The Battle of Modder River was an engagement in the Boer War, fought at Modder River, on November 28, 1899. A British under Lord Methuen which was attempting to relieve the besieged town of Kimberley forced Boers under General Piet Cronje to retreat but suffered heavy casualties themselves. Combatants British Empire Orange Free State South African Republic Commanders Sir Redvers Buller Lord Kitchener Lord Roberts Paul Kruger Louis Botha Koos de la Rey Martinus Steyn Christiaan de Wet Casualties 6,000 - 7,000 (A further ~14,000 from disease) 6,000 - 8,000 (Unknown number from disease) Civilians... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Modder River (Afrikaans Mud River) is an irrigation and stock farming town situated south of Kimberley near the confluence of the Riet and Modder rivers in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. ... Anthem: God Save the Queen Cape Colony Capital Cape Town Language(s) English and Dutch1 Religion Dutch Reformed Church, Anglican Government Constitutional monarchy Last Monarch King George VI Last Prime Minister  - 1908 – 1910 John X. Merriman Last Governor  - 1901 - 1910 Walter Hely-Hutchinson Historical era 19th century  - Dutch East India... This article is about the Boer people (Boerevolk). ... Paul Sanford Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen (September 1, 1845 - October 30, 1932) was the third Baron Methuen and a British military commander. ... General Piet Arnoldus Cronje (1840?-4 February 1911) was a leader of the Zuid Afrika Republics military forces during the Anglo-Boer wars. ... Combatants British Empire Orange Free State South African Republic Commanders Sir Redvers Buller Lord Kitchener Lord Roberts Paul Kruger Louis Botha Koos de la Rey Martinus Steyn Christiaan de Wet Casualties 6,000 - 7,000 (A further ~14,000 from disease) 6,000 - 8,000 (Unknown number from disease) Civilians... Combatants Great Britain Boers Commanders Major General Penn Symons † General Erasmus Lukas Mayer Strength 4000 8000 (c. ... Combatants Great Britain Boers Commanders John French Ian Hamilton General Kock † Strength 4000 2000 Casualties 261 c. ... Combatants Great Britain Boers Commanders Lord Methuen J. Prinsloo Strength 8,000 2,000 Casualties 200 casualties Unknown The Battle of Belmont is the name of an engagement of the Boer War in the town of Belmont, 23 November 1899, where the British under Lord Methuen assaulted a Boer position... Combatants Great Britain Boers Commanders William Forbes Gatacre Field Kommandant Olivier Strength 1200 infantry 250 mounted infantry 12 guns 2300 total Casualties 90 killed and wounded 600 missing unknown {{{notes}}} The Battle of Stormberg was the first British defeat of Black Week, in which three successive British forces were defeated... Combatants Great Britain Boers Commanders Lord Methuen Piet Cronje Strength 13,000 8,500 Casualties Nearly 1,000 70 dead 250 wounded Unknown captured and deserted, but believed to be significant {{{notes}}} The Battle of Magersfontein was fought on December 11, 1899 at Magersfontein, on the borders of Cape Colony... Categories: ‪Battle stubs‬ | ‪Boer War battles‬ ... Combatants Great Britain Boers Commanders Charles Warren Alexander Thorneycroft Louis Botha Strength 11,000 infantry 2,200 cavalry 36 field guns 6,000 men Casualties 383 killed 1,000 wounded 300 captured 58 killed 140 wounded The Battle of Spion Kop (Afrikaans: Slag van Spioenkop) was fought about 38 km... Combatants Great Britain Boers Commanders Lt. ... Bloody Sunday of February 18, 1900, was a day of high Imperial casualties in the Second Boer War. ... Combatants The British Empire Boers Commanders Sir John French Colonel Kelly-Kenny Piet Cronje Strength 15,000 men 5,000 men Casualties 258 dead 1,211 wounded 86 captured 100 dead 250 wounded 4,096 captured The Battle of Paardeberg was a major battle during the Second Anglo-Boer War. ... The Siege of Ladysmith was a famous battle in the Boer War, taking place between 2 November 1899 and 28 February 1900. ... Combatants Great Britain Boers Commanders Brigadier General Broadwood Christiaan de Wet Strength 2000 12 guns 400 (1600 distantly engaged) Casualties 600 7 guns 8 (eight) {{{notes}}} Sanna’s Post (aka Korn Spruit) was an engagement fought during the Second Boer War (1899-1902) between the British Empire and the Boers... Combatants United Kingdom Boers Commanders Robert Baden-Powell Colonel B T Mahon General Piet Cronje Strength 2,000 8,000 Casualties 212 dead 600 wounded Unknown but significantly higher than British The Siege of Mafeking was the most famous British action in the Second Boer War. ... Combatants United Kingdom Boers Commanders Ian Hamilton, Kekewich, Rawlinson General Potgeiter, General Kemp. ... Combatants British Empire Orange Free State South African Republic Commanders Sir Redvers Buller Lord Kitchener Lord Roberts Paul Kruger Louis Botha Koos de la Rey Martinus Steyn Christiaan de Wet Casualties 6,000 - 7,000 (A further ~14,000 from disease) 6,000 - 8,000 (Unknown number from disease) Civilians... Modder River (Afrikaans Mud River) is an irrigation and stock farming town situated south of Kimberley near the confluence of the Riet and Modder rivers in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. ... is the 332nd day of the year (333rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1899 (MDCCCXCIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Paul Sanford Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen (September 1, 1845 - October 30, 1932) was the third Baron Methuen and a British military commander. ... Kimberley is a town in South Africa, and the capital of the Northern Cape. ... General Piet Arnoldus Cronje (1840?-4 February 1911) was a leader of the Zuid Afrika Republics military forces during the Anglo-Boer wars. ...

Situation in November 1899

When the war broke out, one of the Boers' early targets was the diamond-mining centre of Kimberley, which stood not far from the point where the borders of the Boer republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, and the British-controlled Cape Colony met. Although their forces surrounded the town, they did not press home any immediate assault. Nor did they attempt to cross the Orange River on this front to invade Cape Colony. Flag of Transvaal For the Russian theme park, see Transvaal Park. ... Flag of the Orange Free State Capital Bloemfontein Language(s) Afrikaans, English Religion Dutch Reformed Church Government Republic President  - 1854 - 1855 Josias P. Hoffman  - 1855 - 1859 Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff  - 1859 - 1863 Marthinus Wessel Pretorius (also President of the South African Republic from 1857 to 1871). ... Anthem: God Save the Queen Cape Colony Capital Cape Town Language(s) English and Dutch1 Religion Dutch Reformed Church, Anglican Government Constitutional monarchy Last Monarch King George VI Last Prime Minister  - 1908 – 1910 John X. Merriman Last Governor  - 1901 - 1910 Walter Hely-Hutchinson Historical era 19th century  - Dutch East India... This image shows only the last 100 kilometers or so of the Orange River. ...

Meanwhile, British reinforcements were on their way to South Africa. Their commander, General Sir Redvers Buller detached the 1st Division under Lieutenant General Lord Methuen to relieve Kimberley. This decision was made partly for reasons of prestige, as the capture of Kimberley (which contained the famous Imperialist and former Prime Minister of Cape Colony, Cecil Rhodes) would be a major propaganda victory for the Boers. General Sir Redvers Henry Buller VC GCB GCMG (7 December 1839–2 June 1908) was a British general and Victoria Cross holder. ... Cecil Rhodes Cecil John Rhodes, PC, DCL, (July 5, 1853 – March 26, 1902[1]) was a British-born South African businessman, mining magnate, and politician. ...

During November, Methuen's force advanced north along the Western Cape Railway. They fought and won two engagements against Boers from the Orange Free State under General Prinsloo at the Battle of Belmont and at Graspans. Charleston defenses, Belmont battlefield by Julius Bien & Co. ...

Boer plans

The Boers had been reinforced by a substantial contingent from the Transvaal under General Koos de la Rey, who proposed a radical new plan of defence. He pointed out that the Boers had previously been easily driven from the kopjes (hills) which they had occupied. The kopjes had been obvious aiming marks for the numerically superior British artillery. Also, rifle fire from Boers on the top of the kopjes was steeply plunging. It had a chance of hitting its target only in the last six feet or so of its flight. Once British infantry had reached the foot of the kopje, they were concealed by boulders and scrub, and could then easily drive the Boers off the summit with the bayonet. Koos de la Rey (Jacobus Herculaas de la Rey) (22 October 1847 - 15 September 1914) was a Boer general during the Second Boer War and is widely regarded as being one of the greatest military leaders during that conflict. ...

De la Rey proposed to make use of the flat trajectory of the Mauser rifle with which the Boers were armed, together with the flat veld. He called on his men to dig trenches in the banks of the Modder River, from which their rifles could sweep the veld for a great distance, and won them over. General Piet Cronje, who arrived later with the main Boer force, acquiesced in this novel plan.

The area contained two prominent hotels and the village of Rosmead, which was used as a resort by prominent businessmen from Kimberley. The Boer trenches were on the south side of the Modder and the smaller Riet River which joined it at Modder River Station. The Boer artillery (six guns) was deployed as single gun detachments north of the Modder and to the east.

British plans

Methuen's force consisted of two infantry brigades (the Guards and the 9th Brigade), two mounted regiments and three batteries of field artillery. Further reinforcements were arriving up the railway.

The British cavalry (the 9th Lancers and a unit recruited in Cape Town, "Rimington's Guides"), made some attempts to scout the ground ahead of the army, but failed entirely to detect De la Rey's trenches and other preparations. (For example, the Boers had whitewashed stones on the veld or had placed biscuit tins as range markers). At 4:30 a.m. on November 28th, Methuen's force roused itself, deployed into line and began advancing towards the Modder, with no plans other than to cross the river before having breakfast on the far side. Nickname: Motto: Spes Bona (Latin for Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Coordinates: , Country Province Municipality City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality Founded 1652 Government [1]  - Type City council  - Mayor Helen Zille  - City manager Achmat Ebrahim Area  - City 2,499 km²  (964. ...

The Battle

As the British troops came within 1,200 yards of the river, Methuen remarked to Major General Colvile, commanding the Guards Brigade, "They're not here." Colvile replied, "They're sitting uncommonly tight if they are". At this point the Boers opened fire. Most of the British troops were forced to throw themselves flat. Some tried to advance in short rushes, but could find no cover on the veld. Few British troops got closer than 1,000 yards to the Boers. The Guards tried to outflank the Boer left, but were unable to ford the Riet. The British guns pounded the buildings near Modder River Station and the line of poplar trees which marked the north bank of the Modder, and entirely missed the enemy trenches on the south bank. Meanwhile, the Boer guns maintained a galling fire, and kept in action by repeatedly moving their positions.

The battle became a day-long stalemate. Most of the British infantry lay prone on the veld, tortured by heat and thirst, but safe from enemy fire unless they moved. Many stoically smoked pipes or even slept. Methuen galloped about the field trying to renew the advance, and was himself wounded. Late in the day, some of the 9th Brigade, under Major-General Pole-Carew, found the open Boer right flank at Rosmead drift (ford) downstream. British infantry infiltrated across the ford and towards evening mounted an assault on the Boers in Rosmead. The attack was disjointed, and suffered casualties when a British field artillery battery which had just arrived on the field shelled them by mistake. By nightfall, they had been driven back into a small insecure bridgehead.

Nevertheless, the Boers feared that they were now vulnerable to being outflanked, and withdrew during the night.

Aftermath

Methuen reported that the battle had been "one of the hardest and most trying fights in the annals of the British army". Although casualties had not been very heavy, mainly because the Boers opened fire prematurely, it was clear that any simple frontal attack by infantry only against an enemy using bolt-action rifles, was effectively impossible.

The British were forced to pause for ten days, to evacuate their casualties, receive further reinforcements and repair their lines of communications. The delay allowed the Boers to construct the entrenchments which they were to defend in the Battle of Magersfontein. Combatants Great Britain Boers Commanders Lord Methuen Piet Cronje Strength 13,000 8,500 Casualties Nearly 1,000 70 dead 250 wounded Unknown captured and deserted, but believed to be significant {{{notes}}} The Battle of Magersfontein was fought on December 11, 1899 at Magersfontein, on the borders of Cape Colony...

On the Boer side, there were about 150 casualties, including the eldest son of Koos de la Rey, mortally wounded by a shell.

Account of the battle

Modder River - 28 November 1899

British Victoryy ~ Was a tiring day again with the heat and especially after forming at 430am and being the 3rd battle in a week. Boers fled after British catch vital positions. Fiercest battle yet fought in the war. An almost impossible offensive task. The total Boer casualties may perhaps have amounted to 150, mainly due to shell-fire. 70 British were killed and another 413 were wounded.

Reference: The Great Boer War by Arthur Conan Doyle.

// Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859–7 July 1930) was a Scottish born author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and the adventures of Professor Challenger. ...

See also

• Military history of South Africa

The military history of South Africa chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time. ...

References

• The Boer War, Thomas Pakenham, Cardinal, 1979, ISBN 0747409765
• Goodbye Dolly Grey, Rayne Kruger, New English Library