Jan Hendrik Olivier

Jan Hendrik Olivier
Born	(1848-01-24)January 24, 1848 [1] Burgersdorp, Cape Colony, British Empire
Died	May 30, 1930(1930-05-30) (aged 82) Volksrust, Transvaal, Union of South Africa
Allegiance	Orange Free State (1863 – 1900)   South African Republic (1900)
Branch	Orange Free State Army   Transvaal Army
Years of service	1863 – 1900
Rank	General
Battles/wars	Seqiti War Second Boer War Battle of Stormberg

Jan Hendrik Olivier was a Boer general during the Second Boer War who was notable for being the main Boer commander at the Battle of Stormberg.

Early life

His parents lived in the Burgersdorp area and later moved to Zastron. At the age of 15, he joined the Orange Free State border police. ^[2] In 1865 he became a Field Cornet and fought in the Seqiti War. ^[3] He was rewarded with the farm Olifantsbeen northwest of Zastron which made him prosperous. He became a member of the Orange Free State Volksraad in 1883 for the Caledon River Division.

Second Boer War

He was in command of the Rouxville and Thaba Nchu commandos, and moved with his mother through the Colesberg, Barkly East and Dordrecht areas. ^[2] He was in command of the Boer forces during the Battle of Stormberg on 10 December 1899. ^[3] Later he worked with General De Wet in the eastern Free State and Brandwater Basin. After an argument with De Wet, he decided to join the Transvaal Army. On the way there, he was captured by the British forces on July 3, 1900, and was exiled to Ceylon with three of his sons as prisoners of war. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

• 
  General Olivier is seated on the right.
• 
  Olivier's Orange Free State artillery corps with heliographists near Colesberg, Second Boer War.
• 
  General Olivier (centre) with his son (right) and Van Zehl (left), both field cornets in Ceylon as prisoners of war, 1900-1902.

Post-War Life

He was released from exile in 1902 and again became a member of the Legislative Assembly (Volksraad) for the Orange River Colony as well as a horse breeder before withdrawing from public life in 1910. He went to retire with his daughter at Rustenburg. He died during a visit to Volksrust and was buried there with his military honors. ^[3]

References

1. Biographical information on geni.com, visited on 16 June 2015
2. Hall 1999, p. 28
3. "General Jan Hendrik Olivier". onsboeresetrotsegeskiedenis.co.za (in Afrikaans). Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
4. "Anglo Boer War - OLIVIER, J.H. GEN - Boer War Forum". angloboerwar.com. Retrieved 8 January 2022.

Bibliography

• Breytenbach, J. H. (1969–1996). Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899-1902[The History of the Second War of Independence in South Africa, 1899-1902] (in Afrikaans). Pretoria: Die Staatsdrukker.
  • Breytenbach, J. H. (1969). Die Boere-offensief, Okt. - Nov. 1899[The Boer Offensive, Oct. - Nov. 1899]. Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899-1902 (in Afrikaans). Vol. I. Pretoria: Die Staatsdrukker. OCLC   798106662. Many pages.
  • Breytenbach, J. H. (1971). Die eerste Britse offensief, Nov. - Des. 1899[The first British offensive, Nov. - Dec. 1899]. Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899-1902 (in Afrikaans). Vol. II. Pretoria: Die Staatsdrukker. Many pages, photo 27.
  • Breytenbach, J. H. (1977). Die Boereterugtog uit Kaapland[The Boer retreat from the Cape Colony]. Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899-1902 (in Afrikaans). Vol. IV. Pretoria: Die Staatsdrukker. Many pages.
  • Breytenbach, J. H. (1983). Die Britse Opmars tot in Pretoria[The British advance to Pretoria]. Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899-1902 (in Afrikaans). Vol. V. Pretoria: Die Staatsdrukker. ISBN   9780621083606. OCLC   769254652. Many pages.
  • Breytenbach, J. H. (1996). Die beleg van Mafeking tot met die Slag van Bergendal[The siege of Mafeking up to the Battle of Bergendal]. Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika, 1899-1902 (in Afrikaans). Vol. VI. Pretoria: Die Staatsdrukker. ISBN   9780797033214. OCLC   813492747. Page 233.
• J.E.H. Grobler, The War Reporter. Jonathan Ball Publishers. 2004. ISBN   978-1-86842-186-2.
• Darrell Hall, The Hall Handbook of the Anglo Boer War. 1999. Pages 18, 28, 123, and 130. ISBN   0-86980-943-1.
• Thomas Pakenham, The Boer War, George Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1979. Abacus, 1992. ISBN 0 349 10466 2. Pages 379-380, 387, 390-391, 444, and 542.