We had been informed that the ranks of the enemy had been largely augmented by commandoes from the north.
Large commandoes of Boers had been seen hovering about, and by boastful display had given us the impression that they purposed attacking the city.
Large commandoesof Boers had joined the besiegers during the night.
Boer commandoeswere at that time supposed to have retired to the neighbourhood of either Pietersburg or Mafeking.
A steady increase of the commandoes in the neighbourhood of Doornberg continued, and an attack within a few days seemed imminent.
As a natural consequence, therefore, certain commandoes had to be withdrawn from Mafeking and Kimberley.
Meanwhile, General Joubert's force received large reinforcements of Free State burghers under the command of Lucas Meyer, and additional commandoesfrom the Middleburgh and Leydenburg districts under Schalkburger were expected.
At Sandspruit the Boers were scattered in various camps over a wide area, and on the Portuguese border the Barberton and Lydenburg commandoes were concentrating.
On the 16th of October Commandant Cronje's commandoes took up a position among the thorns above the racecourse and opened fire on the town.
From the north a hot artillery fire was poured into the Mooi River camp, while from the west further Free State commandoes were marching in.
They had no reserves to send down to the assistance of their forces in the southern borders, and could only assist these by withdrawing men from commandoes already in the field.
First, it was desirable to engage the enemy in the centre, and so save the Boer commandoes from falling in too great strength on Lord Methuen's line of communications.
Large commandoes were gathered together with a rapidity which would have been marvellous had the Boers not designedly brought about the issue of war, and the frontier of the northern angle of Natal was threatened.
Even after the war began these foreign commandoes were largely recruited from Europe; French and German steamers landed parties of volunteers for the burgher forces nearly every week at Lorenço Marques.
Here we heard that our commandoes had invaded the enemy's territory in every direction, and news of the preliminary engagements was awaited with breathless interest.
When Rundle's force was at Senekal and Brabant's Horse at Harmonia every one of their telegrams was read by a telegraphist attached to one of the commandoes lying in the vicinity.
Instead of finding our own commandoes here, we found the place occupied by a large British force.
Out you go--property confiscated, furniture sold; go seek the commandoesand ask them for shelter!
He then told me to take a couple of heliographists and try to get into communication with one of the Transvaal commandoes near Potchefstroom.
Sometimes the merits of the different commandoes would be discussed.
The Governments retreated by train to Nelspruit, and thence to Hectorspruit, thecommandoes following by rail and road.
The commandoes on our side of the river were extended to keep pace with the enemy's movements on the other.
In the retreat the Free State and the Transvaal commandoes took different directions, myself remaining with the latter.
However, the balloon reports the presence of laagers of ten commandoes in sight.
They were all Transvaal Boers, chiefly volunteers from the commandoesof Heidelburg and Wakkerstroom.
Commander Cronje, disgusted, finally took himself off with some twenty waggons to Riceters (Transvaal), leaving his guns with the remaining commandoes and relegating to them the task of reducing the truculent town to submission.
These arrangements had taken place, and two storming parties from the Heidelberg and Harrismith commandoes were promised immediate return to their homes if they should succeed in the hazardous enterprise.
The transport arrangements were improved, while the commandoes watched eagerly for the first rains, due in early October, which were to be the signal of action for them, and of slaughter for the hapless British soldiery.
Lagden, the British Resident in Basutoland, this tribe of Kaffir warriors was kept so thoroughly in hand that it soon became safe for the enemy to withdraw their commandoes and move them to Norvals Pont and Bethulie.
The Transvaal commandoes had assembled, but transport and commissariat were so defective that the Boers were in danger of starvation.
Without doubt the Boers advancing in this quarter were the commandoeswhich should have been held back by Carleton's unlucky column.
The separate commandoes were herded together in big groups of several hundred men, sitting and lying about and talking.
The breaking up of the big commandoes and the change to guerilla tactics, in which every man fights on his own account, shows in a way there is no mistaking that it is the personal wish of each man to fight out the quarrel to the last.
Here we trapped as many or more, composed of some of the best commandoes of the Free State, caught them, too, in a wild mountainous country such as you would think was almost impregnable.
So long as we had big commandoes with guns, convoys, &c.
Suggestions were continually being made, and have been and are still being frequently quoted, to the effect that a force should be sent out to create a diversion among the Boer commandoes in Jameson's favour.
On May 25 the two commandoes were drawn up facing each other on opposite banks of the Rhenoster River, and remained in that position for three hours.
The Boer commandoes had timely warning of the advancing hosts, and, recognising that in the circumstances their position was untenable, the enemy took to flight.
Quite a number of Boer commandoes were defeated, but despite this, and the fact that his camp was in flames, and shot and shell were dropping into it like rain, the obstinate Cronje refused to yield.
On the occasion of the Jameson incursion the Orange Free State promptly appeared near the scene with best equipped mounted Boer commandoes and artillery to assist the Transvaal if needed.
Although precise information regarding the Boer forces was lacking, it was known that commandoes were assembling at Volksrust, along the left bank of the Buffalo River, and on the far side of Van Reenan's Pass.
And although there were still any amount of commandoes in the field, we could scarcely be blamed for thinking that the back of the business was broken, and that a few weeks, or at the outside months, must see us returning to England.
It soon became clear that the Boers meant to invade Natal, and Newcastle was occupied by them on the 15th, while the mounted patrols of the Dundee force were already in touch with the commandoes on the left bank of the Buffalo.
The farmers, reinforced by three more commandoes from the Pietersdorp district, still held the plateau, but the police were now on the line of the Great Letaba.
The commandoeswere really companies of the North Transvaal Volunteers, but the old name had been kept and something of the old loose organization.
The flanking commandoes joined hands with one of the police posts farther north, and moved slowly to the scarp of the Berg.
The farmers' commandoes had been recalled, but the ashes of their camp fires were still grey among the bracken.
It was cleared of all stock; no living thing, and not a single burgher of other commandoes came in view.
In the beginning of November, 1899, the commandoes of Rouxville, Smithfield, and Bethulie entered the Cape Colony at different points.
It may influence greatly the Boer commandoesin the field.
There we should be constantly recruited, and our commandoes would increase rather than decrease.
If it were not for the convoy, we would have achieved our object and would have entered those districts where commandoes could exist.
In doing this thecommandoes could requisition--loot, as some would say--what they required.
The Court will have no doubt that there were two commandoes there.
The British, having divided the two states into several small sections by their blockhouse system, made it extremely difficult for the different commandoes to come in touch with one another.
Besides, we intended, as soon as we were on the other side of the line, to divide our force into several commandoes and let these take different courses so that the enemy would not be able to concentrate any longer all their men on us.
You will be surprised, and perhaps sorely disappointed, to hear that De Wet's and Hertzog's commandoes are all back in the Orange Free State.
They could not for ever supply Boer commandoes and British columns with provisions, especially when farming pursuits were so disturbed and hampered by the enemy.
There were places of sedge and scented rush, amidst which were sapphire mists of forget-me-not for long stretches, skirmishing commandoes of yellow iris and wide wastes of floating water-lilies.
One, consisting of the commandoes from Utrecht and the Swaziland districts, had gathered at Vryheid on the flank of the British position at Dundee.
On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the commandoes gradually closed in upon the south and east, harassed by some cavalry operations and reconnaissances upon our part, the effect of which was much exaggerated by the press.
From all points Boer commandoeswere converging upon it, and already it was understood that the guns at their command were heavier than any which could be placed against them.
At nine o'clock there was a lull, but it was evident that fresh commandoes and fresh guns were continually streaming into the firing line.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "commandoes" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
