Editing Paul Kruger (section)

===Field cornet===
[[File:Kruger c1852.jpg|thumb|upright|Kruger as a [[field cornet]], photographed c.&nbsp;1852|alt=A bearded man, apparently about 30 years old]]
The Boer colonists and the local [[Tswana people|Tswana]] and [[Sotho people|Basotho]] chiefdoms were in near-constant conflict, mainly over land.{{sfn|Meredith|2007|pp = 6–7}} Kruger was elected field cornet of his district in 1852,<ref name="fieldcornet">{{harvnb|Kruger|1902|p=37}}; {{harvnb|Meintjes|1974|p=21}}.</ref> and in August that year he took part in the [[Battle of Dimawe]], a raid against the Tswana chief [[Sechele I]]. The Boer commando was headed by Pretorius, but in practice he did not take much part as he was suffering from [[dropsy]] (edema). Kruger narrowly escaped death twice—first a piece of shrapnel hit him in the head but knocked him out without cutting him; later a Tswana bullet swiped across his chest, tearing his jacket but not wounding him.{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|p = 30}} The commando wrecked [[David Livingstone]]'s mission station at [[Kolobeng Mission|Kolobeng]], destroying his medicines and books. Livingstone was away at the time.{{sfn|Meredith|2007|p = 75}} Kruger's version of the story was that the Boers found an armoury and a workshop for repairing firearms in Livingstone's house and, interpreting this as a breach of Britain's promise at the Sand River not to arm tribal chiefs, confiscated them.{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|p = 30}} Whatever the truth, Livingstone wrote about the Boers in strongly condemnatory terms thereafter, depicting them as mindless barbarians.<ref>{{harvnb|Meredith|2007|p=75}}; {{harvnb|Meintjes|1974|p=31}}.</ref>

Livingstone and many others criticised the Boers for abducting women and children from tribal settlements and taking them home to work as slaves.{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|p = 31}} The Boers argued that they did not keep these captives as slaves but as ''[[Inboekstelsel|inboekelings]]''—[[indentured servant|indentured]] "apprentices" who, having lost their families, were given bed, board and training in a Boer household until reaching adulthood.<ref>{{harvnb|Feinstein|2005|p=53}}; {{harvnb|Meintjes|1974|p=36}}; {{harvnb|Meredith|2007|p=7}}.</ref> Modern scholarship widely dismisses this as a technical ruse by the Boers to enforce a means of inexpensive labour for them while avoiding overt slavery.<ref>{{harvnb|Feinstein|2005|p=53}}; {{harvnb|Meredith|2007|p=7}}.</ref>{{#tag:ref|The Boers contended that given the heavy casualties among their enemies, this was a better way to treat the widows and orphans rather than to abandon them in the villages.{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|p=36}} ''Inboekelings'' were sometimes obtained in exchange for land, food or other goods. Under the laws passed in the Transvaal, males were supposed to be let go at the age of 25 and females at 21, but this was not always observed in the more remote districts. Even when the natives were released, many chose to stay with the Boers.{{sfn|Feinstein|2005|p=53}}|group = "n"|name = "inboekelings"}} Gezina Kruger had an ''inboekeling'' maid for whom she eventually arranged marriage, and paid her a [[dowry]].{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|p = 36}}

Having been promoted to the rank of lieutenant (between field cornet and [[commandant]]), Kruger formed part of a commando sent against the chief Montshiwa in December 1852 to recover some stolen cattle. Pretorius was still sick, and only nominally in command.{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|pp = 31–32}} Seven months later, on 23 July 1853, Pretorius died, aged 54. Just before the end he sent for Kruger, but the young man arrived too late.{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|p = 33}} Meintjes says that Pretorius "was perhaps the first person to recognise that behind [Kruger's] rough exterior was a most singular person with an intellect all the more remarkable for being almost entirely self-developed".{{sfn|Meintjes|1974|p = 26}}