The Spioenkop Campaign

After the defeat at Colenso, the Natal Field Force under General Buller needed to break through the Boer lines and relieve the besieged town of Ladysmith. Buller’s army marched westwards, crossed the Tugela River at Trichardt’s Drift and Potgieter’s Drift, and from 17-27 January 1900 fought the Boers with artillery and infantry attacks. These significant and prolonged battles have largely been ignored because of the horror of Spion Kop (Spioenkop) on 24 January. Yet Spion Kop began as a small flank attack - only a tenth of the British force were initially involved, and only 300 Boers counter-attacked.

This book is the culmination of years of study, and correctly places Spioenkop in the context of the larger campaign. The author uses battlefield archaeology and eyewitness accounts of Boer and British participants to create a highly original and detailed account. This book also serves as a battlefield guide to Tabanyama and Spioenkop, providing detailed maps and numerous GPS locations.