Christiaan Beyers: a life of military distinction and rebellions

He was one of the Anglo-Boer War generals who had to make an agonising decision about where his loyalties lay when the Union of South Africa declared war on Germany in 1914. Graham Jooste reports.

- Graham Jooste

Christiaan Frederic Beyers was born on 23 September 1869 on the farm Banhoek in the district of Stellenbosch. He was admitted to Victoria College (now Stellenbosch University) where he obtained a law degree. After completing his studies he moved up to Pretoria in 1888 and set up a law practice. He was by nature a man of fine physique who played a prominent role in the Transvaal rugby team as a forward from 1892 to 1895. He was, however, unfortunate not to play against the touring British sides of 1891 and 1896, due to duty and injury.

In 1895, he joined the commando that captured Leander Starr Jameson, who had invaded the Transvaal hoping to start unrest along the Reef, which would enable Britain to come to the rescue. The plot failed and Cecil Rhodes, who backed the raid, was ruined politically. When the Anglo-Boer War broke out in 1899, he saw action along the Natal front and took part in all the major battles. General Louis Botha promoted him to commandant and later to general.

After the fall of Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, and Pretoria to the British, in 1900 Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts proposed a meeting with Botha in an attempt to persuade the Boers to surrender. His proposals were rejected as ludicrous and insulting by the Boer Council for War.

The young field cornet, Christiaan Beyers, launched a stinging verbal attack on Boer military officers who did not inspire any confidence in the fighting burghers under their command. His outright proposal to have them suspended from command was too strongly worded for the rest of the Boer officers and was not accepted. However, his tirade jolted many an officer into more determined efforts against the enemy.