De Wet
CHRISTIAN, a Boer military officer; born in Smithfield, Orange Free State (now Orange River State), in October, 1859. He was bred a farmer and made a small fortune. He became a member of the Volksraad. Though practically without military experience, he served ably in the Boer-British War of 1899-1900, attaining the rank of general and outwitting the pursuit of Kitchener and Roberts in the summer of 1900, and of the former in the early part of 1901.
His stand at Sanna's Post was highly praised by military experts. In 1907 he was a member of the first Parliament of the Orange River Colony and Minister of Agriculture. In October, 1914, he led an insurrection and surrendered to General Louis Botha on Dec. 2, 1914. He was sentenced to six years' imprisonand pay fine of $10,000, but within a short time was pardoned. He published "Three Years of War" (1902).