In a letter to the Berlin Missionary Society, Rev. Heese's wife Johanna wrote, "As he turned a corner he saw a wagon with 8 Boers who had surrendered - that is given up their arms, and they were now, as they thought, to be taken to some sort of camp. They were guarded by Lieutenants and Handcock of the Sweetwaters Camp and some Australian soldiers who were lying in the grass. Daniel recognized one of the prisoners as the head schoolmaster of our village, an extremely nice Dutchman named [Vahrmeijer... Daniel went straight up and spoke to him. The schoolmaster said that he and the other prisoners were very uneasy as to their ultimate fate, although they had surrendered voluntarily. Daniel comforted them by telling them that nothing could happen to them. The guards became angry with Daniel for speaking to the prisoners, and ordered him to get up onto the wagon and consider himself also a prisoner. Daniel refused, saying that they might have prevented him from approaching the prisoners, that he was in possession of a pass from the commander at Pietersburg allowing him to travel freely, and promised to report himself at the camp and bring his passport with him. The prisoners were then removed..."