General Cornelis Johannes Spruyt was born on April 24, 1857.
Spruyt has left deep roots in the Heidelberg community. He was a deeply religious person and also served the Klipkerk as a deacon for many years.
Spruyt served as Officer Command of the Heidelberg District at the start of the second Anglo Boer war.
During the Anglo Boer War, he was actively involved in many battles.
He proved himself a fearless leader when he was captured by the British in 1900.
Spruyt escaped out of a baggage train wagon two days later by winning his guard’s confidence, and when the guard slept he jumped out of the moving train.
He walked for four days without food and water from De Aar to Colesburg to rejoin the battlefield. Spruyt had four brothers that were with him in the Commandos.
In 1900, Spruyt gave up his command in Heidelberg and was followed up by General Piet Retief Viljoen.
He went on to serve under General Louis Botha as Assistant Commander General where he was second in command to all the Transvaal forces at the time.
Spruyt was married to Sara Johanna (nee Smith).
He was shot next to a railway line between Val and Standerton on July 20, 1901, in his back and died on the same day.
With Spruyt being loved in his community and church where he was a Sunday School teacher, his Sunday School children sang at his funeral.
Spruyt is buried in the Heidelberg Kloof Cemetery.
Sara assisted with the orphans’ school at Heidelberg after the war ended.
She remarried Johannes Styger.
When Sara died in 1929, she was buried alongside Spruyt.
At that stage, she was the only woman buried with the six commando heroes in the Heidelberg Kloof Cemetery.
One of the streets in Heidelberg was named after Spruyt.
