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Military History – South Africa – Europe – England 19th Century
.Article – Online Historic Information | Military
.Page 42
Baker, Anthony, Battles & Battlefields of the Anglo Boer War 1899–1902 (Milton Keynes, The
Military Press, 1999); Carver, Michael, The NAM Book of the Boer War (London, Sidgwick &
Jackson, 1999); Marix Evans, Martin, The Boer War: South Africa 1899–1902 (Oxford, Osprey
Publishing, 1999); Martin, David, Duelling with Long Toms (Ilford, David Martin, 1988);
Powell, Geoffrey, Buller: A Scapegoat? (London, Leo Cooper, 1994); Wallace, R. L., The
Australians at the Boer War (Canberra, The Australian War Memorial and the Australian
Government Printing Service, 1976).
Bothaville, Action at,
6 November 1900
Chief-commandant Christiaan De Wet, President M. T. Steyn and Senior Commandant C. C.
Froneman met on 5 November at a farm called Doornkraal, six miles (10km) south of Bothaville in
the north-west of the Orange Free State to discuss the plan for De Wet to enter Cape Colony.
Although they were aware of a British column nearby, they were surprised by a British force led by
Lieutenant-colonel P. W. J. le Gallais the next day. Many men fled, the leaders managing to escape,
but in a hard-fought action a small band of Boers held out for four hours during which le Gallais was
killed. All De Wet’s field artillery was lost.
When the Boer leaders convened on 5 November at the farm on the Vlasch River, a skirmish
with British scouts warned them of the presence of their enemies and sentries were posted north of
the stream. Nevertheless, the 5th and 8th Mounted Infantry succeeded in launching a surprise attack
the next morning. De Wet wrote of the panic which seized his men, some riding away without even
saddling their horses first. A small group of Boers were isolated in a farmhouse and the next four
hours saw a fierce exchange of fire with the British who were about 200 yards (180m) away in
another farm. During this le Gallais was fatally wounded and De Wet later said of him that he was
one of the bravest English officers he had ever met. British reinforcements under Major-general
Charles Knox were apparently in no hurry to assist. Eventually, surrounded, the Boers had to
surrender. De Wet put the loss at nine killed while the British casualties numbered twenty-five. Over
100 Boers were taken prisoner and four 75mm guns, one of the 15-pounders taken at Colenso and a
12-pounder captured at Sannaspos were recaptured. De Wet dismissed the loss of the guns as
insignificant because they had almost no ammunition for them anyway. Following this setback, and
lacking the apparatus of an army, guerrilla warfare was De Wet’s only option.
See also:
Cape Colony, Invasions of.
Reference:
De Wet, Christiaan, Three Years War (London, Archibald Constable, 1902); Pakenham, Thomas, The
Boer War (London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1979; Abacus, 1992).
Boyes, Major-General J. E.
John Edward Boyes was born in 1843 and joined the 75th Foot in 1861. He
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