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Fort Armstrong, Eastern Cape
Fort Armstrong was constructed in 1836 to act as an important military outpost of the British during the Cape Frontier Wars. It has been under attack multiple times and served as a safe haven for the early pioneers of the Kat river area. History Fort Armstrong was constructed in 1836 to protect the Kat rivers valuable source of water. It was named after Captain Armstrong who fought in the area alongside the Cape Mounted Rifles during the 6th War of Land Dispossession. Because of its relative isolation, the fort was designed to operate independently if need be. It had wattle and daub barracks that could accommodate up to 30 mounted men with ordnance stores, a powder magazine, officers quarters, kitchen stables and cells. A few meters away was a cattle kraal. The forts first test came when forces led by Maqoma and Kona took possession of it for about a month. On 22 February 1851, Major-General Henry Somerset, son of the Governor of the Cape, Charles Somerset, reclaimed it – ki ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kat River
The Kat River ( af, Katrivier) is a tributary of the Great Fish River, that drains the southern slopes of the Winterberg in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Etymology Kat, meaning "cat", is a translation of the Khoekhoen word "huncu", that apparently referred to the wildcats of the area. It lent its name to Katberg, the Katberg Pass and the Kat River Settlement. Course and utilization The long Kat River rises 30 km north of Fort Beaufort in the Katberg escarpment of the Winterberg. At it forms a northern tributary of the Great Fish River, northeast of Fort Brown and south of Hamburg, Eastern Cape. It supplies the Kat River Valley with irrigation water for large citrus orchards, and supplies Seymour and Fort Beaufort with domestic water. ;Dams * Katrivier Dam See also * List of rivers in South Africa A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate divi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Block House
A blockhouse is a small fortification, usually consisting of one or more rooms with loopholes, allowing its defenders to fire in various directions. It is usually an isolated fort in the form of a single building, serving as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery, air force and cruise missiles. A fortification intended to resist these weapons is more likely to qualify as a fortress or a redoubt, or in modern times, be an underground bunker. However, a blockhouse may also refer to a room within a larger fortification, usually a battery or redoubt. Etymology The term ''blockhouse'' is of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Middle Dutch ''blokhus'' and 18th-century French '' blocus'' (blockade). In ancient Greece Blockhouses existed in ancient Greece, for example the one near Mycenae. Early blockhouses in England Early blockhouses were designed solely to protect a particular area by the use of artil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Frontier Wars
The Xhosa Wars (also known as the Cape Frontier Wars or the Kaffir Wars) were a series of nine wars (from 1779 to 1879) between the Xhosa Kingdom and the British Empire as well as Trekboers in what is now the Eastern Cape in South Africa. These events were the longest-running military action in the history of European colonialism in Africa. The reality of the conflicts between the Europeans and Xhosa involves a balance of tension. At times, tensions existed between the various Europeans in the Cape region, tensions between Empire administration and colonial governments, and tensions within the Xhosa Kingdom, e.g. chiefs rivalling each other, which usually led to Europeans taking advantage of the situation to meddle in Xhosa politics. A perfect example of this is the case of chief Ngqika and his uncle, chief Ndlambe. Background The first European colonial settlement in modern-day South Africa was a small supply station established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts established by England between the late 16th and early 18th centuries. At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. By 1913, the British Empire held sway over 412 million people, of the world population at the time, and by 1920, it covered , of the Earth's total land area. As a result, its constitutional, legal, linguistic, and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, it was described as "the empire on which the sun never sets", as the Sun was always shining on at least one of its territories. During the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal and Spain pioneered European exploration of the globe, and in the process established large overse ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Mounted Rifles
The Cape Mounted Riflemen were South African military units. There were two separate successive regiments of that name. To distinguish them, some military historians describe the first as the "imperial" Cape Mounted Riflemen (originally the ''"Cape Regiment"''), and the second as the "colonial" Cape Mounted Riflemen. Cape Mounted Riflemen (1) The first, so-called "imperial", unit, was formed by the Dutch administration of the Cape Colony in 1793, to enlarge its garrison because of the threat posed by the war in Europe. It was originally called the ''Corps van Pandoeren'', i.e. "Corps of Pandours", and consisted of Khoisan and Coloured men under White officers. Cape Regiment (1795–1827) The British retained the unit after taking over the colony in 1795, and renamed it the ''Cape Regiment''. When the Dutch resumed the administration in 1803, they changed the name to the ''Corps van Vrye Hottentotten'', i.e. "Corps of Free Hottentots" and again, in 1805, to the ''Hottento ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xhosa Wars
The Xhosa Wars (also known as the Cape Frontier Wars or the Kaffir Wars) were a series of nine wars (from 1779 to 1879) between the Xhosa people, Xhosa Kingdom and the British Empire as well as Trekboers in what is now the Eastern Cape in South Africa. These events were the longest-running military action in the history of Colonisation of Africa, European colonialism in Africa. The reality of the conflicts between the Europeans and Xhosa involves a balance of tension. At times, tensions existed between the various Europeans in the Cape region, tensions between Empire administration and colonial governments, and tensions within the Xhosa Kingdom, e.g. chiefs rivalling each other, which usually led to Europeans taking advantage of the situation to meddle in Xhosa politics. A perfect example of this is the case of chief Ngqika and his uncle, chief Ndlambe. Background The first Colonisation of Africa, European colonial settlement in modern-day South Africa was a small supply s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Somerset (British Army Officer)
Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Somerset KCB KH (30 December 1794 – 15 February 1862) was a British Army officer. Military career Born the eldest son of Lord Charles Somerset, Somerset was commissioned a cornet on 5 December 1811 and promoted to lieutenant on 30 December 1812. He fought in the Peninsular War and with the 18th Hussars at Waterloo, serving as aide-de-camp to his uncle Lord Edward Somerset. On 6 October 1815, he was made a captain. Soon after his marriage, Somerset proceeded to the Cape Colony, where his father was governor, and served with the Cape Mounted Rifles throughout the Xhosa Wars. On 25 March 1823, he was made major, and on 17 July 1824, lieutenant-colonel. In 1834, he was made a Knight of the Royal Guelphic Order, and later a Companion of the Bath. In 1846, he defeated the Xhosa on the Gwangu, and was promoted major-general on 11 November 1851. At the conclusion of the 8th Xhosa War in 1853, he was made a Knight Commander of the Bath for his services ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Governor Of The Cape Colony
This article lists the governors of British South African colonies, including the colonial prime ministers. It encompasses the period from 1797 to 1910, when present-day South Africa was divided into four British colonies namely: Cape Colony (preceded by Dutch Cape Colony), Natal Colony, Orange River Colony and Transvaal Colony. After the colonies were disestablished as a result of the creation of the Union of South Africa, the area was divided into four provinces of the Union: Cape Province, Natal Province, Orange Free State Province and Transvaal Province. Cape Colony Governors Prime Ministers Natal Colony Governors Prime Ministers Orange River Colony Governors Prime Minister Transvaal Colony Governors of the Transvaal Lieutenant-Governors of the Transvaal Prime Minister of the Transvaal See also *High Commissioner for Southern Africa * Commander-in-Chief of British Forces in South Africa *List of administrators of former South African p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lord Charles Somerset
Lord Charles Henry Somerset PC (12 December 1767 – 18 February 1831), born in Badminton, England, was a British soldier, politician and colonial administrator.Charles Mosley, editor. Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 221 – 223. He was governor of the Cape Colony, South Africa, from 1814 to 1826. Background Somerset was the second son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort, and Elizabeth, daughter of Admiral the Hon. Edward Boscawen. He was the brother of Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort, General Lord Robert Somerset, Lord Arthur Somerset and Field Marshal FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan. Political career Somerset sat as member of parliament for Scarborough between 1796 and 1802 and for Monmouth Boroughs between 1802 and 1813. He served as Comptroller of the Household between 1797 and 1804 and as Joint Paymaster of the Forces between 1804 and 1806 and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grahamstown
Makhanda, also known as Grahamstown, is a town of about 140,000 people in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated about northeast of Port Elizabeth and southwest of East London, Eastern Cape, East London. Makhanda is the largest town in the Makana Local Municipality, and the seat of the municipal council. It also hosts Rhodes University, the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court of South Africa, High Court, the South African Library for the Blind (SALB), Diocese of Grahamstown, a diocese of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, and 6 South African Infantry Battalion. Furthermore, located approximately 3 km south-east of the town lies the world renowned Waterloo Farm lagerstätte, Waterloo Farm, the only estuarine fossil site in the world from 360 million years ago with exceptional soft-tissue preservation. The town's name-change from Grahamstown to Makhanda was officially gazetted on 29 June 2018. The town was officially renamed to Makhanda in memory ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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