TOPIC:

I'm trying to find more information about the Cape Government Railways. My father's family arrived in South Africa around 1877, or 1878 from Ireland (according to my grandmother). They lived in, or near, a place called Kubusi or Koeboesie. He was purportedly in the employ of the Cape Government Railways. The timing coincides with the construction of the Stutterheim to East London railway. Later, with the discovery of gold in the Transvaal, the family moved to Kroonstad, in the Orange Free State. The timing coincides once more, as the Cape Government Railways started construction of the railway through OFS to Johannesburg around the same time. During the Boer War he was apparently a transport rider. First name is unfortunately unknown though Joseph is a common first name, surname is Corrie or Gorry (as we have rather close Y-DNA matches to Gorry).

A rather quick search of NAAIRS (South African archives) using the term Kubusie found a couple of documents:
DEPOT KAB
SOURCE CO
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 4197
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE C19
PART 1
DESCRIPTION MEMORIAL. J COURIE. REPORTING PATROL AT THE KUBUSIE.
STARTING 18780000
ENDING 18780000

and another:
DEPOT KAB
SOURCE CO
TYPE LEER
VOLUME_NO 4197
SYSTEM 01
REFERENCE C14
PART 1
DESCRIPTION MEMORIAL. J COURIE. REGARDING NON-RECEIPT OF RATIONS AT KOMGA.
STARTING 18780000
ENDING 18780000

Would love your insights and suggestions for other resources to consult. Thanks in advance!

So, I've sourced those two documents from the Cape archives and have transcribed these to the best of my ability. Both documents were addressed to J. Gordon Sprigg, Colonial Secretary, at Cape Town.

In the document dated 06/04/1878 re: non-receipt of rations at Komgha, he signs his name as J. Corrie, Field-Commt. He mentions, as witnesses to the truth of what he has stated in this document, Major (Hans?) Moore and a Mr. Grant.

In the document dated 14/05/1878 re: reporting patrol at Kubusie, he signs his name as J. Corrie, Captain. In this document he details how they followed some rebels, killed five and repatriated some livestock. This document is important as he refers to Lieut. Cowie i.e. Corrie and Cowie are NOT the same person.

I've also found in a list of names of Officers of the Kaffrarian Volunteers:
List of Officers, Kaffrarian Volunteers
Captain Commandant James Faunce Lonsdale 22/2/1872 (Note 1)
Captain R. Walker 1.3.1875 Mounted Troop, KWT Volunteers
2/Lt A. Duncan 1.3.1875
1st Lt C. Musgrave 1.3.1875
Lt E. J. Byrne 22.2.1872 No 1 Company KWT Volunteers
Lt G. V. Perks 22.2.1872
Capt T. W. Robertson 15.12.1874 No 2 Company KWT Volunteers
2/Lt R. McWilliams 15.12.1874
Capt G. Grey 1.7.1875 Gonubie Troop
Lt W. Warren 1.7.I875
2/Lt R.J.Dick* 1.7.1875
Capt James Sansom* 18.11.1872 Komgha Troop
LtJohn Cowie 18.11.1872
2/Lt T. Curtis 8.4.1876
Capt Howard Sprigg 25.11.1876 ***Brother of J. Gordon Sprigg***
Lt G. Impey 20.7.1877 Maclean Troop
2/LtT. H. Stokes 25.11.1876

The list makes no mention of my Captain Corrie. I have however found in the Frontier War Journal of Major John Crealock reference to a telegram from General Thesiger to the Cape Governer mentioning "From Komgha a patrol under Captain Corrie followed a party of rebels, recaptured all the stock taken and killed five". Which is a despatch about the second document, as listed above, for which I have Captain Corrie's first hand account (that which I could transcribe).

So I beg you courteous, and scholarly gentlemen might assist me in identifying my Captain J. Corrie of Komgha, Kubusie, Stutterheim etc.

I was able to establish with the assistance of users 90th and cam simpson of 1879zuluwar.com that the gentleman referred to in the KAB articles above is Captain John Cowie of the Komgha Fingo Levy. I've found profiles for him at Geni.com and on 1820 Settlers, and at this stage I can't find any relationship between our family lines. A very interesting sojourn, but nonetheless not my Corrie!

Resurrecting an old thread, rather than starting another, as it pertains to the same individual Joseph J. Corrie.

Connected with a Corrie cousin and she had in her possession an Afrikaans article from the Lichtenburg "Noordwester" newspaper (1960) that gave some background on Joseph J. Corrie. According to the article he was actually born in Grahamstown, Cape Colony, South Africa. He was raised in Port Elizabeth. In 1879 he accompanied his parents to Kroonstad, Orange Free State, South Africa. He married Clarissa Gertruida Viljoen (her father of French Huguenot stock and her mother a descendant of 1820 Settler Thomas Dry of Kent, England). During the Boer War he fought, with the Burghers, under General Prinsloo from Bloemfontein, and Commandant Nel. He was injured but not captured at Kroonstad, his horse was shot out from under him and he injured his leg quite severely. After the war, in 1910, he moved to the Transvaal. In 1944, when Clarissa passed away, he moved to Lichtenburg where he passed away 05/02/1962.

I understand there were at least three generals named Prinsloo, was hoping the mention of Commandant Nel and the skirmish in Kroonstad might give me some clues as to which Commando he belonged to etc.