The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-03-02
CRONJE, THE LION OF
SOUTH AFRICA"
The Fierce and Wary General
Who "Will Fight to the
Death.

as General Pietrus Amoldus
Cronje is known throughout the
country from the Limpopo River
to Cape Town, has justified the
designation by his grim life and
death struggle at Paardeberg
Drift, says the Philadelphia Rec
ord:
His people regard him as a
demi-god. He is really a short
rough, tough, willy, good-natured
Dutchman, with a big beard and
an incessant pipe. He is intense
ly religious, and in the Boer war
of 1882 he deliberately squatted
in an exposed position while
Krugersdorf was being shelled.
"Come into safe place, General,
said a comrade. "Nay," replied
Cronje, complacently smoking his
pipe, 'if the Lord means me to be
takenI shall be shot wherever l
Sit"
To him the Beers are the
chosen people, and in fighting the
British, it is said, that he has re-
peatedly referred to his "smiting
the Amalekites."
He lives on farm, near Patch.
efstroom, about 20 miles west of
johannesburg, and in time of
peace, as Superintendent of Ma
tives, he lives quietly, perform
ing his duties in the way least
troublesome to him. But won
derful stories are told of the cour-
age and resources which he dis
played in the old days when the
Beers were treking north, fight
ing their way through swarms of
hostile savages and defending
the laagered camp against fierce
onslaughts.
CrOnje has been a soldier from
his youth. He began his mill
tary career in the ranks and has
worked his way up to second
place in the BOer army solely by
his merits as fighter and tacti.
clan. He was already a field cor
net at Laing's Mex, in 1882, and
was second in command to JOu
bert in the notable affair at Ma.
juba Hill. His chief distinction
in the Boer war of independence
was gained, however, in the siege
and capture of PothefSrroom, the
town near where his homestead
is situated. The place was de-
Tended by a small British garri-
son under Colonel Winslow.
CrOn.je led the Boer forces to the
attack and Winslow surrendered.
The Boer leader was accused by
the British of resorting to unfair
methods during the siege.
AS time passed Cronje rose in
rank, and when the Jameson raid
occurred, in the closing days of
1895, he was placed in the re.
spOnsible position of commander
of the Boer force which was sent
to head it off. This he did effect
ually. Cronje rounded up DR..
Jameson and his followers i'm the
little village of Dornkop. He had
NJ. artillery but his whole force
was armed with rifles, and was
made up of first class marksmen.
By their commanders orders the
Beers picked off the British artil-
lerists, rendering their guns use.
less, and bringing the raid to a
premature close.
AS a reward for his manage.
ment of the Jameson affair CrOn.
je was appointed to succeed Gen
eral Joubert as Superintendent
of Native Affairs, and he now
holds that civil position under
the Transvaal Government.
HIS RECENT VICTORIES.
Soon after the declaration of
war, in October last, he was
made second in command of the
United forces of the two Boer
Republics, and was assigned to
the district on the western border
of the Transvaal and Orange
Free State. 1t was then by the
forces under his command that
the British garrisons in Mafe.
king and Kimberly were shut in.
But General Cronje's opera
tiOns have not been confined to
the investment and occasional
bombardment of these two towns.
When General Methuen started
to the relief of Kimberly in No.
vember he encountered Cronie's
force at Gras Pan, on the twenty
fifth Of that month. The result.
ing encounter was practically a
drawn battle. Three days later
there was another and more DIES.
perate encounter on the Modder
River. This encounter brought
Methuen's advance to a halt. and
two weeks later-on December IL
-CrOnje defeated Lord Methuen
in the decisive battle of Mayors.
fontein, in which the Highland
Brigade was slaughtered and its
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