Towns

Towns in South Africa

The Battle of Schuinshoogte

The Battle of Schuinshoogte

February 18, 2025

The Battle of Schuinshoogte, also known as the Battle of Ingogo, was fought on February 8, 1881, during the First Boer War. It took place north of Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. General Sir George Pomeroy Colley, leading British forces, aimed to clear a path along the Newcastle-Mount Prospect road to secure British supply lines and receive reinforcements, as his communications were constantly harassed by Boer patrols under Commandant J.D. Weilbach after their victory at Laing’s Nek.

Colley left Mount Prospect camp with a force primarily composed of infantry, leaving some artillery and a company of the 60th Rifles on a ridge overlooking the Ingogo River. As they advanced, they encountered a Boer force, leading to a fierce engagement. Heavy rain then fell, ending the battle abruptly. The swollen Ingogo River made it difficult to ford, and under cover of night, the British managed a retreat, although some drowned in the river crossing.

This battle resulted in significant British casualties, with seven officers and 66 men killed, and 77 wounded. The Boers, who had eight killed, managed to bury their dead at the farm Geelhoutboom. The failure of the Boers to capture British artillery during the rainstorm is noted as a significant tactical error. Had Colley received his reinforcements before the rain, it’s speculated he might have secured a victory, potentially strengthening British negotiating power in peace talks.

This engagement further demoralized British forces, contributing to the series of defeats they experienced in the First Boer War, culminating in Colley’s death at the Battle of Majuba Hill.

Monuments, Newcastle

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The Battle of Kraaipan

The Battle of Kraaipan

January 13, 2025

12 October 1899 was where the first shots were fired that marked the start of the Second Anglo-Boer War.
That night 800 men of the Potchefstroom and Lichtenburg commandos under General Koos de la Rey, one of General Piet Cronjé’s field generals, attacked and captured the British garrison and railway siding at Kraaipan between Vryburg and Mafeking, some 60 kilometres south west of Mafeking. Thus began the Second Anglo-Boer War. Under the orders of Cronjé the Mafeking railway and telegraph lines were cut on the same day.
De la Rey and his kommando derailed an armoured train carrying British supplies.

The Battle of Kraaipan
The Battle of Kraaipan
The Battle of Kraaipan
The Battle of Kraaipan
The Battle of Kraaipan
The Battle of Kraaipan
The Battle of Kraaipan
The Battle of Kraaipan
The Battle of Kraaipan
The Battle of Kraaipan

Kraaipan

Historic site in H’burg now open to tourists

August 3, 2017

High on the hills of Haenertsburg is the site where the last of the heavy and unwieldy long Toms from the Anglo Boer War were destroyed.

HAENERTSBURG –  Three kilometres off the Cheerio road, past Wegraakbosch, is the Rondebult site that locals call Top Camp. There local historian, Professor Louis Changuion, erected two small stone memorials. The wide but not very deep crater, caused by the explosion, is also still there.

On the Cheerio road, turn right to the site where the last long Tom was destroyed.

Recently farmers in the area, in conjunction with Haenertsburg Rotary, created a picnic spot with concrete seating and concrete benches for tourists to enjoy. Acacias and azaleas have been planted and an area has been levelled for parking. Professor Changuion said that he is still working on putting up an historic sign regarding the day Gustav Thiel destroyed the long Tom. The site overlooks the village with the imposing Iron Crown Mountain in the background.

One of two memorials at the site depicting the history, with the crater clearly visible in the background.

In his book Silence of the Guns, Changuion explains the antiquity of the long Toms and their importance in the Boer War. In May 1897, four guns transported by train were delivered in Pretoria. In October 1899, war between two Boer republics and England broke out. During October 1900, the Transvaal Volksraad, with their weapons reached Haenertsburg, a stopover before their journey to Pietersburg (now Polokwane).

A coloured pencil work depicting the long Tom memorial at the arboretum in the village. The view through the barrel is directed toward Rondebult.

The British seized Pietersburg on 8 April 1901. General Beyers decided not to defend and withdrew to Houtboschberg with the last remaining long Tom. The other long Toms were destroyed, once the ammunition had been expended, to prevent them from falling into British hands. Just before the British took over Haenertsburg the Boers destroyed the last long Tom at Rondebult on 30 April 1901.

Changuion erected the long Tom memorial in the village arboretum and spent countless hours searching for long Tom pieces at Rondebult and in the storeroom of a British museum. The long Tom was painstakingly recreated at the arboretum as pieces became available. The long Tom was placed in a strategic position in the arboretum. Looking down the barrel of the long Tom the view is directly towards Rondebult where the new tourist site has been created.

http://reviewonline.co.za/219804/historic-site-in-hburg-now-open-to-tourists/

Haenertsburg, Monuments

Barefoot woman (Kaalvoet vrou)

June 30, 2017

After the British occupation of Natal in 1842 many of the Trekkers decided to migrate either back over the Drakensberg into what later became the Orange Free State and the Transvaal or north to the present Vryheid area where King Mpande had offered them land. One of the Trekker women – Johanna Smit – said she would rather walk barefoot back over the Drakensberg rather than live under British rule. Her statue is situated at the top of Retief’s Pass.

Bergville

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Pilgrims rest

June 26, 2017

Pilgrims rest

Mining in this region of Mpumalanga dates back many centuries, when unknown miners worked quartz reefs in the area for gold.

Proof of these diggings can still be found in this area.

 

The history of this small delightful village dates back to 1873 when a miner, Alex Patterson, discovered alluvial gold on the farm named Ponieskrantz.

 

He had left the Mac-Mac area to search for a place that was less congested.

 

Though the discovery was kept as a secret, the inevitable happened when a second prospector William Trafford also discovered gold close by.

 

What they had found in this beautiful valley drew optimistic gold panners and prospectors from all over the country and the World (news of gold strikes of this magnitude travel fast !).

 

On 22nd September 1873 Pilgrim’s Rest was officially proclaimed a gold field and the scatter of tents and rudimentary shacks soon grew into a flourishing little village complete with sturdy brick houses, church, shops, canteens, a newspaper and the well-known Royal Hotel.

 

The diggers called it Pilgrim’s Rest because here, at last, after so many false trails and faded dreams they had truly found their home.

 

In due course the alluvial deposits were depleted and the locals turned to forestry, but their village, whose residents still number in the hundreds, has been painstakingly preserved as a “living museum” and major South African tourist venue.

Pilgrims rest

Spioenkop battle

June 18, 2017

Spioenkop battle

At the beginning of the South Africa War Boer forces entered Natal and attacked the British forces at Dundee. As the British retreated to Ladysmith the Boers took up positions along the Thukela River in the Colenso area.

The British, under Sir Redvers Buller, tried to break through the Boer lines but on 15 December 1900 suffered a humiliating defeat at Colenso.

Spioenkop was the highest point on the Boer line, offered good views in all directions, and would allow command of the road to Ladysmith, so it seemed the best place to break the Boer line.

On the night of 23 January 1900 the British attempt to capture Spioenkop began. A series of blunders and misunderstandings resulted in another defeat for the British. Under the cover of dark and obscured by mist 1700 British soldiers moved towards the summit of the mountain. After little resistance they were able to flush the 100 or so Boers from the top of the mountain where the British dug in.

This seemed like a good position, but as the mist lifted at dawn the British found themselves exposed to fire from the surrounding hills each occupied by the Boers.

In particular the Carolina Commando, under Cmdt. Hendrik Prinsloo who occupied Aloe Knoll to the right of the British position, were responsible for many of the British casualties.

British reinforcements arrived during the day but it made little difference to the battle that ended the following night when the British began a retreat. On the day 343 British were killed and 563 wounded. The Boers lost 68 men and 134 were wounded.

Today the battlefield is marked by a number of monuments, graves and interpretative displays.

Bergville, Monuments

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