Battle of Paardeberg
Paardeberg Drift on the Modder River, Free State, South Africa
What happened
British forces under Field Marshal Lord Roberts and Lord Kitchener, including Canadian troops, fought a Boer army under General Piet Cronjé. In the Second Anglo-Boer War, Cronjé's column, slowed by ox-wagons and families, was caught on the Modder River and dug in. British frontal attacks on the first day failed with heavy losses. The British then surrounded and shelled the camp for days, and after Canadian troops dug trenches close to the Boer lines at night, Cronjé surrendered with about 4,000 men.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the first major British victory of the war. The surrender fell on Majuba Day, the anniversary of a famous Boer victory in 1881.
What came next
Cronjé and his wife were sent to a prisoner-of-war camp on St Helena until the war ended in 1902. British forces advanced into the Boer republics.
Did you know?
Canadians marked 27 February as 'Paardeberg Day' for twenty years afterwards.
Timeline
- 27 February 1881The Boers win at Majuba Hill.
- 18 February 1900The Battle of Paardeberg begins.
- 27 February 1900Cronjé surrenders.
- 1902Peace ends the war; Cronjé leaves St Helena.