Besieging force Boer

The full size of the Besieging force is not known because accurate records were not kept at this time. One figure quoted however, puts the Boer forces 15 000 at the start of the Siege with a further 6000 being added a short time latter bringing the total to approximately 21 000.

The Commandos were situated about two kilometres distance from the British perimeter and were under the command of the ageing General Piet Joubert who arrived on 29th October 1899.

At the commencement of the hostilities command fell to Vice General C.J. De Villiers but he was soon to be succeeded by Fighting General A.P. Cronje.

Joubert’s headquarters and main centre of their supplies were situated just behind Long Hill to the east of Modderspruit station. As did the British in Ladysmith, the Boers connected their fortifications by means of telegraph. This was done by Lieutenant Paff, head of military telegraphs.

At the commencement of the investment the Boer positions, moving east to west, were arranged as follows.

Mr Krogh, the Transvaal Commissary-General, controlled supplies at a camp at Modderspruit Station. The Irish Brigade under Colonel Blake was situated between the station and Pepworth Hill. Further east were the ZARP’s (South African Police) under Van Dam followed by the Transvaal State Artillery and the Johannesburg Commando under Ben Viljoen. Continuing the line were the Lydenburg Commando, Heildleburg Commando, some of whom were on top of the Hill with two 75mm Krupp field guns, 3 howitzers and 4 maxims. The Vryheid Commando was situated a little further on and this general area became the domain of the Transvaal Commandos and the Headquarters of the Generals. The Pretoria Commando comprising some 1100 Burghers under General D.J.E. Erasmus were situated to the north of Pepworth Hill close to Nicholson’s Nek.

The Winburg Commando under General Martinus Prinsloo was situated to the northwest at Smith’s farm whilst the Kroonstad Commando occupied Telegraph Hill under C Nel. In total there were some 7000 men under the command of Veld Cornet Louis Botha.

The Bethlehem and Vrede units were situated on Rifleman’s Ridge to the west of the town with the Ventersburg Commando to the south of them.

The Harrismith Commando under C J De Villiers and Heilbron under Steenekamp took up positions either side of End hill. The Ventersburg and German units were situated immediately south and opposite Caesar’s Camp with Utrecht and the Commissariat to their right. All these units, approximately 4500 men, were under the command of Lukas Meyer and later Louis Botha.

The Standerton commando were at the bottom of Umbulwane and to the east of Intombi Camp. The Krugersdorp and Wakkerstroom units were situated on and behind the mountain. The Middleburg and Heidleburg Commandos occupied Lombard’s Kop. To complete the circle there were the Lydenburg, Swaziland, Ermelo, Bethel and Carolina Commandos. This group of 6000 men fell to the command of General Schalk Burger, Joubert’s second in command.

The Boer weaponry consisted of eight 75mm Krupp field guns, six 75mm Creusot field guns, four 120 mm howitzers, three Long Tom and one Pom Pom.

General Botha’s Spionkop campaign by Barnard