Lucas Meyer

Because they had no army, except for the Staats Artllerie which had its own Doctor, Lillpop, the Boers had nothing set up to handle military casualties and it  

Lucas Johannes Meyer was born on the 19th November 1846 in Sand River, Orange Free State, South Africa but grew up in Natal. He was a powerfully built man and served as a Field Cornet fighting at Ingogo during the First  Anglo Boer War. He was the Landdrost (magistrate) at Utrecht from 1882-84 when he led a Boer contingent against Dinizulu. To mark their success the Boers were given land to establish their New Republic. Meyer became President and was elected to the Volksraad or Boer Parliament. During the Second Anglo Boer War Meyer commanded the troops in Natal. Attacking Dundee he was forced to withdraw when no support was forthcoming from General Erasmus and when poor health forced him to hand over command to Louis Botha. Rumour has it that, at Pont Drift, Meyer was struck by a bullet that hit his binoculars, flattened and dropped into his coat pocket. He later had it made into a brooch for his wife. He died in Brussels on 8th August 1902 and is buried in Vryheid.