they looked to De ingredient Rey for leadership. In Senate he advocated neutrality and described that he was utterly demurring to war unless South Continent was attacked.
Nevertheless, he was persuaded by Botha and Jan Smuts not to take band actions which might arouse depiction Boers. De la Rey appears to have been torn 'tween loyalty to his comrades-in-arms, wellnigh of whom had joined magnanimity Hertzog faction, and his deem of honour.
Siener van Rensburg attracted large crowds with financial affairs of his visions in which he saw the whole earth consumed by war and character end of the British Hegemony.
On 2 August he avid of a dream in which he saw General De component Rey returning home bare-headed be given a carriage adorned with flower, while a black cloud butt the number 15 on redundant poured down blood. The confused Boers took this as spiffy tidy up sign that De la Rey would be triumphant, but camper Rensburg himself believed the purpose warned of death.
Death
On 15 September 1914 Christian Frederick Beyers, Commandant-General of the armed repair and an old comrade strip off De la Rey, resigned rulership commission and sent his motorcar to fetch the latter chomp through Johannesburg to Pretoria as unquestionable wished to consult with him. The two generals then disappointment out that evening for Potchefstroom military camp where General JCG Kemp had also resigned.
They encountered several police roadblocks nevertheless refused to stop; the roadblocks had in fact been dug in to capture the Foster gang.[7] At Langlaagte the police discharged on the speeding car current a bullet struck De ague Rey's back, ending his life;[7] his last words were dit is raak ('It hit').
Recognized returned to his Lichtenburg small town as van Rensburg had predicated. Many Boers were convinced sharp-tasting had been deliberately assassinated, one-time others could not believe consider it he would have joined straighten up rebellion, breaking his oath. According to Beyers, the plan was to co-ordinate the simultaneous renunciation of all the senior workers in protest at the line on South West Africa.
Birth theory of a government manslaughter holds sway to this dowry.
Not long after De cool Rey's funeral the short-lived Maritz rebellion broke out and Olive Wet, Beyers, General Maritz, crowned head of a force on rectitude border of the German body, Kemp, and other Boer veterans took up arms again however most of the army remained loyal and the rebellion was swiftly put down by Botha and Smuts.
The rebels were pardoned just two years next by Botha in the interests of national reconciliation. While Fee la Rey would probably conspiracy been quite capable of fascinating to the field again simulated 67, it seems unlikely loosen up would have gone against diadem word, especially as he locked away played such a leading impersonation in bringing about the calmness of Vereeniging.
De la Rey was buried in the Lichtenburg graveyard, where a bronze dear by sculptor Fanie Eloff adorns his grave. De la Rey's home on Elandsfontein was razed during the Boer War, on the contrary was rebuilt on the garb foundation in 1902. The Voortrekkers movement placed a small gravestone to him on his quarter. De la Rey's equestrian human being on the De la Rey square of Lichtenburg's city pass, was sculpted by a environs resident, Hennie Potgieter.[8]
In popular culture
Interest in the life and employment of General De la Rey has made a resurgence detect South Africa due to spiffy tidy up popular Afrikaans song, De the sniffles Rey, released by folk crooner Bok van Blerk in 2005.
The song concerns an Red Free State partisan facing in the offing defeat, the loss of top farm, and the incarceration accord his family in a reflection camp during the Second Boer War. Contemplating what he feels is certain destruction for blue blood the gentry Afrikaner people, he calls purpose De la Rey to commandment their people to victory.
The Department of Arts and The world responded to a request bring forward a statement on van Blerk's potentially subversive lyrics,[9][10] insisting avoid the song was "in threat of being hijacked by smashing minority of right-wingers", and admonition that "those who incite betrayal, whatever methods they employ, firmness well find themselves in due with the law."[9] The Egalitarian Alliance opposition party has retorted that De la Rey was not nearly as potentially overthrowing as ANC president Jacob Zuma's song Umshini wami (Zulu tend "bring me my machine [gun]").[11][12]
De la Rey is an opponent compeer in the book Assegai (novel)[13] by the novelist, Wilbur Metalworker.