Siege of Marabastad

Siege of Marabastad
Part of the First Boer War
Date11 January 1881 – 2 April 1881[1][2]
Location
Marabastad Fort, British-occupied Transvaal (Transvaal Colony)
Result Boer victory; Marabastad is captured
Belligerents
 United Kingdom  South African Republic
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Cap. E.S. Brook[3][4][5][6]
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Cap. Thompson[7][8]
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Lt. F.G.W. Jones[6]
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Lt. Gleniston[9]		 South African Republic Commandant Barend Vorster[10][1][11]
Strength

50–60 men of the 94th Regiment[4][6][3]
30 European volunteers[7][8][12]
43–50 men from the Transvaal Mounted Police[7][8][9]
Total:

123–140 soldiers		 100 men[13]
Casualties and losses

5 killed

8 wounded[14]		 Unknown[15]

The siege of Marabastad was a siege of Fort Marabastad, in present day Limpopo, South Africa, carried out by the Boer Republic of Transvaal, starting on 11 January 1881, and ending with British surrender on 2 April 1881.[2] It took place during the First Boer War, during which Boer forces besieged several British garrisons across the country.

  1. ^ a b Lady Bellairs (1885). The Transvaal War, 1880-81. p. 291. Retrieved 14 January 2014. On the 11th January the Boer Commandant, Barend Vorster, sent a letter to Captain Brook to the effect that, unless he ceased from further seizures of corn, the property of the Burghers, steps would be taken to stop, what he termed, such unnecessary acts.
  2. ^ a b M. Gough Palmer. "The Besieged Towns of the First Boer War, 1880-1881". Retrieved 18 December 2013. On 2 April, after an unusually hard fight, a large party of Boers under a white flag was seen approaching. It was established that peace had been arranged, Captain Sampson having arrived with despatches from Pretoria to that effect.
  3. ^ a b John Laband (2005). The Transvaal Rebellion: The First Boer War, 1880-1881. p. 90. ISBN 9780582772618. Retrieved 13 January 2014. The one company was ordered to Pretoria, leaving B Company of about 50 men under the command of Captain E.S. Brook.
  4. ^ a b M. Gough Palmer. "The Besieged Towns of the First Boer War, 1880-1881". Retrieved 18 December 2013. The garrison of some 60 men, under the command of Captain E.S. Brook, remained at the Fort.
  5. ^ John Laband (2005). The Transvaal Rebellion: The First Boer War, 1880-1881. p. 115. ISBN 9780582772618. Retrieved 6 January 2014. Word of Bronkhorstspruit reached Marabastad on 29 December and the garrison prepared for an attack. Captain Brook declared martial law and called upon loyal civilians to come into the fort.
  6. ^ a b c Lady Bellairs (1885). The Transvaal war, 1880-81. pp. 287, 288. Retrieved 11 January 2014. The garrison now left consisted of only about 60 men, under the command of Captain E.S. Brook, with two other officers-Lieutenant F.G.W. Jones, and Surgeon Harding, A.M.D.
  7. ^ a b c M. Gough Palmer. "The Besieged Towns of the First Boer War, 1880-1881". Retrieved 18 December 2013. The garrison was augmented by some 30 European volunteers and a detachment of Transvaal Mounted Police (natives), about 50 in number, under the command of Captain Thompson.
  8. ^ a b c John Laband (2005). The Transvaal Rebellion: The First Boer War, 1880-1881. p. 115. ISBN 9780582772618. Retrieved 6 January 2014. The garrison of regulars was augmented by about 30 volunteers and a detachment of 43 black Transvaal Mounted Police under Captain Thompson.
  9. ^ a b Lady Bellairs (1885). The Transvaal war, 1880-81. p. 290. Retrieved 11 January 2014. Lieutenant Gleniston of the Police and Mr Stewart were despatched respectively to Captain Thompson, commanding the detachment of the Trans- vaal Mounted Police about fifty Bastards then stationed at Wood-Bush, forty miles further north...
  10. ^ M. Gough Palmer. "The Besieged Towns of the First Boer War, 1880-1881". Retrieved 6 January 2014. On 11 January 1881 a threatening letter was received from the Boer Commandant Barend Vorster.
  11. ^ John Laband. The Transvaal Rebellion: The First Boer War, 1880-1881. p. 115. On 11 January Commandant Barend J. (Swart Barned) Vorster advised Brook that unless he desisted from further seizures of corn and other farm produce to victual the fort, he would take active steps.
  12. ^ Lady Bellairs (1885). The Transvaal war, 1880-81. p. 290. Retrieved 11 January 2014. The races had fortunately brought together a good many Englishmen, and all who could manage to join came in-about thirty.
  13. ^ John Laband (2005). The Transvaal Rebellion: The First Boer War, 1880-1881. p. 116. ISBN 9780582772618. Retrieved 13 January 2014. The 100 or so Boers investing Marabastad were quartered in four laagers 7 or 8 miles distant from the fort.
  14. ^ Lady Bellairs (1885). The Transvaal war, 1880-81. p. 298. Retrieved 11 January 2014. The casualties on our side during the siege amounted to thirteen five killed and eight wounded.
  15. ^ Lady Bellairs (1885). The Transvaal war, 1880-81. Retrieved 11 January 2014. The Boer losses were not ascertained.