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Sarel Oosthuizen

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Sarel François Oosthuizen
Boer War General Sarel Francois Oosthuizen (1862 – 1900)
Personal details
Born(1862-03-22)22 March 1862
Sterkfontein, in later Krugersdorp district, South African Republic
Died14 August 1900(1900-08-14) (aged 38)
Zanddrift, Crocodile River (Limpopo)[1]
NationalitySouth African Republic
SpouseSusanna Cornelia Hendrika Johanna Alberts
Parent(s)Daniel Jacobus Oosthuizen and Anna Susanna du Toit
Occupationfarmer, Boer war field cornet, fighting general
Military service
Allegiance South African Republic
Battles/warsFirst Boer War (1880-1881),
Jameson Raid defense (29 December 1895 – 2 January 1896),
Second Boer War,
–Battle of Talana Hill,
-Battle of Chieveley,
-Battle of Willow Grange[2]
-Battle of Colenso
–Battle of Spion Kop
-Battle of Doornkop
Battle of Diamond Hill
–Battle of Dwarsvlei

Sarel François Oosthuizen (Afrikaans: Rooibul van Krugersdorp, translation: Red bull of Krugersdorp), 22 March 1862 – 14 August 1900) was a Boer War general.[1][3] In 1920 he was posthumously awarded the Dekoratie Voor Trouwe Dienst, Anglo-Boeroorlog, 1899-1902 (D.T.D., translation: Decoration for Loyal Service).[4][5]

Family

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Sarel Oosthuizen was the eldest child of Voortrekker Daniel Jacobus Oosthuizen (Prince Albert, South Africa (Albertsburg), 26 July 1821 - Sterkfontein, Krugersdorp, 6 June 1899) and his second wife Anna Susanna du Toit (14 November 1840 - Krugersdorp, 20 September 1921), among in total five sons and three daughters of this couple.[1] Sarel Oosthuizen married Susanna Cornelia Hendrika Johanna Alberts (11 September 1866 - Krugersdorp, 22 June 1950), daughter of Commandant Johannes Joachim Alberts, and had six daughters and three sons by her.[6][7]

Early career

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At a young age he started farming and was called Rooibul van Krugersdorp because of his red hair. He participated in the siege of Pretoria during the First Boer War (1880-1881), in various military operations against indigenous peoples and in the Boer capture of the British invaders of the Jameson Raid (29 December 1895 – 2 January 1896) at Doornkop.[8]

Second Boer War

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In 1899 Oosthuizen was elected field cornet (Afrikaans: veldkornet) for his town of Krugersdorp and left with this Commando for the Natal front against the British. He was lightly wounded in the first battle, the Battle of Talana Hill (Battle of Glencoe, Afrikaans: Slag van Talana) on 20 October 1899. Later he joined in the Boer derailing of a British armoured reconnaissance train at Chieveley on 15 November 1899 and apprehended its passenger The Morning Post reporter Winston Churchill,[9] who later erroneously thought that he was arrested by Louis Botha.[10] At the Battle of Colenso on 15 December 1899 Oosthuizen captured ten British cannon.[11] He distinguished himself in the Battle of Spion Kop (Slag van Spioenkop, 23–24 January 1900)[8] and was made a fighting general (Afrikaans: veggeneraal) on 24 February 1900.[12]

After the breakthrough of the British troops in the Biggarsberg hills (10-15 May 1900) Oosthuizen was sent to the south-west of the Transvaal.[8] In the lost Battle of Doornkop near Johannesburg (29 May 1900) Oosthuizen supported general Koos de la Rey in the failed Boer campaign to stop the British advance to Johannesburg and Pretoria in the Klipriviersberg area.[13][14] In the aftermath of the fall of Pretoria on 5 June 1900, Oosthuizen and his Krugersdorp men fought in the lost Battle of Diamond Hill (Slag van Donkerhoek, 11–12 June 1900), after which he retreated to his home district of Krugersdorp. President Paul Kruger, who had fled from Pretoria to Machadodorp, encouraged Oosthuizen and others on 20 June by telegram to keep on fighting.[15] However, Oosthuizen died on 14 August 1900 of the wound in his thigh incurred at the Battle of Dwarsvlei near his farm on 11 July 1900, where he had tried in vain to capture the guns of Smith-Dorrien's men.[16][17]

Decoration

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In 1920 Oosthuizen was posthumously awarded the Dekoratie Voor Trouwe Dienst, Anglo-Boeroorlog, 1899-1902 (D.T.D., translation: Decoration for Loyal Service), the so-called "Anglo-Boere Oorlog Medalje" (Anglo-Boer War Medal) by the Union of South Africa Government, together with 590 other Boer military officers from the Second Boer War.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Vecht Generaal Sarel Francois Oosthuizen". geni.com. Geni. A MyHeritage Company. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  2. ^ Breytenbach I 1969 p. 379
  3. ^ Walker, Derek (26 August 2011). ""Oosthuizen"". graves-at-eggsa.org. eGGSA library. Genealogical Society of SA. (South Africa). Retrieved 15 March 2023. (Text on tombstone:) Ter gedagtenis aan / twee broeders / gesneuveld in de oorlog / 1899.-1902. / Vecht Genrl Sarel François / Oosthuizen / gebore 22 Maart 1862. / Overle. 14 Aug. 1900. / en / Korprl Izak Johannes / Oosthuizen / Geb. 18 Jan. 1882/ Overl. 20 April 1900. Tombstone Krugersdorp, Burgershoop cemetery.
  4. ^ a b Forsyth, D. R. (December 1967). "Military History Journal, Vol 1 No 1, December 1967. Dekoratie Voor Trouwe Dienst. (THE D.T.D.)". samilitaryhistory.org. The South African Military History Society / Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging. Retrieved 15 March 2023. In English and Dutch.
  5. ^ Brits JP (1977). "Oosthuizen, Sarel". In Krüger DW, Beyers CJ (eds.). Dictionary of South African Biography Vol III (1st ed.). Cape Town: Tafelberg-Uitgewers. pp. 664–665. ISBN 0624008495. OCLC 1063845175.
  6. ^ "Susanna Cornelia Hendrika Johanna Oosthuizen". geni.com. Geni. A MyHeritage Company. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Our history". danielsrust.co.za. Danielsrust Game Farm. 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2023. Danielsrust was originally settled by Daniel Jacobus Oosthuizen (26/7/1821 – 6/6/1899) who left the Cape Province during the Great Trek in 1838. He and his wife Anna Susanna du Toit (14/11/1840 – 20/9/1921) settled here in 1861.
  8. ^ a b c Grobler 2004.
  9. ^ Breytenbach I 1969 p. 371.
  10. ^ Bossenbroek 2018 p. 161 and 274.
  11. ^ Breytenbach II 1969 p. 313, 486-487.
  12. ^ Breytenbach III 1973 p. 504.
  13. ^ Engelbrecht, Leon (2009). "Hidden in Plain Sight. Johannesburgs Battlefields". defenceweb.co.za. defenceWeb, Africa's leading defense portal. pp. 66, 74–75, 82, 114. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  14. ^ Breytenbach V 1989 p. 520-522.
  15. ^ Bossenbroek 2018 p. 274.
  16. ^ Shaw, John (October 1999). "Dwarsvlei, a Highveld farm: Forgotten battlefield of the Anglo-Boer War. Military History Journal Vol 11 No 3/4 - October 1999". samilitaryhistory.org. The South African Military History Society. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  17. ^ Breytenbach VI 1996 p. 261-262.

Literature

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  • M. P. Bossenbroek, Yvette Rosenberg (Translator), The Boer War, Seven Stories Press, New York, NY, 2018. ISBN 9781609807474, 1609807472. Pages 161 and 274.
  • J. H. Breytenbach, Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899–1902, Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1969–1996. In Afrikaans.
    • volume I. Die Boere-offensief, Okt. - Nov. 1899, Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1969. Pages 371, 379, 478.
    • volume II. Die eerste Britse offensief, Nov. - Des. 1899, Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1971. Pages 242, 250, 283, 313, 486–487.
    • volume III. Die stryd in Natal, Jan. - Feb. 1900, Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1973. Pages 18, 123, 340, 504, 522, 541, 551.
    • volume V. Die Britse Opmars tot in Pretoria, Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1983. Pages 491, 493, 520–522, 524, 528, 535.
    • volume VI. Die beleg van Mafeking tot met die Slag van Bergendal, Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1996. Pages 72, 165, 175, 199, 241, 253, 260–263, 266, 290.
  • Brits JP (1977). "Oosthuizen, Sarel". In Krüger DW, Beyers CJ (eds.). Dictionary of South African Biography Vol III (1st ed.). Cape Town: Tafelberg-Uitgewers. pp. 664–665. ISBN 0624008495. OCLC 1063845175.
  • J. E. H. Grobler, The War Reporter: the Anglo-Boer war through the eyes of the burghers, Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball Publishers, 2004. ISBN 978-1-86842-186-2. Pages 13, 15, 23, 46, 58, 72, 79, 82, 85–86. Sarel Oosthuizen should not be confused with Philip Oosthuizen, who is also referred to as "Oosthuizen" by Grobler.
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