Johannes Cornelius Jacobus "Hans" Lötter (January 15, 1875 – October 12, 1901) was a
Boer
Boers ( ; ; ) are the descendants of the proto Afrikaans-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled the Dutch ...
commander who fought, and was executed as a war criminal by the British during the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
. Along with
Gideon Scheepers, Lötter was one of the most brutal guerrilla commandos in the
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...
.
Lötter entered the Cape Colony during the war along with
Pieter Hendrik Kritzinger.
Lötter's
Boer Commando earned a reputation for being brutal and undisciplined.
Like many Boer commandants, Lötter promulgated public decrees to the residents of the Cape Colony, warning of harsh retribution if they did not support the forces of the
Boer Republics.
A column led by
Henry Jenner Scobell was tasked with tracking down Lötter's commando. They tracked the commando to
Groenkloof
Groenkloof (Afrikaans for 'Green ravine') is a residential suburb of Pretoria, South Africa.
This wealthy suburb in Pretoria is famous for its white Jacaranda trees. It is close to the city centre, and to the well-known Brooklyn Square and Men ...
, west of
Cradock, and surprised them with a dawn attack. Sixty of Lötter's men became casualties and sixty, including Lötter, were captured.
He was taken to
Graaff-Reinet
Graaff-Reinet (; Xhosa: eRhafu) is a town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is the oldest town in the province and the fourth oldest town in South Africa, after Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Simon's Town, Paarl and Swellendam. The to ...
for his trial, and charged with treason, murdering unarmed British scouts, flogging two
Afrikaners
Afrikaners () are a Southern African ethnic group descended from predominantly Dutch people, Dutch Settler colonialism, settlers who first arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in Free Burghers in the Dutch Cape Colony, 1652.Entry: Cape Colony. '' ...
who had brought him terms of surrender, destroying railway lines, and marauding.
The trial was straightforward since Lötter was a citizen of the British-controlled
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...
and therefore a rebel.
He was found guilty, sentenced to death by firing squad, executed along with seven of his men on October 12, 1901.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lötter, Johannes
1875 births
1901 deaths
Afrikaner nationalists
20th-century executions by South Africa
20th-century executions by the United Kingdom
Boer military personnel killed in the Second Boer War
Executed military leaders
South African people executed for murder
South African people convicted of war crimes
People convicted of murder by the British military
People executed by the British military by firing squad
People executed for treason against the United Kingdom
People executed for war crimes
War criminals of the Second Boer War