Misplaced Pages

#232767

24-479: The plots was laid out in 1839 at the site of a massacre by the Zulus following Voortrekker settlements in the area near the royal kraal of Dingane . The Voortrekkers had arrived in the area a year earlier and the town's Dutch name (place of weeping) originates from the massacre of 100 men and women, 185 children and 200 coloured servants. The settlement was officially surveyed and established in 1841. The Bushman River

48-499: A dam) and the park is a good example of the successful rehabilitation of severely degraded habitat. Mammals in the reserve include rhinoceros , giraffe , hyaena , jackal , bushbuck , reedbuck , steenbok and porcupine . The game reserve has a small two-bedroom cottage with BBQ facilities and its own trail and waterhole. There are 12 caravan and camping sites and a picnic site. A guided walk of 8 km can be taken, and three self-guided trails which pass dams. The major summer activity

72-497: A following of 1,500 Zulus who deserted from Dingane, they crossed the Tugela river near its mouth and proceeded to uMgungundlovu . Four days later they were able to take 7,000 head of cattle from a group of Zulus who fled. The party returned with these cattle to the bay, and discovered that a spy of Dingane had been found and killed there in their absence. Once again they set off to Dingane's kraal and reached Ndondakusuka village north of

96-470: A hill, Rensburgkoppie, which was protected by a cliff on one side. Here they were cornered by the Zulus, whom they kept at bay with limited ammunition. When their ammunition was almost exhausted a young man, Marthinus Oosthuizen, arrived on horseback. By shouting instructions they informed him where to locate and salvage ammunition from their camp. This Oosthuizen was able to deliver by charging with his horse through

120-541: A hundred (some say seventy) black servants. On 16 December 1838, Alexander participated in the Battle of Blood River where no life was lost on the Voortrekker side. Their Wenkommando proceeded to uMgungundlovu, where a roll call recorded Alexander as one of those present. The commando then laagered at Mthonjaneni to the south, from where, on 27 December, Alexander joined Hans de Lange in search of Dingane's hidden cattle. The party

144-591: A son, Robert, departed from Portsmouth on HMS Weymouth on 20 January 1820, arriving in Algoa Bay on 15 May 1820. His younger son George was born during the voyage. The family was allotted the Woodlands farm, near Bathurst on 6 September 1826. Ten years later, in May 1836, Alexander moved to the frontier trading centre of Port Natal , in the later Colony of Natal , initially with his younger son George. Once there, he founded

168-512: A successful dash to split the forces in two. The British force was overwhelmed in the desperate aftermath, and Robert died with his comrades. Only Dick King , Richard (or George) Duffy, Joseph Brown, Robert Joyce and about 500 Zulus escaped to the bay. Pursued by the Zulu force, all European inhabitants of Port Natal took up refuge for nine days on the Comet, a British vessel which happened to lie on anchor in

192-462: Is one of the exhibits. It has previously done service as a magistrate's office, post office and a prison. The 6,500 ha game reserve is administered by KZN Wildlife and covers an area of typical inland KwaZulu-Natal acacia grassland with occasional thickets. The reserve offers extensive game viewing facilities, guided walks, environmental education, and three picnic sites. More than 230 species of birds have been recorded (there are two hides overlooking

216-572: Is white-water rafting, and the most exciting time to do this is between November and May. The 30 km stretch of river known as the canyon provides some of the most thrilling white water in the country. The South African leg of the Camel White-Water Challenge took place at Zingela in Weenen. Weenen massacre Battles The Weenen massacre ( Afrikaans : Bloukransmoorde ) was the massacre of Voortrekkers , Khoikhoi and Basuto by

240-525: The Bushman River ( Zulu : Mtshezi ), in the present province of KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa , near the town of Weenen . "Not a soul was spared. Old men, women and babies were murdered in the most brutal manner." Among the Voortrekkers , 41 men, 56 women and 185 children were killed. In addition another 250 or 252 Khoikhoi and Basuto who accompanied the Voortrekkers were killed, bringing

264-940: The Napoleonic Wars of 1803–1815, and the War of 1812 in North America. His highest rank was Captain, but he was found guilty of embezzling £1,300 from War Office Funds and was discharged from service after repaying the money. He emigrated to the Cape Colony along with other 1820 Settlers . Alexander paid deposits for 13 other settler families who were indentured to him for three years and would receive 20 acres (81,000 m ) of land which they could cultivate on weekends, and receive title after three years. Despite their signed Article of Agreement, by July 1820 all except George Pollard had deserted him or applied for release from their contracts. Biggar's family, which now included nine daughters and

SECTION 10

#1732848846233

288-424: The Tugela on 17 April 1838. This kraal, built on high-lying ground, belonged to a captain of Dingane, named Zulu. Here, while questioning a captive, likely a decoy, they were closed in by a strong Zulu force under the command of Dingane's brother Mpande and his general Nongalaza . The British soon found that retreat was impossible, and blundered by dividing their force to oppose their encirclement. The Zulus made

312-656: The Zulu Kingdom on 17 February 1838. The massacres occurred at Doringkop , Bloukrans River , Moordspruit , Rensburgspruit and other sites around the present day town of Weenen in South Africa 's KwaZulu-Natal province. After killing Piet Retief and about 100 people of his delegation, the Zulu King Dingane sent his impis to kill the remaining voortrekkers who were camped at Doringkop, Bloukrans (Blaauwekrans), Moordspruit, Rensburgspruit and other sites along

336-572: The Port Natal Volunteers in 1837, the first white military group of the region, though they almost immediately disbanded. Alexander had 13 children in total. This included a son by a Zulu woman, as was the practice among Englishmen in the fledgling settler community. In February 1838 Alexander's youngest son of 18 years, George, was 120 miles (190 km) inland at the Blaauwekrans camp of the Voortrekkers . When news reached Port Natal that

360-499: The Zulu file, while covered by the defenders of the hill. With the defense strengthened, the Zulus retreated. Two months afterwards, on 15 April 1838, Andries Pretorius reflected in his journal: "As we were separated from one another, they succeeded in their attack at daybreak at Blaauwekrans, thereby killing 33 men, 75 women and 123 children." This implies a total of 231 deaths at the Blaauwekrans camps. The name Blaauwekrans ( Zulu : Msuluzi ) refers to bluish cliff faces present in

384-471: The Zulus had exterminated Piet Retief 's delegation, Alexander sent Dick King to warn George and others at the Voortrekker camps. Dick King departed immediately on foot, accompanied by some natives. Despite covering the distance in four days by walking day and night, they arrived just after the Rensburg voortrekker camp was attacked. They reached the vicinity of the next camp, near present-day Estcourt , just as

408-470: The area. The Piet Retief Delegation massacre and the Weenen massacre were the motivation for the Voortrekkers to confront the Zulus in battle on 16 December 1838 when 470 Voortrekkers fought against an estimated 15,000 to 21,000 Zulus; which the Voortrekkers won. The battle is known as the Battle of Blood River . The town of Weenen ( Dutch for "crying" or "weeping") was established two months after

432-546: The attack on it started on 17 February 1838. Though cut off from Gerrit Maritz 's laager, Dick King participated in its defence, but was unable to prevent the death of George, who was further inland. The traders at Port Natal were determined to make a diversion in the victims' favor. Two Britons from Port Natal, George Biggar and Thomas Halstead, were among those already killed at Blaauwekrans and Dingane's kraal respectively. Some 20 to 30 European men, including Dick King , were placed under Robert's command on 13 April 1838. With

456-594: The bay. When the Zulus retired, only Alexander Biggar, Dick King and some six or seven others returned to live at the port. Alexander's daughter, Ann Dunn and her children departed with the Comet, joining the missionaries, hunters and other traders who returned to the Cape. The Voortrekker commando assembled to retaliate against Dingane was named the Wenkommando ( Dutch : victory commando). Alexander, having lost both sons, joined this commando led by Andries Pretorius , assisted by

480-648: The casualties to 532–534. The murdered included George Biggar, the son of Alexander Biggar , a trader at Port Natal. Biggar and his second son, Robert, subsequently participated and died in retaliatory attacks on the Zulus. Most people camped at the Klein- and Groot-Moordspruit were murdered. Here a Boer woman, Johanna van der Merwe , sustained 21 assegai wounds but survived. The camps at Rensburgspruit, where Hans van Rensburg and Andries Pretorius were camped, successfully defended themselves. Hans van Rensburg's party were compelled to leave their wagons and retreat on foot to

504-522: The massacre. Biggar family The Biggar family , Alexander Harvey Biggar (29 October 1781 – 27 December 1838) and his two sons Robert (12 September 1813 – 17 April 1838) and George (20 February 1820 – 17 February 1838), were pioneer traders at Port Natal , in what was to become the Colony of Natal . Subsequent to the massacre of Retief 's delegation, they became involved in the exchange of attacks between Zulus and settlers. Although contributing to

SECTION 20

#1732848846233

528-533: The overthrow of Dingane , all three lost their lives in the conflicts of 1838. Alexander's grandson John Dunn became a well-known Natal pioneer in his own right. Alexander was born in Kinsale , Ireland in 1781, to parents (Major) Harold Robert Biggar and Ann, née Harvey. On 3 March 1799, he married Mary Straton (1781–1855) in Brechin , Scotland. Alexander first worked as paymaster for the 85th regiment , before fighting in

552-509: Was bridged by the Jubliee Bridge in 1898. In 1910, it became governed by a local board. A now-closed narrow gauge railway was built in 1907 to connect the town to Estcourt , 47 kilometres to the west until 1983 and provided an outlet for its produce and was thus called the "Cabbage Express'. The museum (also from 1838) houses a collection of Voortrekker artefacts and was constructed by Voortrekker leader Andries Pretorius whose waterwheel

576-475: Was led down the Opathe gorge 28°27′06″S 31°19′07″E  /  28.45167°S 31.31861°E  / -28.45167; 31.31861 by a Zulu decoy , and could hardly escape encirclement when they were ambushed. Alexander was on his horse and it is claimed that he could have escaped, but stayed with his amaCele . He died at age 57 alongside five Voortrekkers and some of his servants. While travelling with

#232767