Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-03-03

is said, he has repeatedly referred to
his "smiting the Amalekites."
He lives on a farm near Potchef-
strom, about go miles west of Johan-
nesburg, and in time of peace, as super.
intendent of natives, he lives quietly.
performing his duties in the way least
troublesome to him. But wonderful
stories are told of the courage and re-
sources which he displayed in the old
days, when the Beers were trekking
north, fighting their way throug b
swarms of hostile savages and defend
ing the laagered camp against fierce
onslaughts.
Cropie has been a soldier from his
youth. He began his military career
in the ranks and has worked his way
up to the second place in the Boer
army solely by his merits as fighter
and tacticlan. He was already field
cornet at Laing's Mex, in 1881, and
was second in command to Joubert in
the notable affair of Msjuba Hill His
chief distinction in the Boer war of
independence was gained, however, in
the siege and capture of Potchefstroom,
the town near which his homestead is
situated. The place was defended by
small British garrison under Colonel
Winslow. Cronje led the Boer forces
to the attack and Winslow surrender
ed. The Boer leader was accused by
the British Of resorting to unfair meth
ods during the siege.
AS time passed, Cropje rose in rank,
and when the Jameson raid occurred,
in the closing days of 1895, he was
placed in the responsible position of
commander of the Boer force, which
was sent to head it off. This he did
effectually. Cronje rounded up DR..
Jameson and his followers in the little
village of Dornkop. He had no artil-
lery; but his whole force was armed
with rifles, and was made up of first
class marksmen. By their command
er's orders the Beers picked off the
British artillerists, rendering their guns
useless, and bringing the raid to pre-
mature close.
As reward for his management of
the Jameson affair Cropje was appoint
ed to succeed General Joubert as gu
perintendent of native affairs, and he
now holds that civil position under the
Transvaal government.
Soon after the declaration of war, in
October last, he was made second in
comm and 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 by the forces under his
command that the British garrisions in
Mafeking and Kimberley were shut in.
But General Cropje's operations have
not been confined to the investment
and occasional bombardment of these
two British towns. When General
Methuen started to the relief of Kim
berley in November, he encountered
Crohje's force at Gras Pan, on the 25th
of that month. The resulting encoun-
ter was practically a drawn battle.
Three days later there was another
and more desperate encounter on the
Modder river. This encounter brought
Methuen's advance to halt, and two
weeks later on-December 12-Cronje
defeated Lord Methuen in the decisive
hattie of Magersfontein, in which the
Highland Brigade was slaughtered and
its commander, General Wauchope,
killed.
He held his position at Magersfontein
until Roberts advance in overwhelm-
ingly superior numbers forced him TO
retreat to Paardebeberg Drift.