1 Module 6: Component 2: Battlefields and towns along the N12 Frances Baard District Municipality (2) Northern Cape Province ©Makiti Guides & Tours (Pty) Ltd 2008 2 Module 6: Component 2: Battlefields and towns along the N12 Municipalities and towns: Sol Plaatje Kimberly, See ‘Kimberley’ for more information Beaconsfield Kenilworth Modderrivier Ritchie Riverton Ronald's Vlei, Spytfontein Dikgatlong This is the SeTswana name referring to the convergence of two rivers Barkly West namely the Orange and Vaal Rivers. Barkley West (southeast from Delportshoop Kimberley) is the administrative centre. Agriculture and mining are Longlands the main contributors to the economy within this district. Mount Rupert Sidney-on-Vaal Ulco Windsorton Magareng Content The choice of name refers to the district’s convergence of two Espagsdrif important transport routes which lead to the two busiest business Warrenton hubs in the country: Windsorton Road • The N12 connecting Gauteng and the Western Cape • The railway line, that connects Gauteng with the Northern and Western Cape Provinces, runs through Magareng Municipality with a railway station at Warrenton, Fourteen Streams and Windsorton Station • The N18 from North West Province as well as the N18 route from the North west also passes through the centre of Warrenton. Phokwane Ganspan Phokwane was the wife of Kgosi Galeshewe of the BaThlaping tribe. Hartswater The district falls within a green delta and boasts the second largest Jan Kempdorp irrigation scheme in the Southern Hemisphere namely the Vaalharts Pampierstad, Irrigation Scheme. Hartswater is the administrative seat of the Valspan municipality. Agricultural products include grapeas, citrus and olives. Northern Cape Province ©Makiti Guides & Tours (Pty) Ltd 2008 3 Module 6: Component 2: Battlefields and towns along the N12 The N12 Battlefields Route The main battles in the Northern Cape were fought along what is known today as the N12. The battle fought to the north of Kimberley around McFarlane’s siding and Dronfield Rided (24 October 1899) was the first battle in which wounded soldiers were evacuated in railway coaches. It was also the first time since the American Civil War that reinforcements were taken by train to the battlefield. Orange River Station Located just east of Hopetown. (21 November 1899) This was the starting point of the British advance to relief Kimberley. Metheun’s troops built forts and lookout posts along the hills. On the 21 st he ordered his men to break through the Boer lines. Belmont 2950 Boers under the command of General Prinsloo occupied (23 November 1899) the heights dominating the Belmont station. A total of about 10 500 British soldiers lead by Lord Methuen were camping on Thomas’farm nearby. Methuen decided on a “ classic night march followed by a dawn assault supported by artillery, with flanking movements Belmont can be seen by his cavalry. After gaining their first objective, the force is to from the Kimberley - pivot slightly and take the higher feature from the south-east, Cape Town road (N 12). with the cavalry ready to cut off the enemy’s retreat” **** (Cloete, 2000). A memorial to fallen Boers has been erected However, his plan fell apart with the Boers opening fire when a little beyond the they were not in position yet. Nevertheless, with the bands Belmont Station that playing, the Scots and the Grenadiers charged to take Gun existed at the time. Hill at bayonet point. Great were their disappointment to see that the Boers had fallen back. They also had to deal with their own artillery firing at them as the latter could not see with the sun shining in their eyes! The Boers kept on firing from the ridges and small groups covered the retreat of the others northwards. Killed Wounded Taken prisoner British 54 243 Boers 15 30 36 The British also destroyed 64 wagons that day. The battle belonged to the British and Methuen praised his soldiers saying “With troops like you, no General can fear for the Northern Cape Province ©Makiti Guides & Tours (Pty) Ltd 2008 4 Module 6: Component 2: Battlefields and towns along the N12 results of his plans”. Graspan Took place approximately 16km from Belmont along the N12 /Enslin/Rooilaagte towards Kimberley. (25 November 1899) The battle was similar to Belmont, albeit on a smaller scale. The key to the battle was a short, steep kopje on the Boer's Graspan can be seen from the left flank. It was attacked by Methuen. He attacked it with, Kimberley - Cape Town road (N 12), 16 km north of Belmont. among others, the Naval Brigade, who captured it at great **** cost. A Naval Brigade memorial rests on a small kopje west of A memorials to fallen Boers has the road. been erected on the site. Killed Wounded Taken prisoner British 17 143 Boers 19 40 43 Modder River /Twee Although it covered a wide front, the center of the battle was Riviere the junction of the Riet River and the Modder River and the 28 November 1899 Railway Bridge. After studying the Boer tactics at Belmont and Graspan, General Koos de la Rey suggested a riverfront defense and men were spread out for about 6 to 7km. Methuen started his march at 04:30 that morning with the idea of having breakfast at the river. An hour later, Cronje fired with a field-gun and pom-pom on the troops to discourage them from crossing at Bosman’s Drift. Still totally unaware of the Boer’s presence, they assumed that it was the fire of enemy forces defending Jacobsdal. At 08:00 they were about 1.3 km from the river and Methuen was still suspecting nothing. The Boers then started firing with smokeless ammunition and succeeded in pinning the British down, the latter not able to advance on the open veld. The eastern flank under Colvile was immobilized for the day after attempting to approach the Boers from the east. They ran into the loop of the river that was not indicated on the map, could not find a crossing and came under fire from the north and east. The British artillery also had a hard time trying to hit enemy that was continuously changing their position. Since the British field-guns could hit visible targets, the poplar trees and surrounding buildings had to the bear the brunt of the shooting. The western flank under the command of Pole-Carew, had their eyes on taking a farmhouse on the southern bank (near the village) as a strategic key to get to the Boers. He succeeded only after discovering a donga (‘gully in the veld’) from where his men could come into striking distance Northern Cape Province ©Makiti Guides & Tours (Pty) Ltd 2008 5 Module 6: Component 2: Battlefields and towns along the N12 of the farmhouse and Republican forces on the south. The 18 th Battery, Royal Field Artillery, was moved across the railway line and put the defence of Rosmead and the Free State Boers on the Western flank under tremendous barrage. The Boers gave way and the village was taken. De la Rey was prevented him from moving men to reinforce the western flank, but Covile’s shelling also prevented from breaking the resistance in front of Pole-Carwe. He therefore decided to call off the new attack, consolidate his position in the village and wait for dark. As soon as it became dark, the Boers started abandoning their positions and retreated to Spuytfontein. Killed Wounded Missing British 71 389 18 Killed Wounded Taken prisoner Boers 16 66 13 General Koos de la Rey and his 19-year old son, were among the wounded. De la Rey personally transported his son to the hospital at Jacobsdal, where he died in his father’s arms the next day. Methuen was also wounded during this battle. Crossing the Modder River Bridge you will see the railway bridge blown up by the Boers in October 1899. (Next to the bridge is a 1901 blockhouse built to defend the reconstructed bridge. Magersfontein 10km from Modder River and 35km from Kimberley along the (11 December 1899) airport road. Bissett's farmhouse was used as a Boer First Aid post. It took place northeast of Modderrivier and is the second of the battles included in the Black Week of the Second Boer War. It was here that General Piet Cronje and his Boer troops defeated British troops under Lord Methuen. The British had suffered heavy casualties: 230 were killed and 663 wounded. Boer losses were 87 dead and 149 wounded. Killed Wounded Taken prisoner British 230 663 Boers 87 149 Opposite the farmhouse is the imposing Boer memorial and cemetery. Driving around the battlefield with its many memorials and places of interest is allowed but please, stay on the road. Two more memorials are those of the -Black Watch, and to the Scandinavians who fought alongside the Boers. Of the Highland Brigade, the Black Watch (The Royal Northern Cape Province ©Makiti Guides & Tours (Pty) Ltd 2008 6 Module 6: Component 2: Battlefields and towns along the N12 Highlanders) suffered most when the Boers opened fire from hidden trenches. Their former Commanding Officer, Andy Wauchope, then General commanding the Highland Brigade, was killed. Kimberley was under siege at the time. Koedoesberg Drift On the Riet River, 30km along the Douglas road. Take the (5-8 February 1900) Ritchie turnoff and continue for 9km. The battle, between the Highland Brigade in their first engagement after Magersfontein (now under General Hector Macdonald) and the Boers (under General Christaan de Wet), raged close to the Drift and on the summit of the mountain from 5-8 February 1900. Champion British golfer, Freddie Tait, wounded at Magersfontein, was killed here.