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KZN - Battlefields |
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The North-central areas of KwaZulu Natal are pleasing to the eye: the countryside is green and pleasant, wooded in parts but mostly grassland terrain, a misty land of deep river valleys, rolling hills and natural pastures that once sustained vast herds of game animals. But the beauty, and the tranquility, are deceptive, certainly in the historical context. For nearly a hundred years this region served as the cockpit of southern Africa, an immense battleground over which black and white, Briton, Boer and Zulu, fought for possession of the land. It was here, in 1818, that the great warrior-king Shaka emerged from obscurity to create the Zulu nation, and to spread fire and famine among neighbouring peoples. Here the Voortrekkers fought and sometimes lost to the Zulu impis of Dingane before breaking the power, though not the pride, of the Zulu at Blood River. Thereafter the different groups managed to coexist in fair harmony until, in 1879, British greed and ambition provoked a new war, and Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift and Ulundi took their places in the bloody annals. And here, too, along the banks of the Tugela River, were fought some of the most savage and, in terms of human life, most wasteful battles of the Anglo-Boer war (1899-1902), when, in the early months of the conflict, the parade-ground British regiments were cut to ribbons by well-armed, well-hidden Boer marksmen. The route has real appeal for anyone with a sense of history, with a special interest in what are known as 'Victoria's little wars', and in South Africa's complex past. A number of organised tours are laid on, and regular coach services cover the area. If you're setting out on your own, though, arm yourself with some of the excellent booklets, brochures and maps supplied by various local publicity associations, notably those in Durban and Pietermaritzburg. An especially useful publication is the Battlefields Chronicle, which gives a detailed overview of the major military events. An optional extra is the 'Walk 'n Talk' series of audio-cassettes available for hire. Weenen This means 'Weeping' in Dutch, and was given to the small town in honour of the Voortrekkers who fell to Zulu assegais at the battle of Bushmans River in 1838. Of interest is the local museum, in a small building erected by trek leader Andries Pretorius (after whom Pretoria was later named), and the Weenan nature reserve. The latter is a fairly large expanse of scrub and grassland that sustains white and black rhino, buffalo, giraffe and various antelope. Especially notable is the Siyafundisana Zulu handcraft centre, next to the reserve.. Blood River The massive and controversial site monument, consisting of a bronze reconstruction of the original 64-wagon Boer laager, commemorates one of the more one-sided engagements in South Africa's history. Fought on 16 December 1838, this was the final and decisive battle between the eastern Voortrekkers, led by their newly appointed commandant Andries Pretorius, and Dingane's Zulu regiments. Although the trekkers numbered only 470 (including some British settler volunteers and mixed-descent employees), the 12,500-strong Zulu army could not match the superior weapons of the white men, and more than 3,000 died on the battlefield. Just three of Pretorius's men were wounded. Isandlwana This battle was a crushing defeat for the British forces during the Anglo-Zulu conflict of 1879. Troops under command of Lord Chelmsford had set up camp on the slopes of Isandlwana on 20 January of that year, but, with little knowledge of Zulu military tactics, failed to form a laager. Chelmsford and many of his soldiers set out on reconnaissance, but about 1,000 men of the 24th regiment, plus a detachment of black troops and some Natal Carbineers, were in camp when the impi attacked. The British were taken by surprise; some 24,000 Zulu surrounded the hill, and the defenders were overwhelmed. Altogether, 1,271 of the British force were killed; a bare handful survived. Some of the Zulu went on to assault the Rorke's Drift outpost (see below); the main body was later annihilated at Ulundi. Rorke's Drift The Swedish mission station on the Buffels River, used as a hospital for British troops during the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879, features prominently in the military annals. After the British defeat at Isandlwana (see above), two of the very few survivors of that battle managed to warn the 110-strong hospital garrison, commanded by Lieutenants John Chard and Gonville Bromhead. The buildings were barricaded and that afternoon part of the Zulu army, advancing into Natal, digressed (contrary to instructions) to attack the outpost at dawn. Although the hospital was set on fire, the small garrison held out to repulse the sustained onslaught. A total of eleven Victoria Crosses, Britain's highest decoration for gallantry, were awarded after the action. However, without diminishing the quality of that gallantry, it is clear that the incident was over-publicised and that the honours were conferred mainly to restore British morale after the humiliation of Isandlwana. Today Rorke's Drift looks much as it was then; the mission station still stands, and welcomes visitors; well worth a couple of hours of your time is the nearby African Craft centre (handwoven rugs, tapestries, delightful hand-painted fabrics, traditional Zulu pottery). Estcourt A largish centre set on the banks of the Bushmans River, fairly prominent as a garrison town in the early months of the Anglo-Boer war. Several engagements were fought in the surrounding countryside, among them Willow Grange and Veglaar. Chievly, between Estcourt and Frere, is the spot where future British prime minister Winston Churchill, then serving as a young correspondent for the London Morning Post, was taken prisoner after the armoured train in which he was travelling was ambushed by forces commanded by General Louis Botha (who was also to become prime minister, of South Africa). Churchill later managed to escape, and rejoined the British as a member of the Imperial Light Horse. Near Estcourt is a small memorial commemorating the much earlier (1838) battle of Bloukrans, at which many Voortrekker families perished. Colenso On the north bank of the Tugela River; site of the first major battle of the Anglo-Boer war, when the British suffered a unexpected (and humiliating) defeat. The town had been named (in 1855) in honour of John William Colenso, the liberal and controversial first Anglican bishop of Natal. The Tugela River was the bloodiest of the war's fighting fronts. British commander General Buller used the town as his headquarters, the site now serving as a museum known as the Clousten Field of Remembrance (graves; military artifacts). Military cemeteries can be seen the 'Site of the Guns', at Ambleside, and at Chievly (see Estcourt, above), where Freddie, the son of British commander-in-chief Lord Roberts lies buried. The actual Colenso battlefield is some way out of town, as is that of the Thukela Heights engagement. Elandslaagte To the north-east of Ladysmith, and site of one of the earliest engagements of the Anglo-Boer war (fought on 19 October 1899, a week after hostilities began) - the culmination of a Boer attempt to cut off communication between the British garrisons at Ladysmith and Dundee. The 700-strong Boer commando was isolated and suffered severe losses; its commander (General Johannes Kock) was killed in the action Spioenkop Site of perhaps the bloodiest and most pointless battle of the entire Anglo-Boer war, fought in January 1900. Tbe 'kop' is a high hill overlooking the Tugela River, and lay roughly on the British army's route to the besieged town of Ladysmith (see below), though it had no real strategic importance. More than 2,000 men died on its bloody slopes, the British eventually withdrawing to leave the field to the Boers. Of incidental interest is the presence, at the battle, of three men who would later achieve fame: Winston Churchill, Louis Botha (South Africa's first prime minister) and Mahatma Gadhi (who led a field ambulance, or 'body-snatcher', squad). Today all is peaceful; a resident historian will show you round; the nearby nature reserve is worth visiting for its dam, and the game park for its animals (including white rhino, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and antelope). Ladysmith One of the three major British garrisons besieged in the early months of the Anglo-Boer war (the others were Mafikeng and Kimberley); today a pleasant town on the highway between Durban and Johannesburg. The surrounding area is notable for its cattle- and horse-breeding farms. The siege lasted 115 days, and the civilian population (especially the black residents) suffered grievously. Of interest are Castor & Pollux, two British cannons used during the relief of Ladysmith and now adorning the entrance to the town hall; Manchester Fort, burial place of about 300 Boers who were killed during the siege; monuments to various specific engagements, among them Wagon Hill and Observation Hill (these and others are in a garden of remembrance); and, most notably, the Ladysmith Siege museum. Battlefields route sites within easy reach of Ladysmith include Spioenkop (see above), Vaalkrans, Colenso (see above), The Loop, Thukela Heights, Elandslaagte (see above) and Surprise Hill. Worth a special trip is Wagon Hill itself, from which there are splendid views of the whole siege area; the hill was the actual battleground of the Platrand engagement. Dundee A substantial coal-mining centre that has a distinctive and distinguished place on the battlefields route. Sites comfortably accessible from town include Blood River (see above), Isandlwana (see above) and Rorkes Drift (see above), all of them fought well before the Anglo-Boer war (1899-1902). Also nearby is the deathsite of the Prince Imperial of France, son of the Bonaparte dynasty, who served as an officer on Lord Chelmsford's staff during the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879 and was killed during an ambush. However, Dundee is particularly remembered for the battle of Talana, the opening engagement of the 1899-1902 confrontation, when British troops evicted two Boer commandos from Talana and Lennox hills, but were then themselves evicted with the loss of 255 dead and many (including 246 cavalrymen) taken prisoner. British commander General Penn Symons was killed in the action. Dundee's Talana museum, on the battlefield, tells the whole story. The MOTH military museum is also worth a visit. Newcastle Better known as a fair-sized coal-mining town, and as one of the focuses of Mohondas Gandhi's human-rights campaigns of the early 1900s, than for its place in the region's military story. Nevertheless plenty of the latter unfolded in the general area, notably the drama of the brief Anglo-Transvaal conflict of 1880-81 (the British lost). The Laing's Nek, Ngogo and, most spectacular, the Majuba Hill battlefields are within short driving distance of town; in town itself is Hilltop House, where the peace treaty that brought that war to an end was ratified. Hilltop was also home to the British novelist H. Rider Haggard, whose book Jess draws on his experiences here. There's also Fort Amiel, originally built for defence against what the colonists perceived as the 'Zulu threat' in the 1870s and now a cultural history museum. For the rest, Newcastle offers an art gallery (landscapes by South African artists), the products of several textile plants, handcrafted ware (pottery, woven goods), the Chelmsford resort and nature reserve to the south-west, the Lipizzaner stud farm (visitors are welcome to view these splendid horses) and, 16 kilometres along the Mullers Pass road, the lovely Ncandu River waterfall. Vryheid An attractive northern town, close to some fairly significant military engagements, notably the Anglo-Zulu battles of Hlobane and Kambula, and the Anglo-Boer war's Scheepersnek, Lancaster Hill and Holkrans, the last fought at the very end of hostilities in 1902 (an entire Boer commando was annihilated). In its early days Vryheid served as capital of the New Republic, a mini-state founded in 1884 on land granted to about 500 white mercenaries (including Lucas Meyer, the republican president, and Louis Botha, later to become unified South Africa's first prime minister) by Zulu king Dinuzulu. The old Raadsaal (parliament) is now a museum (the old fort and old jail are part of the complex); Lucas Meyer's home (built for his widow), functions as a cultural history museum. Today the town is a coal-mining centre and hub of a prosperous ranching district. There are welcoming mineral-springs spas in the area; Vryheid's nature reserve is a pleasant place for game-viewing, bird-watching and walking; hiking trails take in battlefield sites; the Ntingonono environmental centre looks after groups. Paulpieterburg To the north of Vryheid (see above), named after Afrikaner folk-heroes Paul Kruger and Piet Joubert. The pleasant town, the northernmost on the battlefields route, is noted for its old Drostdy (early magistrate's court and residence) and the Peace Boulders. The latter mark the spot where Louis Botha gathered his delegates together prior to the negotiations that ended the Anglo-Boer war in 1902. There are some attractive mineral-spring spas in the area, notably the Larula hot spring that wells up on the southern slopes of a mountain called Dumbe. The splendid Itala game reserve lies some 70 kilometres to the east of Paulpietersburg. |
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KZN BATTLEFIELDS Western Cape
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