Marthinus Jacobus Oosthuizen ( October 14 , 1818 – April 2 , 1897 ) was a Voortrekker farmer known for his heroism in battle . He was born near Uitenhage and joined the " Groot Trek " ( Great Trek ) . He became famous for his heroism during a battle on 16 February 1838 shortly after the murder of Piet Retief and his delegation , and the massacres of Weenen and Bloukrans . After taking his own family to safety , he joined other men of his " trek " to await the coming Zulu army . When they eventually ran out of ammunition , he mounted his horse and stormed right through the ranks of an estimated 1,500 Zulus , fetched gunpowder and bullets from one of the wagons , and then returned the same way right through the army of the surprised Zulus . He eventually settled on a farm in Natal where he died in 1897
massacres of Weenen and Bloukrans
Weenen massacre
Marthinus Jacobus Oosthuizen