Siege of Potchefstroom (15 December 1880 to 21 March 1881
Potchefstroom had been area of unrest at the start of the conflict in November 1880. Reinforcements were despatched. 18 November saw the arrival of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, 25 mounted infantry and 2 x 9-pounders of the Royal Artillery. From Rustenburg arrived another company of the Royal Scots Fusiliers. In total, the force numbered 213 and was commanded by Major C Thornhill. His orders were to build a fort and demonstrate his presence in the town.
Fort construction began on 22 November 1880 and proceeded at a leisurely pace, interrupted by afternoon teas and social gatherings organised by the town's loyal inhabitants. Contingency plans were put in place in case the fort was not ready when needed or if needed because there was little credence placed in the danger of attack. Colonel Winsloe arrived on 12 December and assumed command. Major Thornhill was ready to return to Pretoria by post cart when it was noticed that the Boers were approaching the town in skirmishing formation. Thornhill galloped the horses back to the fort to raise the alarm. The garrison stood to and stayed at their posts overnight but no attack came. At 9am the next morning, a small Boer patrol approached the fort and Lieutenant Lindsell went out to meet them. The Boers withdrew but shots were exchanged. The first casualty of the War occurred when Commandant Robbetse was wounded in the arm.
Some civilians from the town took refuge in the fort. These included the Portuguese Consul-General. Mr Forssman and his family, district surgeon Dr Sketchley and his wife, daughter of Mr Forssman, and four women and some children. Women inside the fort petitioned to be allowed to leave the fort and, while some did leave, other were forced to stay. General Cronje's view that they had sought the protection of the British and now the British had to protect them if they could.
The defenders had occupied the court house and jail but these were 400 yards distant from the fort. The fort itself was incomplete with the walls no higher than 5 feet. On 15 December, some 500 mounted Boers entered the town, took possession of Mr Forssmann's House and Borrius's printing office. Barricades were also constructed by the Boers in town and scouts deployed.
The first day of heavy fighting was on 16 December when the fort came under attack by rifle fire from three sides. The artillerymen went in the evening to collect water and provoked another engagement. Captain Falls was shot dead and several men had been killed and wounded during the day. As a result of the day's fighting 5 men and 21 women and children requested and were given protection in the fort. Conditions were such that many of these left on the 24th, favouring their chances in their homes.
Around noon on the 18th in the distant court house the Union Flag was unexpectedly replaced by a flag of surrender. The building’s thatched roof had been set ablaze and the small force under Captain Clarke forced to surrender. In the afternoon General Cronje sent in a call for the surrender of the remaining defences but this was declined.
The defences were raised as high as possible, sometimes with the use of bags of corn and other provisions. Any spare clothing was used to plug gaps in the walls. In the evening, Winslow send a message to Bellairs in Pretoria to advise him that ammunition was running out and that the presence of women in the fort made the defence more difficult.
Drinking water began to run low as early as 17 December and ran out on the 19th. Wells had been dug, one to a depth of 36 feet but without success. Colonel Winsloe offered £5 for the first team to strike water. An Artillery team hit water at 9 feet and this well and others that were sunk provided sufficient water for the remainder of the siege. The rains alleviated the situation but also created new problems. It was reported that the tents were so riddled by gunfire that they offered no protection against the rain. In addition, a lack of irrigation in the fort meant that when the rains did come, they were liable to flooding. The fort was later to be described as 'swimming in rain'.
Food was another issue faced by the defenders. Horses had been released and the cattle shot once the water ran dry. The decision was taken to reduce the mouths to feed. At 9pm on Christmas Day, 4 women and 12 children tried to leave the fort and go to a farm. During the attempt a child made an involuntary cry and brought the Boer rifles to bear. A boy aged 10 was killed and a girl wounded. Half rations gave way to quarter rations and from 1 March the sole food was mealies and corn.
In late December someone in the town remembered that some old ships' guns had been buried in the area. One of these cannon, a 3-pounder made in Falkirk around 1762 and used by the British Navy in 1779 had a barrel of 24 inches and was designed to fire caseshot. It was named by the Boers 'Ou Griet' and would account one man killed and five wounded,
On New Year's day at 4am the fort was fired upon from three sides. 10 round-shot were fired from the new cannon. The fort sustained casualties but no assault was made.
On 3 January, Rundle and his men broke into the town magazine, 200 yards from the fort and removed a ton of gunpowder, 21,500 rounds of Wesley Richards ammunition and 10,000 rounds of Martini-Henry cartridges. The magazine was held as an outpost from this date.
The condition of those wounded was miserable as there were no medicines or other comforts. The two doctors helped where they could. To make matters worse, dysentery broke out.
The Boers tried a ruse to flush out the defenders with a message supposedly from Colonel Bellairs. Asked to leave the fort when they heard heavy firing that night, the garrison instead stood to arms and the plot failed.
Three days of rain between 15 and 18 January flooded the fort and trenches.
The Boers dug trenches to bring them within 200 yards of the fort. On 22 January, Lieutenant Dalrymple-Hay and 12 men cleared a trench 300 yards to the south of the fort. Drivers Gibson and Pead, Trooper Martin, Private Bush and Lance Corporal Cunnief were noted for bringing in the wounded. The five DCMs awarded during the siege were all related to this action. The defenders left stretchers to help the wounded Boers. The next day the stretchers were returned, accompanied by fruit and some carbolic acid in appreciation.
The rations has been cut on 19 December and by the start of February mealies had replaced biscuits and bully beef was given every third day.
Major Clark was kept under guard at the Royal Hotel in town and Commandant Raaff was locked in a room at the headquarters of General Cronje. Paul Kruger offered to exchange them for prisoners held in Pretoria but Colonel Bellairs refused. Anyone in the town found to have aided the British garrison was sanctioned. Capital sentences were carried out on Mr Van der Linden and Dr Christian Woite, many received sentences of hard labour or fines and an unknown number of blacks were shot.
At the end of February, Mrs Emily Sketchley died of enteric. A coffin was sent from the town and a truce arranged for the burial. Emily Sketchley's brother and four soldiers also died of fever. Holes were dug in the ground and it was in these that anyone with fever had to isolate. Scurvy was also a problem but found to be alleviated by boiling green lilies which grew around the fort.
On 12 March, General Cronje received news from Paul Kruger about the armistice. Kruger's letter went on to say 'It is your duty to notify Major Winsloe of the agreement between Wood and Joubert; but the armistice at Mooiriver is not to commence prior to the arrival of supplies, and the handing over thereof to you. Before such time be free to continue warfare ...'
It was not until 9 April that the rations finally reached Potchefstroom. However General Cronje chose not to send in the supplies and waited for clarification from Heidelberg. Two days later, Colonel Winslow called a meeting and, recognising that only a week of supplies remained, suggested they negotiate a surrender. Everyone agreed. A letter to General Cronje was written but not sent as, that very evening, a newspaper was smuggled into the fort, perhaps arranged by Pieter Raaff, which gave full details of the armistice.
When Winslow met Cronje between the fort and the town, Cronje made an excuse about not informing Winslow, explaining that there had been some confusion.
The siege came to an end on 21 March when the garrison marched out of the fort, flying the flag before them. The flag had an interesting history. It was manufactured during the siege when the fort's only flag has been lost in the court house surrender. It was made from Lieutenant Rundle's cloak, Lieutenant Lindsell's coat and a sergeant's coat and flew for the first time 23 January. Later in 1922, General Sir H M Leslie Rundle, Colonel Commandant of the Royal Artillery, presented the flag to the Royal Scots Fusiliers.
The defenders had achieved much more than many had expected they could. That night Colonel Winsloe and five of his officer dined at the Royal Hotel and each was congratulated by Cronje personally.
A few days later, the garrison set out for Natal.
The issue of Cronje's conduct at the end of the siege was questioned by Sir Evelyn Wood in April 1881. Unhappy with the answer, General Wood ordered the re-occupation of the fort in June. A certain Redvers Buller VC was part of the force which occupied the fort for three days before withdrawing to Natal. The next time he was to travel in Natal, he would not move so quickly and easily.
