LETTER WRITTEN ON BEHALF OF COMMANDANT J.D. WEILBACH TO COMMANDANT GEN. PIET JOUBERT

Manuscript letter written in Dutch on lined paper, 330 x 200 mm, in black ink with a marginal note in pencil and a small stamp - Commandant General, 21.dec.96.

Folded into four section with a ten millimetre tear at the middle fold - now preserved flat in a plastic protector.

Translation and additional information:

Honourable Sir, Commandant General Pretorius

Honourable Sir,

At a confidential meeting of Commandant Weilbach and of all field-cornets of the district held as a result of Your circular it was decided that Field Cornet Buys would receive 4 cases of M.H. (Martini Henry) cartridges, Field Cornet R. Meyer 2 cases M.H. and 2 chests Guede(s) cartridges, Field Cornet Spruyt 1 chest of M.H. cartridges and 1 chest Guede(s) cartridges and Field Cornet G. Meyer 2 chests M.H. cartridges to be immediately distributed amongst the burghers in case of an emergency.

Furthermore it was decided to propose that a supply of 150 rifles and for each rifle 200 cartridges to be sent to the Landdrost in Heidelberg. Because some burghers there are still unarmed. Moreover some burgers have now reached the age of 16 years so that they can also do service. And furthermore these rifles will serve to immediately replace the defective ones (if any).

I have the honour to be your

Servant (?)

At the behest of the

Commandant

Bronnvels (?)

Landdrost clerk

(Rubber stamped: 21 Dec. \'96 Received by Commandant General)

……………………………….

In margin of the facing page:

Circular CZ. 21/96

Field Cornet Buys says it must be three cases

Background to the above letter:

Petrus Jacobus Joubert became commandant-general of the ZAR during the Transvaal War of Independence (Dec 1880 - March 1881). Joubert did very little regarding the arming, training and general preparation of the ZARs able-bodied men. Between 1887 and 1891 about 13 000 second-hand Martini-Henry rifles were purchased of which about 9 000 were distributed amongst the burghers. However it became obvious during the war against Mmalebôgô (Malaboch) in 1894 and particularly during the Jameson Raid (Dec 1895 – Jan 1896) that many burghers were still unarmed and that the rifles owned by the rest of them were old or antiquated. It also showed that the ZAR did not have reserve stocks with which to arm the burghers effectively. From January 1896 to the beginning of 1899 Joubert purchased more than 73 000 modern rifles as well as ammunition.