Elizabeth Salt Xhosa oorlog - Afrikanergeskiedenis

LAERSKOOL GENL. DE LA REY
Soos 'n klein saadjie wat op 'n plek gesaai word mer 'n doel,
net so kan ek ons skool beskryf. Dit het begin by die ontkiem-stadium
en stadigaan wortel geskiet, waar dit op die ,ou end stadig gegroei het
tot 'n skool s'aafop ons vandag trots is, 'n skool wie se eer elkeen van
ons hooghou,
'Wat die naam betref, het ons nog 'n gforer gevoel van trots. Soos
die naam aandui, is dit vernoem na die boereheld, die leeu van \7es-
Transvaal, wie se.leuse ook altyd was om te oorwin.
As 'n mens mooi na ons skoolwapen kyk, sal jy die kop van 'n leeu
daarop sien met die leuse: ,,Oorwin".
Joseph Claassen. (Laerskool Genl. de la Rey).
ELIZ,ABETH SALT
The outcome of the Battle of Grahamsrown, on 22 April 1819,
which in some ways ranks as the Blood River of English-speaking South
Africa, was due to the courage of a very brave woman.
The tiny garrison village of Grahamstown, which numbered barely
thirty scattered houses, was unprepared for the battle on this parricular
day. The women and children were unprotected and what's more, no one
had ever expected that the military headquarters of the frontier would
be attacked in broad daylight, by savage Xhosa warriors.
The enormous Xhosa forces of Ndlambi and Makanna were discovered
in the nick of time, advancing from the bush on Grahamstown.
Of the 330 armed men Colonel \Tillshire had, 80 were Ffottentors,
another 30 were civilian men and bovs hurriedlv armed to defend the
village and its stores. which were tire arsenal'of the entire frontier

defence system. The Xhosa warriors took up their positions in three
divisions overlooking the village. At one o'clock a burst of fire from
stolen guns gave the signal. On came the 10,000 Xhosa warriors,
adorned with plumes and oxtails and brandishing ox-hide shields and
bundles of assegais, making the air resound with their appalling shrieks.
The defenders held their fire, tense and motionless, till the yelling
front line of warriors came within thirty-five paces, then the muskets
roared and the two small cannons hurled grape-shot at the enemy. Reloading
as fast as they could, the Brirish and Hottentot defenders fired
again and again into the mass of wavering warriors, 'tn'ho knelt down
to avoid the rounds of fire, which had already kilted or x'ounded so
many of their most daring men.
By fwo o'clock the village was saved, but the East Barracks, a mile
away) was still in the thick of the battle. Here Makanna led rhe attack
in person, urging his warriors ro sweep the white men our of the Zuutveld.
$flith only 60 men to defend the baracks against thousands of
warriors was by no means an easy task. At the critical moment however,
a Frenchwoman, Mrs. Elizabeth Salt, appeared - carrying a keg
of gunpowder from the village ro the East Barracks. She relied on the
chivalrous Xhosa custom of sparing women in warfare to pass through
the midst of the fanatical warriors and save the day for the defenders.
N7hen Makanna's men gave up hope at last and withdre$. ro the hills,
102 warriors were lying in the barrack square. The total Xhosa losses
ranged from 700 upwards, while the defenders had only three dead and
five wounded.
Had the village fallen, the whole of the Eastern Cape would have
been ovemun by Xhosa. Instead the Eastern Cape was saved just as
Natal was saved for the Voortrekkers by the victory of Blood River -
thanks to the heroic part played by Elizabeth Salt.
PRESIDENT C. R. SNTART
(Hiercli.e opstel bet bo| putfie bebaal in di.e F.A.K.-opstelkonpetisie)
Na byna sestig jaat is daar weer 'n President in Suid-Afrika. Ons
is trots op hom, omdat hy di6 simbool is van 'n lank gesrrede stryd -
eenheid. Maar ons is ook trots daarop dat juis hierdie man ons eersre
president van vier provinsies kan wees. Ons eer hom, omdat hv altvd-
. deur 'n gelowige gebly het wat die leiding van 'n Hodr Gesag erken.
Hy het nooit sy beginsels versaak of sy koers byster geraak nie, omdat
hv hom diensbaar aan sy volk gemaak het. Ons het hom lief, omdat hy
altyd een van ons gebly het, en omdat nederigheid en vriendelikheid
altyd 'n alomteenwoordige deug by hom is.
Hy het die byname van Doempies, op skool, en Blackie, op universiteit,
gedra. Hy was van kleins af 'n Afrikaner onder die Alrikaners
en 'n vaderlander tot in die vesels van sy siel. Die wortels van sy opvoeding
was maar bitter, maar die vrugte is soet. Hy het van kleins
af reeds 'n voorliefde vir die regte ontwikkel en 'n rnens kon hom altyd