Battle of Bronkhorstspruit
Near Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng, South Africa
What happened
Boer forces under Frans Joubert stopped a British column led by Lieutenant Colonel Philip Anstruther. Britain had taken over the Boer republic of the Transvaal in 1877, and in December 1880 the Boers rose up. Anstruther was marching about 250 men and 34 wagons to Pretoria when the Boers asked him to halt, and he refused. The Boers attacked, and within about 15 minutes the column surrendered; Anstruther died of his wounds days later.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the first major clash of the First Boer War, and it encouraged the Boers. The British had underestimated them.
What came next
The Boers won again at Laing's Nek, Schuinshoogte and Majuba Hill in 1881. The Pretoria Convention then gave the Transvaal self-government under British overall control.
Did you know?
A wagon conductor named Egerton hid the regiment's flags on a stretcher and then wrapped them round his body to carry them safely to Pretoria.
Timeline
- 12 April 1877Britain annexes the Transvaal.
- 20 December 1880Battle of Bronkhorstspruit.
- 27 February 1881Boer victory at Majuba Hill.
- 3 August 1881Pretoria Convention signed.