Philip Rudolph Botha (30 June 1851 – 6 March 1901) was a

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

general, like his younger brothers

Louis Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

(1862-1919), Christiaan (1864–1902) and Theunis Jacobus (1867–1930).

Early years

Philip was the eldest son among seven sons and eight daughters born to Louis Botha Senior ( Somerset East,

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

, 26 March 1827 –

Harrismith Harrismith is a large town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was named for Sir Harry Smith, a 19th-century British governor and high commissioner of the Cape Colony. It is situated by the Wilge River, alongside the N3 highway, abo ...

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...

, 5 July 1883) and Salomina Adriana van Rooyen (Somerset East, 31 March 1829 – Harrismith, 9 January 1886). He migrated with his parents from

Natal Colony The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to ...

Vrede Vrede is a town in the Free State province of South Africa that is the agricultural hub of a 100 km² region. Maize, wheat, mutton, wool, beef, dairy products and poultry are farmed in the region. History In 1863 one J. H. Krynauw bought t ...

in the Orange Free State. Botha married Magdalena Maria Wessels and had at least four daughters and five sons by her, including the later general "Manie" Botha (Hermanus Nicolaas Wilhelm, 1877-1950), who fought in the Second Boer War, the First World War - for the

Union of South Africa The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Trans ...

against the Germans in the

South West Africa campaign The South West Africa campaign was the conquest and occupation of German South West Africa by forces from the Union of South Africa acting on behalf of the British imperial government at the beginning of the First World War. Background The ...

(1914-1915) - and the Second World War.

Second Boer War

At the outbreak of the

Philip Botha volunteered as a soldier for the Orange Free State and became leader of the Kroonstad Commando. In 1900, he was appointed fighting general (

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

:''Veggeneraal'') and Assistant Chief Commandant under Christiaan de Wet, tried in vain to break the encirclement of Piet Cronjé and his troops at Paardeberg and fought in the Battle of Poplar Grove on 7 March 1900. With de Wet and Free State president

Steyn Steyn is a Dutch surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Andrie Steyn, South African cricketer * Carole Steyn (born 1938), British abstract painter * Christo Steyn (born 1961), South African tennis player * Dale Steyn (born 1983), So ...

Philip Botha and his troops managed to escape from the

Brandwater Basin The Brandwater Basin is the drainage basin of the Brandwater River (Afrikaans: Brandwaterrivier), a tributary of the Grootspruit River in the south-east of Orange Free State, South Africa, north of Lesotho. The basin is situated south of Bethleh ...

over the Slabbert's Nek mountain pass on 15 July 1900, while Marthinus Prinsloo remained and surrendered with some 4300 troops to the British on 30 July 1900. In January 1901 Philip Botha ordered the execution of British Lieutenant Cecil Boyle who was accused of ill treatment of Boer women and children in Dewetsdorp. Botha was called upon to account for this, but was killed in action in a small skirmish with British troops at Doornberg near

Ventersdorp Ventersdorp is a town of 4,200 in Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, North West Province, South Africa. It was the seat of the defunct Ventersdorp Local Municipality until 2016. Ventersdorp is centrally located, making it easier to access m ...

on 6 March 1901.

Literature

* Breytenbach J.H., ''Die Geskiedenis van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog in Suid-Afrika'', ** volume IV. ''Die Boereterugtog uit Kaapland'', Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1977. Philip Botha is mentioned on 33 pages from pages 310-311 up to pages 477-481 and 487. ** volume V. ''Die Britse Opmars tot in Pretoria'', Die Staatsdrukker Pretoria, 1983. Philip Botha is mentioned on 44 pages from page 29 up to page 477. * J. E. H. Grobler, ''The War Reporter: the Anglo-Boer war through the eyes of the burghers'', Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball Publishers, 2004. ISBN 978-1-86842-186-2. Pages 45, 47-49, 54, 61, 64-65, 67, 77, 100, 107, 111. * Thomas Pakenham, ''The Boer War'', George Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1979. Abacus, 1992. ISBN 0 349 10466 2. Pages 332 and 390.

References

1851 births 1901 deaths Colony of Natal people Orange Free State generals South African Republic military personnel killed in the Second Boer War