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George Cowan

Sergeant, Natal Corps of Guides
Guide, Field Intelligence Department

- Queens South Africa Medal with Natal clasp to Serjt. G. Cowan, Natal Guides

George Cowan was born in about 1868 in Harrismith in the eastern part of the Orange Free State. Geographically speaking the town of Harrismith is, as the crow flies, just over the Natal border and not very far from the town of Ladysmith, with only the Drakensberg mountain range to separate the two.

It was the Boer War, which erupted onto the world stage on 11 October 1899, that was to bring a 32-year-old George out of the shadows. A farmer by occupation, he had moved across the border at some point and, according to the Burghers Roll of Ladysmith, was a resident of Ward 2 on the outskirts of the town when the war started.

Ladysmith was in the immediate firing line of the Boer forces who traversed the Drakensberg mountains and entered Natal within days after the commencement of hostilities. Small raiding parties soon gave way to full strength Commandos who then joined up with their Transvaal comrades who, fresh from their exertions at Talana and Elandslaagte, had begun the process of investing Ladysmith. The Imperial forces, along with the Colonials who were assisting them, were soon under siege with the Boers occupying the surrounding hills, effectively cutting Ladysmith off from the world.

What happened to Cowan in the early stages of the war is not known, many farmers stayed put on their farms, having their livestock and crops stolen by Boer raiding parties. Others moved into the town joining the Town Guard whilst others still abandoned their belongings and their land and headed for Pietermaritzburg and the coast.

After a long and protracted siege lasting three months, Ladysmith was relieved on 1 March 1900 and life started to return to normal to the dusty town after the deprivations and hardships the locals (and the military) had had to endure. It was then that Cowan, skilled in the art of riding, shooting and hunting (almost prerequisites in the life of a rural farmer), offered his services to the war effort as a Guide.

It must be remembered that although Buller had relieved Ladysmith he hadn’t yet driven the Boers from Natal, the ponderous pace that had seen his efforts so often thwarted had now gained momentum and his men were rolling the Boers back through Dundee, through Newcastle and finally through Utrecht, the Transvaal border with Natal. Troops were also tasked with making sure that the Boers who had trekked back to Harrismith in the Orange Free State via the Drakensberg didn’t loiter on their journey and that no fresh attempt to invade Natal was made from that quarter.

It was during this stage of the campaign that Cowan and his skills were most needed, especially given his knowledge of the terrain on either side of the mountain range. But what of the Guides? Who was this body of men of whom so little has been written and to whom so much is owed? The Natal Corps of Guides (also known as the Imperial Guides or natal Guides) was the smallest of the Colonial Auxiliary forces, with only 120 names on its roll.

Raised only for the emergency in Natal, it is said by Mr. T.K. Murray of Murray’s Horse fame, and paying scant attention to uniform and military tradition, it was placed by some conventional soldiers in the category of “scallywags”, but it was highly thought of and highly effective in its time. The Times History makes several mentions of “the excellent little corps of Guides” with special commendation.

Under their commanding officer, Major David Henderson, the Guides were useful in a dozen different ways. Bedsides discussing strategy (their main function) they did such odd jobs as restarting the telegraph when the Boers abandoned it. They also had unrivalled knowledge of the countryside around them.

As a Guide Cowan would have been issued with a horse, equipment and uniform – most likely a tunic with a red hatband. All Guides held the honorary rank of Sergeant and they worked closely with the officers, sometimes as one of a group but often individually. Among other duties which fell to him was that of interpreting – having been born and raised among the Dutch-speaking people of the Orange Free State, he was fluent in the “taal” and was put to use when prisoners were caught or informants came forward with information crucial to the Imperial effort.

Interviewing prisoners provided the opportunity to ask who among them was prepared to take the oath of neutrality – an essential part of creating a buffer between those “bitter eindes” still fighting and the British forces. There was also the matter of the Natal Rebels – some 29 of them in the foothills of the Drakensberg – who would have remained loyal to the Crown but who, after the invading Boers proclaimed their territory as part of the O.F.S., were conscripted into the Commandos.


The comment under this sketch which appeared in Lloyds's Weekly Newspaper on 6 May 1900 reads: "A successful raid was made by some Imperial Guides on a suspected Dutch farm within four miles of Van Reene's Pass. Our men managed to catch two out of four Boers who fired on them, and some good horses and cattle."

With Buller’s push finally expelling the Boer forces from Natal in about July 1900 the need for Cowan’s services diminished. He then, according to the medal rolls, appears to have joined up with the Field Intelligence Department as a Guide under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Davies. Quite how long he spent in this role is unknown but his medal with Natal clasp was issued off the Natal Guides roll.

Having played his part Cowan returned to his farm in the Ladysmith area. An active Free Mason he was initiated into the Southern Cross Lodge in Harrismith in 1901 and continued to be a member until his membership was terminated, on non-payment of fees, in 1915.

At some point in the early 1890’s he had met and married Alice Ann Friday, the daughter of an Englishman from Gloucestershire who had moved to Harrismith. Born on 22 July 1866, she was slightly older than him although this did nothing to prevent her blessing him with no fewer than seven children, Edwin George, Clifford Lawson, Alexander Gerald, Siege White (Drew), Spencer Norman, Allan Douglas Hamilton and Quinton Kenneth.

The first of these children were born in 1893 and it is interesting to note how much of an impact the Siege had on Cowan and his wife – daughter Siege White was born in 1900 during the midst of the troubles and was named after the “Siege” and General Sir George “White”.
The war over Cowan returned to his farming pursuits. Tragedy was, however, to hit his family when, on 17 October 1918, his son, Bertie Bernard, a Guard on the South African Railways, died at the age of 23 years.

It wasn’t long before George’s own demise was made known. He passed away at Ladysmith on 22 May 1922 from Congenital Heart Disease at the age of 54. He was a Retired Farmer by occupation, resident at 22 Murchison Street, Ladysmith.

Excellent. Many thanks, Rory.