Corps such as the Johannesburg and Swaziland Police and the Staats Artillery of the Transvaal and Orange Free State, which had the benefit of military training and discipline, proved their superiority over the rest of the burgher forces, and greatly distinguished themselves in the South African campaign.  If all the burghers had had the same training as these corps, greater successes might have crowned their efforts during the early part of the war.  The soldier, on the contrary, is no volunteer.  His wishes are never consulted; when instructed to march on, he has to obey, though it may mean certain death to him, as was so often the case.

Another point of great disadvantage to the Boers is the lamentable fact that thousands of the surrendered and captured burghers enlisted in the British ranks as “National Scouts.”  This, viewed from the Boer standpoint, is the darkest spot in the South African campaign.  Gladly would we dismiss this matter without any further comment, for it merits silent contempt, but we cannot help noting at what a terrible disadvantage we were placed by the action of these “National Scouts.”  As they made common cause with the enemy they furnished the latter from time to time with full particulars of our tactics, and divulged all our military secrets to the British.  Moreover, they served the British forces as guides and led them forth at dead of night to surprise their countrymen in their secret, and otherwise unknown, retreats, where they were often captured or shot down by the enemy.  Before these enlisted, night assaults by the English were out of the question.  It was perfectly safe to bivouac some six miles from the enemy.  For when the British did make a move during the night, they usually lost their way, as was the case when Gatacre undertook a night march on the Stormberg positions.  With Boers as guides it was possible for the English forces to assume tactics hitherto untried by them.

Ah! brother, national scout, who may be reading this, do you not regret and lament the unhappy part of traitor?  Are your hands not stained with the blood of your countrymen?  And your conscience, is that not tarnished with the blood of men, women and children, who fell in Freedom’s holy war?  We do not despise but we pity you, and wish it were otherwise.

Not only did these “National Scouts” lead the British to the Boers, but they were the principal instruments in the hands of the enemy to clear the Republics of all foodstuffs and ammunition.  They knew precisely where their fellow-burghers had stored away their meal, corn, fodder, and ammunition, knew where the oxen and sheep were grazing, and forthwith to these they conducted the enemy’s forces, and thus was brought to pass that state of affairs which necessitated the Boers to lay down their arms.  Without the assistance of the deserted burghers it would have taken the enemy ever so much longer to have exhausted the Republics entirely of all their resources.  To a large extent these very republicans who sided with their country’s enemies became the despoilers of the once so fair Republics.  Ah me, that this should be recorded!