TOPIC:

2 duplicate names on the roll.

Forename/initials: Andries Hendrik. Served: Pretoria.

Forename/initials: Andries Hendrik. Served: General Beyers.

Andries Hendrik Du Plessis was born on 29 September 1884 in the Transvaal and baptized in Pietersburg later that year. He was the second child of Lourens Andries Stephanus Du Plessis (1858-1945) and Adriana Maria Jacoba Du Plessis (1866-1941), part of a large family from the region.

At the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War, and at just 15 years old, Andries joined the Zoutpansberg Commando and served alongside his father participating in several key engagements; including:

• Krokodil Rivier
• Colenso
• Spionkop

During the War he served under under Korp H Kemp, Commandant H C J Van Rensburg and General Beyers.

Zoutpansberg Commando

As tensions escalated between the Boer republics and the British Empire, reconnaissance reports from 1 October 1899 indicated that members of the Zoutpansberg Commando were forming a laager on the Brak River, with outlying parties stationed at drifts along the Limpopo and Crocodile Rivers.

On 11 October 1899, the day war was officially declared, the Zoutpansberg Commando assembled at the Brak River Store, while the Waterberg Commando gathered near Nylstroom. Together, these two regional forces—1,287 men from Zoutpansberg and 732 from Waterberg—were placed under the joint command of Assistant Commandant-General F.A. Grobler.

On 12 October, Grobler joined the Zoutpansberg laager to discuss strategy. It was agreed that the Waterberg men would move west to destroy the railway in Bechuanaland, while the Zoutpansberg Commando would cross the Limpopo to confront Colonel Plumer’s British forces.

By 19 October, the commando had reached full strength, with their main camp at Hendriksdal, near Rhodes’ Drift.

Krokodil Rivier / Fort Tuli

On 22 October 1899 there was sharp fighting at the drifts on the Crocodile River (Krokodil Rivier), in which Captain Blackburn was mortally wounded, Sergeant Major Young and 3 men were killed, and several were wounded. This action was part of the early operations of Colonel Plumer’s Rhodesian Regiment, which was tasked with defending the northern and north-western borders of the Transvaal and maintaining the railway line from Bulawayo to Mafeking. The fighting at the Crocodile River was one of several skirmishes in the region as Boer forces attempted to disrupt British movements and supply lines

In late October 1899, the Zoutpansberg Commando, stationed near the Limpopo River, was reinvigorated by the arrival of a Waterberg Commando detachment under Police Commandant S.P. Grobler, and later Commandant S. Eloff, grandson of President Kruger. Eloff brought with him two Maxim machine guns from Pretoria.

These reinforcements spurred Assistant-General H.C.J. van Rensburg into action, leading to a bold plan: destroy the Rhodes' Drift camp, capture Fort Tuli, and drive out Colonel Plumer’s British forces.
On the morning of 2 November 1899, between 300 and 400 Boers crossed the Limpopo River near Rhodes' Drift under cover of rain and wind.

The force split into two:

• One group, led by van Rensburg, Grobler, and Veld Kornet J. Kelly, moved east through the bush with the Maxims to flank Colonel Spreckley’s camp.
• The second, under Eloff, A.Z.A. Briel, and H.W. Alberts, advanced west toward Bryce’s Store, bringing heavy artillery.

At Bryce’s Store, a small Rhodesian supply column of 24 men was caught off guard. Initially mistaking the approaching Boers for friendly forces the defenders were ambushed. The Boers opened fire and shelled the store, destroying its roof and walls. A retreat was ordered, but Lieutenant Haserick and his men, unaware of the command, continued resisting until they were forced to surrender. One rider escaped to Fort Tuli, sparking rumors of a massacre.

Meanwhile, at Rhodes' Drift, Colonel Spreckley’s camp was surrounded. The Boers opened fire with rifles, Maxims, and later heavy artillery from a nearby kopje. The bombardment lasted nearly six hours, killing or scattering nearly all the camp’s horses and mules. That evening, Spreckley ordered a silent retreat. His men marched through the night, reaching Crocodile Pools near Fort Tuli after a grueling 16-hour journey.

On 3 November, the Boers returned to Rhodes' Drift unaware it had been abandoned and resumed shelling the empty ridge. Despite their tactical success—capturing nine wagons, an ambulance, 56 horses, 79 mules, 18 oxen, and valuable supplies—the Boers failed to capitalize. A false alarm about a large Rhodesian counterattack (actually a swarm of locusts) caused panic, and the Boers retreated back across the Limpopo, abandoning artillery and ammunition.

By early November 1899, the Limpopo Valley had become oppressively hot and dry. Both Boer and British forces maneuvered cautiously, avoiding direct confrontation. This quiet period was soon interrupted when a Boer column of 78 men with fifteen wagons was sighted at Baines' Drift, heading northward. The column was led by Commandant-General F.A. Grobler, commander of the broader northern front. Grobler had spent much of the war operating in the south-west with the Waterberg Commando, and his absence had left the Zoutpansberg Commando without effective leadership.

The column reached Hendriksdal on 12 November 1899, where Grobler reviewed Assistant-General H.C.J. van Rensburg’s proposal for a renewed offensive into Rhodesia. Van Rensburg hoped to launch a full-scale invasion, and Grobler forwarded the plan to the High Command in Pretoria. However, the response was swift and dismissive. The State Secretary rejected the proposal, arguing that the men and artillery were being tied up unnecessarily and could be better deployed elsewhere.

As a result, the North-West Commando was reorganized. A small detachment was left to guard the length of the Limpopo River, while the majority of the force—including nearly all senior commanders—was recalled to Pretoria. From there, the troops were split again: the larger group under Grobler was sent to Modder River, and a smaller contingent of 100 men under van Rensburg was dispatched to Colenso.

The Battle of Colenso and Spioenkop

Following the early campaigns in Rhodesia, Andries Hendrik Du Plessis was among the hundred men from the Zoutpansberg Commando sent to reinforce Boer positions in the Natal theatre. There, they joined the Boer army tasked with halting the advance of General Sir Redvers Buller and his British forces.

On 15 December 1899, Andries and his comrades took part in the Battle of Colenso, a key engagement in the effort to relieve the besieged town of Ladysmith. The Boers had entrenched themselves along the Tugela River, with positions fortified by stone and sandbags, and trenches dug across the plains.
General Botha’s right flank extended west from wagon bridge to the bridle drift, three miles down the river. The Tugela, near this point, formed a bend north of a complete half circle, the drift being near this bend.

Entrenchments were dug each side of the bend, a little back from the banks, so as to place any force attempting to ford the river between a cross-fire. The Swaziland commando, under Christian Botha, and a force of Zoutpansberg burghers held the left-hand side of the bend, while the Johannesburg and Boxburg men, under Ben Viljoen, lined the opposite side.

The British advanced in three main formations. The western flank, supported by artillery, moved directly into the line of fire held by Commandant C. Botha, Commandant van Rensburg of Zoutpansberg, and Commandant Grobler of Ermelo. The Boers held their fire until the British were within 500 yards, then unleashed a devastating barrage. Despite repeated attempts, the British failed to cross the river, suffering heavy casualties.

Elsewhere, Boer artillery and rifle fire forced British gunners to abandon their positions. One British battery, caught within range of Boer Mausers and Creusot guns, was nearly overrun. Though the Boers briefly lost the opportunity to seize a gun, they later captured several pieces and hauled them back across the river.
The British centre and right flank also came under intense fire. On the eastern flank, Boer forces under Commandants Joubert, Muller, Gouws, Strydom, and Steyn allowed British troops to approach within 60 yards before opening fire, causing a rapid retreat.

By mid-afternoon, the British were in full withdrawal, leaving behind their dead and wounded.

Just over a month later, on 23 January 1900, Andries and his fellow Soutpansberg burghers fought in the Battle of Spioenkop, a campaign that lasted from 17 to 24 January 1900.

On Commando

Following the Relief of Ladysmith Andries remained on Commando with his father and must have stayed close to General Beyers as he recorded his Commando as “Gen Beyers” on his Vorm B.

The Zoutpansberg Commando were involved in multiple battles within the Magaliesburg region. However, one of the brief and violet attacks that General Beyers led was the surprise attack on Pietersburg during the court-martial of Breaker Morant on 24 January 1902 that had begun the week earlier on 16 January 1902.

While the trial was underway, General Beyers launched a surprise attack on Pietersburg. Morant and his co-accused were released from their cells and given arms in order to participate in the defence. It is reported that they fought bravely, in the direct line of fire and assisted in the defeat of the attackers. Although Major Thomas filed a "plea of condonation", which can earn them clemency because of their roles in the defence; his request was dismissed by the court.

At Wars End

Andries’s father, Lourens A. Stephanus Du Plessis, was captured at Malipspoort on 10 May 1902, just weeks before the war ended. He was 43 years old, listed his address as Waterval, and was registered as Prisoner No. 32394. Andries managed to survive the war without been recorded as a casualty or Prisoner of War.

Post-War Life

After the war, Andries returned to civilian life. On 25 January 1915, he married Susanna Elizabeth Walkinshaw in Middelburg, Transvaal, and continued the Du Plessis lineage. He passed away on 15 April 1949 in Potgietersrus.

References:

Rory’s post:
www.angloboerwar.com/forum/5-medals-and-...outpansberg-commando

Picture of Capt Blackburn: RCIN 2502057 - Capt LD Blackburn (Scottish Rifles) died of wounds received at the Crocodile River, 21st October 1899: Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1900

For future reference to other ABO medal posts:

Father: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/surname-d/139...ies-stephanus-burger
Korp H Kemp: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/surname-k/16411-kemp-h-korporal
Served with Burger JJ Moolman of the Zoutpansberg Commando: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/surname-m/181...n-johan-jacob-burger