Blood River battle

[Texas Star]

On Dec. 16, 1838, the Dutch-descended Boers fought an epic battle against a huge Zulu force under King Dingaan.

The Boers put their covered wagons into laager, a circle, and their outriders galloped past the enemy, firing, then withdrawing to reload their muzzleloading rifles.

Remarkably, the Dutch won. In accord with a prayer they'd made, they built a church there, called the Church of the Covenant. I believe it's still there. ??

The tactics enabled survival and victory against great odds.

This battle and what led to it and how it was fought are well worth looking up if you're a history buff.

 

[BearBio]

The Boers also created what they called "commandoes"=roving forces to fight the British. In return, the British created concentration camps for civilians.

As a Dutch descendant (and Irish on my maternal side), it's just one more thing I hold against the English!

Thanks, I'll google it!

While I was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago, I saw a good show on Roarke's Drift and why the Zulus kicked British butts!

 

[Texas Star]

You're much further along there, to the Second Boer War, 1899-1902.

I'm of British descent, but know why this was caused by greed for gold and Boer land. Lord Kitchener's concentration camps were an abomination!

BTW, the Zulu did not win at Rorke's Drift, where a British force of about 190 men, some sick or wounded, held a Zulu force of some 5,000! Eleven men received the Victoria Cross for valor.

You're thinking of Isandlwana, where Zulus killed over a thousand British caught on open ground, unable to open many sealed ammo boxes in time. Terrain also favored the Zulu approach.

 

[grover99]

Much to admire in the British but they had a lot of darkness in their past. As an Irish descendent I deplore the way the British treated the Irish.

 

[Texas Star]

Watch, Zulu, made about 1964 and Michael Caine's first major movie. I think it's on YouTube; certainly main scenes are. Pretty accurate, and it couldn't be made today. Better not link it here as it has some non-family content.

I have a book showing the real soldiers and Zulu leaders. Didn't look much like the actors in most cases. Colour Sgt. Bourne especially was smaller and was eventually commissioned and retired as a Lt. Col. He was a VC recepient.

 

[Texas Star]

Oh: Pvt. Hook, VC, was seen in the film as a malingerer and bum. The real Hook's descendants sued the producers and won. Sometimes, film makers trash a man's reputation for unnecessary drama.

 

[BearBio]

I stand corrected.

 

[Absalom]

You're much further along there, to the Second Boer War, 1899-1902.

I'm of British descent, but know why this was caused by greed for gold and Boer land. Lord Kitchener's concentration camps were an abomination!
....

Yes, but ...

The entire guerilla phase of the Second Boer War was an exercise in stubborn futility. Just like the Nazis fighting on for a year after the twin 1944 disasters of Overlord in the West and Bagration in the East, the Boers' guerilla war after their military defeat (by Sept. 1900) killed a lot more people, especially civilians, than the prior "real war", for no discernible purpose, as the outcome was never in doubt. The concentration camps need never have happened.

 

[opoefc]

Some years ago, I had the good fortune of being invited by the Curater of the Pres. Harry Truman library to examine Truman's collection of S&W revolvers . It is not well known, however I would say Harry Truman was a closet S&W collector and had some very rare versions, including Victory Model, Serial No. 1 ! One mystery gun, of which no records exist at the Library, is a fully factory engraved S&W .44DA that belonged to the man who led the Boer Commandos (I've forgotten his name, it's in my notes somewhere ) who surrendered to the British at the end of the Boer war and was promptly hung by the British as a terrorist. How this S&W came to be in Pres. Truman's collection is unkown by anyone today. Some day I'll write an article about this gun for the S$WCA Journal. Ed

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

December 16 in South Africa is Late Spring, Early Summer.