Beyers
CHRISTIAN FREDERICK, a South African general, born 1869 ; died Dec. 8, 1914. He chose the law as a profession, but served with distinction during the Boer War (1899-1902) and rose in rank until he became assistant commandant-general. A notable exploit was his capture of the British camp at Nooitgedacht. After the close of the was his capture of the British camp at tive fighting, he was chairman of the congress that met at Vereeniging to draft the treaty of peace. He later became speaker of the Transvaal Assembly. When the World War broke out, he thought he saw an opportunity to throw off British rule, to which he had never been in heart reconciled, and reestablish Boer control. He became a BEZA leading figure in a conspiracy that included DeWet, Delarey, and other former Boer leaders, and that received a stimulus from a self-styled prophet whose "revelations" foretold the overthrow of the British. Beyers, at the head of volunteers, advanced against Pretoria, but was utterly defeated by General Botha and forced to flee with only a remnant of his followers into the Orange Free State. Here he suffered other reverses, and while in rout and attempting to cross the Vaal river, Dec. 8, 8, 1914, fell from his horse and was drowned. His associates in the rebellion were also defeated and the movement suppressed.