Genl. Jan Hendrik Olivier

General Jan Hendrik Olivier was a magnificent physical specimen, tall, wide shouldered, clean limbed, with a great black beard slightly touched with grey. He had a fine head and forehead and searching dark eyes. He was responsible for the British retreat at Stormberg. “I had only one gun” he explained “which I quickly moved from point to point.”

His knowledge of English was not extensive. One of the most respected members of our community requested him to be godfather to his infant son. He readily agreed, and when the infant Jan Hendrik Olivier, so named after him, was presented to him, he greeted him as follows, shaking him heartily by the hand:- “Hullo man (pronounced mahn) Goodbye! Goodbye!”

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• Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees by SmartCopy: Nov 4 2014, 7:17:33 UTC
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Gen Jan Hendrik Olivier. B. c.1856; d. 30/5/1930. Joined the OFS “Border Police” at age 15 and became a Veldkornet for districts Rouxville-Zastron at 17 yrs of age. As reward for his participation against Mosheswe he was gifted a farm near Vechtkop. In 1899 he was already Cmdt and occupied o.a. the railway junction at Stormberg. On 26/11/1899 he defeated Gen Gatacre there starting “Black Week” - force sizes are uncertain, but seems to have been roughly equal at c.2 000-2 500. He escaped Brandwaterkom with Gen De Wet. With his 3 sons he moved to Transvaal battles, and was captured near Winburg by the Queen’ Volunteer Rifles and sent to Ceylon. .... Gen Sir William Forbes Gatacre (Back-acher). Got “no end of a lesson” at Stormberg. The start of “ Black Week”.—-https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stormberg By Andre Strydom