The
Battle of Paardeberg or
Perdeberg ("Horse Mountain") was a major battle during the
Second Anglo-Boer War. It was fought near
Paardeberg Drift on the banks of the
Modder River in the
Orange Free State near
Kimberley.
Lord Methuen advanced up the railway line in November 1899 with the objective of relieving the besieged city of
Kimberley (and the town of
Mafeking, also under siege). Battles were fought on this front at Graspan,
Colenso,
Modder River before the advance was halted for two months after the British defeat at the
Battle of Magersfontein. In February 1900, Field Marshal
Lord Roberts assumed personal command of a significantly reinforced British offensive.
The army of
Boer General
Piet Cronjé was retreating from its entrenched position at
Magersfontein towards
Bloemfontein after its lines of communication were cut by Major General
John French, whose cavalry had recently outflanked the Boer position to relieve Kimberley. Cronje's slow-moving column was intercepted by French at Paardeberg, where the Boer general eventually surrendered after a prolonged siege, having fought off an attempted direct assault by Lieutenant General
Horatio Kitchener.
Situation in February, 1900
An earlier British attempt to relieve Kimberley, led by Lieutenant General
Lord Methuen, had been opposed by Boers under Cronjé and
Koos de la Rey. Although the Boers had failed to prevent the British crossing the
Modder River on 28 November, they had fought them to a standstill at...
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