The Petticoat Commando: Boer Women in Secret ServiceBrandt, Johanna
History
The Petticoat Commando: Boer Women in Secret Service
Brandt, Johanna
South African War, 1899-1902; Women in war -- South Africa
Hansie's diaries had all been removed to an office in town and placed
in a _safe_ safe. All safes were _not_ "safe" in those days, but this
one belonged to a man who was known as a model of good behaviour
throughout the war. White envelopes, diaries, copies of official
dispatches from the field, all had been removed from Harmony, except
the "White Diary" which lay open on her writing-table, and to which we
owe a detailed account of the stirring events of September 1901.
What it naturally did not contain was accurate information of the
arrest of the other Committee members and their subsequent
experiences.
Trusted friends were beyond her reach, and she had to content herself
with what information she could gather from men "about the town," but
this information, verified by what she was told by the men concerned
long after the war was over, will give the reader a fair idea of the
events of this period.
Not only Mr. Botha, but all the members of the Secret Committee had
been arrested that night, and two days later the staggering tidings
came of Mr. Jannie Joubert's removal to the Rest Camp, where
"political prisoners" were detained.
Now indeed fears of a speedy raid on Harmony were justified.
Their fellow-conspirators were all in the hand of the enemy, and
although they trusted them implicitly, and knew there was no one
amongst them base enough to betray his friends, they had no reason to
think that the people who had betrayed the others would spare them.
One revelation after the other was made that day, and Hansie learnt
from some one, who said he was in possession of all the facts, that,
despicable though the treacherous spy's behaviour had been, he was not
responsible for the exposure of the Secret Service Committee.
Alas, no! the appearance of another traitor in our midst has to be
recorded here.
One of the young spies in the service of the Committee had been taken
by the enemy, how and where I am not at liberty to say, but there were
circumstances connected with his capture, and facts known to the enemy
of the hazardous part he had played on previous occasions, which made
it clear from the beginning that he would be convicted.
Some one who was allowed to visit him regularly in his cell told me
that he stood his trial bravely and steadfastly refused to betray a
single name to save himself. Threats and persuasions were of no
avail.
On Saturday night in his cell his death sentence was read to him.
The execution was to take place on Sunday morning at 6 o'clock, he was
told.
Incidentally his jailers informed him that there was still a chance
for him if he would give the authorities the names of some of the
people in town who were in communication with the Boers in the field.
He was then left to his pleasant reflections.
Reader, we must not be too harsh in our judgment of him. He was only a
boy, not yet twenty years of age, and we shall never know what anguish
of mind he endured that night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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