ELIOT DEMPSTER ANGLO BOER WAR

THE ANGLO BOER WAR 1899 – 1902

A very brief summary of the Battles in and around
KIMBERLEY
(Refer also to rough sketch map included)
By Lt Col E.D. DEMPSTER SJ JCD

The South Africa of today (2010) was in those days comprised of the British Crown Colonies of the Cape of Good Hope and Natal and the Boer Republics of the Orange Free State and the South African Republic (Transvaal). Years of problems over a multitude of matters led to the eventual Transvaal declaration of War on the British on 11th October 1899. The Republican Forces then advanced against Natal which become known as the E front of the war and against the Cape where operations were known as the W and Central fronts. This summary deals only with the relevant Battles on the W front.

Prior to the war the British had established military camps along the boundaries of the Free State with the main concentration some 120 km S of KIMBERLEY at Orange River Station on the main road and the existing rail link from the Cape. The Boers had prepared as well and at that stage had some 6,000 burghers available to stop any British advance from the Orange River by these Transvaal burghers. Some 5,000 Free State burghers had also concentrated in the W of the Free State and could also assist in stopping any British advances to the N.

By 14th October 1899 Kimberley was surrounded by Boer forces as was Mafeking to the N and Ladysmith in Natal. These sieges were destined for worldwide news.

By the 17th October the Free State forces had occupied features at Belmont Station only 32 km N from the Orange River. The British mobilised troops already in the Cape and some that had recently arrived in Cape Town and Lt Gen Lord Methuen and the 1st Division were ordered to relieve Kimberley. He arrived at Orange River on 12th November and on the 21st commenced his advance on Kimberley. Almost immediately contact was made with Gen Prinsloo’s forces deployed near Belmont Station and on 23rd November a fairly fierce Battle ensued where after Prinsloo withdrew N to a position between Graspan and Enslin rail stations. Some figures quoted but which are generally extremely difficult to confirm in this War give British casualties at Belmont at 54 killed and 240 wounded whilst the Boer Forces suffered some 80 killed and 70 were taken prisoners of War. Thus ended the Battle for Belmont.

In the interim the Transvaal’s Gen de la Rey had also arrived in the Graspan/Enslin area with some 1,000 Transvaal burghers. It is estimated that at this stage the opposing forces strengths committed to the campaigns were roughly now 4,000 on the Boer side and some 10,000, both combatant and non combatant, on the British side and of which some 1,000 were mounted troops.

On 25th November the obvious next Battle as the British advanced took place at a hilly feature between Graspan and Enslin and, as at Belmont, after very heavy fighting the Boers again withdrew to the No. The British Forces had sustained unexpected heavy casualties and much more that the Boers.
The Boer Forces withdrawal now stopped some 40 km S of Kimberley on the banks of the Modder and Riet Rivers which converged together from the E at Modder River Station and which also straddled from E to W the main rail and road to Kimberley. Changing the previous Boer delaying tactics of defending the high ground of hilly features, Gen de la Rey now used the S side of the river beds as a natural trench warfare defence system as his next obstacle to the British advance. Boer Forces were also further strengthened, Gen Cronje had arrived with more Transvaal burghers, and he now took overall command of the Boer Forces.

In the meantime Kimberley, which was rather defenceless and only some 10 km from the Free State Border, had assembled a garrison of roughly 4,500 men, commanded by Lt Col Kekewich a British regular from the Loyal N Lancashire Regiment, consisting of only 600 regulars, 800 volunteer soldiers from the Kimberley Regiment and other units with the rest being some 3,000 Town Guards. Being a major diamond mining and market town it was well stocked with food and some very ingenious scientific and engineering personalities. The relief of Kimberley was also vital for British morale. Cecil Rhodes was, of course, also confined to Kimberley for the duration of the siege. On the 28th November at first light Lord Metheun advanced on Modder River. The Guards Brigade (Colvile) was to attack the Boers left flank but came under heavy fire and had to dig in where they mainly remained until night-fall. The British 9th Brigade (Pole-Carew) was to advance with its axis being the rail line. However as the river was approached the Boers opened up with massive rifle firepower on the British infantry with disastrous results for them. Realising that the Boer lines also extended to the W of the train line, the 9th Brigade deployed some units there and eventually some made the vital gain of occupying portions of the N bank of the river. At 16h00 Lord Methuen was wounded and Colvile assumed command of the Division. By first light on the 29th November the whole of the 9th Brigade had crossed the river to the W and the British artillery now shelled the Modder River Village. It was later found however that the Boers had again withdrawn N and E during the night. British victory once again, but expensive as casualties were given at 71 killed and 389 wounded with the Boers at some 50 killed and an unknown number wounded. Metheun’s wound was not serious and he later resumed command of his Division. Although known universally as the Battle of Modder River, as the Riet River was S of the convergence point with the Modder River and then remained the Riet to the W, it should more probably have been named the Battle of Riet River.

At a Boer conference on the 29th it was eventually agreed the next defensive position would be on the Magersfontein range of hills some 9 km N of Modder River and which, although only some 50 m high, dominated the area to the S as far as could be seen in all directions. The rail and road routes also diverged from being together at Modder River to the road now being some 6 km E of the rail line at Magersfontein. The dominant and highest hill on the Magersfontein range was in centre of the Boer positions which stretched NW some 8 km and SE as far as the Modder River itself, although their various positions were definitely not continuous. Gens de la Rey and Cronje had differences regarding the siting of the defences with the former aware of the initial “trench” success at Modder River as opposed to the “high ground” defences at Graspan and Belmont which Cronje preferred. However, during a visit by President Steyn of the Free State, de la Rey’s plans were agreed upon and accepted by Cronje and the Boer Commandos prepared the trenches at the foot of the hills with much vigour. The total Boer Forces that Cronje now had available to him had grown to some 8,500 men.

The British Forces in the meanwhile lost much momentum, also due to administrative and logistical reasons such as the need to rest the troops, bring up reinforcements and equipment from the Cape and attend to the problem of the Boer destroyed bridge over the Modder River. Methuen now had available 4 main Brigades in the Guards, Highland, 9th and one Mounted, and, together with his artillery and other support units, his Force now totalled some 12,000 men.

The beleaguered Forces in Kimberley had held the Town so far, even later manufacturing their own artillery piece in the now famous “Long Cecil” capable of launching a shell of 30 pounds to 10,000 yards, had arranged patrols to capture much needed cattle for rations, did active sorties against the Boers at Dronfield Ridge and Carters ridge where Lt Col Scott Turner was unfortunately killed. The Boer Commandos however made no real attempt to capture Kimberley. By 10th December they had also got a message through to Methuen at Modder River that the Town could survive for a least another 40 days which was some good news for Methuen as his ultimate objective still remained relieving Kimberley.

Lord Methuen, after considering all the facts available to him, decided upon (i) a night advance from Modder River in mass down a central route allowing time for deployment before first light and followed by a dawn attack by his Highland Brigade under Gen Wauchope on 11th December from near the foot of the Magersfontein ridge, (ii) The Brigade under Pole-Carew was to create a diversion to the W along the rail line and to be in position by 16h00 on the 10th, (iii) the Guards Brigade under Colvile was the reserve element and moved to a rendezvous area SE of Magersfontein. All three Brigades had available artillery support.

The Boer Forces were shelled on the evening of the 10 the and therefore fully alerted to an imminent attack. The Commandos from both the Transvaal and the Free State were deployed along the whole length of their line and were in no doubt in a “stand to” situation.

Then followed for the British Forces a series of problems which have, some controversial, been debated ever since such as, a possible late step-off at the start line, navigation problems, a possible faulty magnetic compass, a heavy rain storm and dark cloudy conditions, etc., the net effect of which was that the central (Highland) Brigade was not in the right planned position to attack at the right time and when initially fired upon at the very first sign of first light from some 300 – 400 m distance most troops were still in mass formation and not yet properly deployed. This made the troops, in instances, unable to return fire. Some chaos reigned and with light improving attempts was made to charge but maximum Boer fire to the front forced them back. A later attempt to storm Magersfontein from the E was also successfully repulsed. Gen Wauchope of the Highland Brigade was also killed in the very early part of the Battle.

Colvile’s Brigade deployed to the SE and, getting onto a rise, were also fired on by the Boers and were so occupied all day but their losses were small. Pole-Carew’s Brigade deployed on the W along the rail line as a diversionary task did not succeed in drawing any Boers away from the central front.

By midday, with the British Forces pinned down and virtually unable to move without drawing further intense rifle fire, confusion arose when an order for a rifle Company to move position spread as being an order for a total withdrawal resulting in the Boers causing the worst British casualties of the day. A partial disorderly daylight withdrawal eventually ensued but the Boers did not use this great opportunity to inflict massive further damage to the British Forces. By midday the next day, the 12th all British troops on the Battlefield had been withdrawn. Casualty figures quoted were 948 all ranks of the British killed wounded or captured and the Boers 273 killed and wounded.

The news of the British defeat at Magersfontein, and another at the same time on the E Front of the War in Natal, was a shock for people all over the British Empire. Methuen regrouped his Forces at Modder River whilst Cronje also strengthened his position on the Magersfontein line. However, with time, retribution for this British calamity was to come.

The British Cabinet had to do something and on 23rd December appointed Field Marshall Lord Roberts as Commander in Chief. With the build up of troops at Modder River and much replenishment done he decided to outflank Cronje at Magersfontein via the E using Gen French’s Cavalry Division supported by the infantry. The infantry would hold the various drifts on the Riet and Modder Rivers and be in place between Cronje and Bloemfontein whilst the Cavalry would dash through to Kimberley. The operation began to deploy on 10th February 1900. Cronje was under the impression that Roberts was now targeting Bloemfontein.

With many skirmishes along the way the final scene was set by the 15th as planned and at 18h00 French arrived in Kimberley thus ending the Siege.

All Cronje’s logistical and other lines to both Bloemfontein and the Transvaal were now cut by the British infantry to the E and French’s Cavalry to the N in Kimberley.

Cronje who had unsuccessfully sent Gen de Wet out to the E to delay any possible British advances was now in reality forced to abandon Magersfontein and attempt to move to Bloemfontein. Roberts meanwhile got a message through to French in Kimberley to head his Cavalry E of Paardeberg to cut off any Cronje movement in that direction. Cronje appeared at that stage not too perturbed, and, although having lost many wagons, and being handicapped with some women and children with his Forces, he still believed the area E of him was fairly clear of his enemy but he was also unaware that French had by then already left Kimberley with his Force.

Cronje’s main body passed Paardeberg Drift on the Modder River and arrived at Vendusie Drift about 07h00 on 17th February. Later on British artillery fired on them creating some havoc at the Drift and shocked Cronje and, by 18h00 with more British troops arriving, Cronje started digging defences around his wagons. He had hoped that assistance would arrive from Gen de Wet but unfortunately no help came while a ring of British Forces was slowly closing in on him. The British had two obvious options in either slowly shelling his force to surrender or attack it immediately. At the same time numerous smaller skirmishes were taking place all over that general area. On the 19th Gen Cronje requested a temporary armistice to bury his dead which Lord Roberts refused, and the question of him surrendering was misunderstood through messages on both sides, and Roberts recommenced the shelling of Cronje’s laager. By 21st February French’s cavalry forced Gen de Wet’s Forces to retreat to the E. Conditions in Cronje’s laager became desperate and eventually on the 27th the white flag of surrender was raised.

The Battle for Paardeberg over the period 18th to 27th February, and the largest single battle of the Anglo Boer War, cost the British 239 killed and 1,085 wounded whilst Cronje surrendered together with over 4,000 men.

What is pertinent to understand is that up to this stage of the AB War, actions were basically classified as conventional War with slow moving infantry and artillery formations, whereas after Paardeberg with the defeat of the Republican Army, the remaining Boer Forces split into numerous roving and mainly mounted groups and conducted a long unconventional or guerrilla type war.

Mafeking was relieved on 17th May 1900 and the Transvaal capital Pretoria captured on 5th June 1900 but it took until the 31st May 1902 before the “Peace of Vereeniging” was signed to end the Anglo Boer War.

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NOTES

1. Literally hundreds of books and study papers have been published covering most aspects of this War, and from all political sides, some greatly and accurately informative, some highly controversial and emotive.

2. Dates and casualty figures quoted have been sourced mainly from pamphlets by George Duxberry and published by the SA National Museum of Military History in Johannesburg.

3. Ms Fiona Barbour MA (Cantab), well known historian on aspects of the Anglo Boer War, gracefully also provided some answers to certain aspects.

4. For the serious student of Military Warfare, the Battles in and around Kimberley provide a unique and closely concentrated opportunity, especially for senior and staff officers, to study in great detail all the phases of War viz., the advance to contact, the attack, the night attack, the defence and the withdrawal, and of course the acknowledged principles that should apply to each of those individual phases. Many rights and wrongs will be discovered from which to learn.


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ELABERATING/ADDISIONAL NOTES ON ABOVE PAPER NOTES AND CONTACTS

This information below is for overseas friends who do not know the history and terminology of South Africa

RUN UP TO THE WAR

One of the biggest reasons for the 1st and 2nd “boere-wars” was the British imperial expansionism. The 1st was in 1881 and was short, the Boers won that war. This paper is about the 2nd Anglo-Boer-war, 1899, 1902. This was mainly about above mentioned reason, as well as the discovering of diamonds, 1867, there abouts, the start of the diamond rush resulting in the establishing of Kimberley as industrial centre at that time. The discovering of gold in 1886, sparked the gold rush, Johannesburg sprung up like anything and enormous wealth was at steak.

Cecil John Rhodes, a wealthy British mining owner, was the drive behind the English imperial expantion, and he was in continues opposition with Paul Kruger, the President of the “Zuide Afrikaanche Republiek”, the Transvaal. Eventually the situation sparked off the war. The ZAR, joined with the “Republiek van die Oranje Vrystaat”, took up arms against the mighty Great Brittan.

(“Zuid Afrikaanche Republiek”, English, freely translated, “South African Republic”, Transvaal)

(“Republiek van die Oranje Vrystaat”, English, “Republic of the Orange Freestate”. Orange refers to the “House of Orange”, in the Netherlands, not colour).

TERMINOLAGY USED IN PAPER

Burghers:

A term used for citizens, a Burgher is single, Burghers, plural. In this paper also troops/men, etc.

Boere, Boors, etc:

A Proper noun for the Dutch/Afrikaans white people, proudly used by Afrikaans people, but many times a “word to curse, an abusive word”. To be Boorish was seen by the English as the “stupid, illiterate, common etc” people. Even today many people uses this word in the negative.

Boer with a capital B, single form, Proper noun, refers to the Afrikaner nation, plural form in Afrikaans, Boere, some English spell it Boors. Boer, with a small b, is a farmer in English, plural is also boere, in Afrikaans you pronounce the oe as oo, like moon, a short oo.

Rietriver:

Riet, in English, reed, the things that grows on river embankments.

Modder river:

Modder, English, mud.

Graspan:

Gras, obvious Grass in English, pan: a largish pool of water, not to small in surface, but not deep, knee deep or a little deeper.

Fontein, as in Magersfontein, English, fountain

Paardeberg:

In English literally, the Mountain of Horses.

CONTACT NUMBERS OF INSTATUTIONS AND PEOPLE

SA MEUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY, JOHANNESBURG

Telephone number : 011/6465513
Website : www.militarymuseum.co.za
Contact person : Dorothy Kemp
E-mail address : milmus@icon.co.za

WAR MUSEUM BLOEMFONTEIN

Telephone number : 051/4473447
Contact person : Elria Wessels
E-mail address : ewessels@anglo-boer.co.za

MCGREGOR MUSEUM KIMBERLEY

Telephone number : 053/8392700-2714
Website : www.museumsnc.co.za
Contact person : Mr C. Fortune
E-mail address : cfortune@museumsnc.co.za

CONTACT DETAIL OF LT COL ELIOT DEMPSTER AT SA LEGION KIMBERLEY

Telephone number : 053/8325871
Contact person : Mrs Ross Erasmus (leave message
For col Dempster)
E-mail address : salegion@inext.co.za
Fax number : 053/8325871

CONTACT DETAIL OF FIONA BARBOUR (HISTORIAN)

Cellphone number : 0782720444
(she will take text msgs)

It is advised that you contact the two experts on this paper, Lt Col Eliot Dempster and Miss Fiona Barbour.

All these contact places and people will be able to give you an overview on the whole Anglo-Boere war. If they cannot help you in person, they will refer you to someone that will be able to help.

Remember, if you want to phone to South Africa, phone 0027, SA’s international code. Then phone the number, dropping the first 0 of the number.

PROMINENT FIGURES IN THE 2ND ANGLO-BOERE-WAR

On the side of the Boers:

Political leaders, President Paul Kruger, President of the ZAR, Transvaal

President M.T. Steyn, President of the Orange Free State

Military leaders, Gen Christian De Wet, a guerrilla warfare expert, so is said

Gen Koos De La Rey

Gen Piet Cronje, the man that surrendered at Paardeberg with about 4000 men on 27 Feb 1900. Many of these people were send to the island of St. Helena, together with Cronje, St. Helena, the same place where Napoleon Bonaparte was send to exile, till his death in 1821

Gen Louis Botha, was active on the east front in Natal

Spiritual prominent leader, J.D. Kestell

An English lady, that had much sympathy with the Boere, Emily Hobhouse

On the side of the English

Lord Alfred Milner, British High Commissioner, for Southern Africa

Field Marshall Lord Roberts commander in chief of British forces

Lord Kitchener, he had much to do with the policy of the sc “scortshed fields, burning down the farms, killing the lifestock, of the Boere soldiers and the consentration camps where Afrikaner women and children were put in”. The reason for doing these most cruel things, was to break the morale of the Boere, and so to end the war sooner than later.

I have just heard recently that more than 27500 woman and children died in these consentration camps, between 1900-1902, that was a figure excluding the black people who were also put in these camps. With them added, the figure amounts to over 50 thousand.

There was also a book published with these names of the Prisoners of War in it. The book is called, “Banneling in die vreemde”, in English, more or less, “in exile in the unknown”. (English edition available, but no English title).

The names of the men who were send away as Prisoners of War, to amongst others, Ceylon, Sri Lanca today, and St. Helena, mentioned earlier, was read out over one of the local radio stations a while ago. 32000 Boere soldiers, More or less was send to these places, some of them died there too.

Lord Methuen, a British military commander, a good story is the one of the “battle of Tweebosch, 7 March 1902”, where Methuen was seriously wounded, but was released by Gen De La Rey

Maj Gen French

Cecil John Rhodes, a person who certainly should be more “recognized and honoured” if you are pro-British. His continues drive for the expansion of the “British Empire” lead to many things, amongst others this Anglo-Boere war. The two provinces, South and Northern Rhodesia, was named after Rhodes, South Rhodesia, today Zimbabwe, Northern Rhodesia, today Zambia, was Rhodes’s idea to build the kingdom of Brittan and so to bring the ZAR to it’s knees.

IN CLOSING

At the end of the war the peace treaty of Vereeniging was signed on 31 May 1902, on the same date, in 1910, SA became a Union, consisting of the Cape of Good Hope, (British Colony), Natal, also a British Colony, the two former Boere Republics, the ZAR, (Transvaal), and the Orange Freestate. On 31 May 1961 SA became a Republic and that lasted until 1994 when the first sc “free and fair elections was held on 27 April 1994, black and brown and Indian people could then vote for the first time. Nelson Mandela was chosen as the first President of the new dispensation in witch all people of our country were treated as “free citisans”, no discrimination against colour etc.