Battle of Bergendal
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Bergendal was the last set-piece battle of the Second Anglo-Boer War. It lasted from 21–27 August 1900 and took place on the farm Bergendal (Hill
and Dale
) near the town of Belfast. The 5,000 Boer
s were under the command of General
Louis Botha
and the 20,000 British Empire
forces were led by General Sir
Redvers Buller
under the overall command of Lord Roberts
.
along the main railroad line, the main aim of Lord Roberts' forces were to occupy the temporary South African Republic
(ZAR) government seat of Machadodorp
. Their line of advance would lead right across the farm Bergendal where the ZARPs - members of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek Politie or South African Republic Police
- was positioned.
Roberts left the tactical direction of the battle to Buller. The British plan was to send Sir John French and the cavalry on a flanking move to the north. Meanwhile, Major General Neville Lyttelton
would strike the middle of the Boer front with two brigades.
section of the ZARPs faced an attack on foot by 1,500 men of the Inniskilling Fusiliers, 1st Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment and Gordon Highlanders after a heavy artillery
bombardment. Despite a tenacious defence by the ZARPs of the kopje (knoll
) where they had dug in, they were eventually defeated by the British
forces. Twenty of the ZARPs force had been killed and nineteen (including their leader, Commandant
Oosthuizen) were taken prisoner. Other wounded had been removed by the Boers. The rest of the ZARPs force escaped and joined the other retreating Boer commando
s. British losses were three officers killed and seven wounded, 12 rank and file killed and 100 wounded.
. A few days later, on 1 September, Lord Roberts proclaimed the entire South African Republic
British territory.
However, the capture of Machadodorp and Roberts' proclamation did not end the war. Although the British had won the battle Botha's main force had managed to stay intact. The Boer commandos subsequently dispersed to Lydenburg
and Barberton
and the next phase of the war - guerrilla warfare
- started. This second phase would last even longer than the first, conventional, phase and peace would eventually only be declared at the end of May 1902.
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
and Dale
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
) near the town of Belfast. The 5,000 Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
s were under the command of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Louis Botha
Louis Botha
Louis Botha was an Afrikaner and first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa—the forerunner of the modern South African state...
and the 20,000 British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
forces were led by General Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Redvers Buller
Redvers Buller
General Sir Redvers Henry Buller VC GCB GCMG was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
under the overall command of Lord Roberts
Lord Roberts
Lord Roberts may refer to:*John Roberts, 2nd Baron Roberts , was an English politician and soldier during the English Civil War English and English Restoration...
.
Plans and positions
Advancing from the direction of PretoriaPretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
along the main railroad line, the main aim of Lord Roberts' forces were to occupy the temporary South African Republic
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
(ZAR) government seat of Machadodorp
Machadodorp
Machadodorp is a small town situated near the edge of the escarpment in the Mpumalanga province, South Africa. The Elands River runs through the town...
. Their line of advance would lead right across the farm Bergendal where the ZARPs - members of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek Politie or South African Republic Police
South African Republic Police
The South African Republic Police, known in the original Dutch as the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek Politie was the police force of the short-lived Transvaal Republic, one of several independent Boer republics of the mid-to-late 19th century. Members of the police force were known as ZARPs...
- was positioned.
Roberts left the tactical direction of the battle to Buller. The British plan was to send Sir John French and the cavalry on a flanking move to the north. Meanwhile, Major General Neville Lyttelton
Neville Lyttelton
General Sir Neville Gerald Lyttelton GCB, GCVO, PC was a British Army Officer. He served as Chief of the General Staff.-Army career:...
would strike the middle of the Boer front with two brigades.
"It was a big red kopje near a farm called Bergendal, a jumble of fantastic boulders, spread across three acres, whose own great natural strength belied its fatal weakness in relation to Botha's defence line. Like a miniature Spion KopBattle of Spion KopThe Battle of Spion Kop was fought about west-south-west of Ladysmith on the hilltop of Spioenkop along the Tugela River, Natal in South Africa from 23–24 January 1900...
, it jutted out in a salient from the centre of Botha's twenty-mile front. Unlike Spion Kop, it could not be supported by sides or rear, owing to the ground that screened Botha's view but gave Buller's massed artillery a field day."
Battle
There were several other clashes during the battle, but the battle's climax occurred on 27 August, when 74 men of the JohannesburgJohannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
section of the ZARPs faced an attack on foot by 1,500 men of the Inniskilling Fusiliers, 1st Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment and Gordon Highlanders after a heavy artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
bombardment. Despite a tenacious defence by the ZARPs of the kopje (knoll
Hillock
A hillock or knoll is a small hill, usually separated from a larger group of hills such as a range. Hillocks are similar in their distribution and size to small mesas or buttes. The term is largely a British one...
) where they had dug in, they were eventually defeated by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces. Twenty of the ZARPs force had been killed and nineteen (including their leader, Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
Oosthuizen) were taken prisoner. Other wounded had been removed by the Boers. The rest of the ZARPs force escaped and joined the other retreating Boer commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
s. British losses were three officers killed and seven wounded, 12 rank and file killed and 100 wounded.
Aftermath
As a result of this defeat, the Boer line of defence was breached and on 28 August Buller's troops marched into Machadodorp. The ZAR government, meanwhile, had decamped to NelspruitNelspruit
Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
. A few days later, on 1 September, Lord Roberts proclaimed the entire South African Republic
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
British territory.
However, the capture of Machadodorp and Roberts' proclamation did not end the war. Although the British had won the battle Botha's main force had managed to stay intact. The Boer commandos subsequently dispersed to Lydenburg
Lydenburg
Lydenburg is a town in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The town is slated to be renamed Mashishing, according to an announcement made on June 30, 2006 by the South African Minister of Arts and Culture, Pallo Jordan. Lydenburg is situated on the Sterkspruit/Dorps River tributary of the Olifants River at...
and Barberton
Barberton, Mpumalanga
Barberton is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa, which has its origin in the 1880s gold rush in the region. It is situated in the De Kaap Valley and is fringed by the Mkhonjwa Mountains...
and the next phase of the war - guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
- started. This second phase would last even longer than the first, conventional, phase and peace would eventually only be declared at the end of May 1902.