Rooihuiskraal Historical Site
The battle of Rooihuiskraal, which took place near the Rooihuiskraal Historical site, is viewed as one of the most crucial battles of the First Anglo Boer War. In spite of this only one British soldier was killed and 15 wounded. One of the wounded was Lieutenant Colonel Gildea, or that "Damned Colonel" as he was called by the Boers.
By the end of 1880 the Transvaal Boer Forces, had surrounded important towns, which had been occupied by the British, in order to prevent the soldiers in these towns joining General George Colley's troops from Natal. The British in Pretoria were also trapped in this way and their efforts to escape were checked twice before they decided on a large exodus through Rooihuiskraal.
The Boers got wind of this and took up positions behind the stone wall of the farms massive kraal. When the British arrived in large numbers the Boers started to shoot, causing great consternation. Colonel Gildea stood upright in his stirrups to motivate his men and was hit in the buttocks. The British retreated. The Boer's victory at Rooihuiskraal had a demoralising effect on the British. They could not join the Natal troops of General Colley and after these were conquered at Amajuba, the Transvaal regained its independence.
The old stone kraal at Rooihuiskraal is somewhat dilapidated today, but serves as a reminder of the historical victory and was declared a national monument. A recent addition to the site is the Centurion Battle Tank which was among others used by the British in Korea in 1944. It was later acquired by South Africa, upgraded several times but is now old enough to serve as a museum piece.
