General De Wet publicly unfurled the rebel banner in October, when he entered the town of Reitz at the head of an armed commando. He summoned all the town and demanded that the court shorthand writer take down every word he said, among which he complained: "I was charged before [the Magistrate of Reitz] for beating a native boy. I only did it with a small shepherd's whip, and for that I was fined 5/–". On hearing the contents of the speech, General Smuts christened the rising as "the Five Shilling Rebellion". (Plaatje 1916). Other sources place the incident in the town of Vrede on 28 October 1914 – see, for example, P.J. Sampson, The Capture of De Wet: the South African Rebellion, 1914 (1915), pp. 145-146. Plaatje, Sol (1916), "Chapter XXIII – The Boer Rebellion", Native Life in South Africa, P. S. King in London
