The South African
Military History Society

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Die Suid-Afrikaanse Krygshistoriese Vereniging

Military History Journal
Vol 1 No 5 - December 1969

BASUTOLAND ROLL OF HONOUR
1851 - 1881

This is a ROLL OF HONOUR of ALL RANKS of the BRITISH REGULARS and of the ARMED FORCES of the CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, the ORANGE FREE STATE, and the SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC, who gave their lives during the wars waged against the Basotho of Basutoland and allied African Tribes during the years 1851 to 1881. The wars numbered five:

• The Eighth Kaffir War, 1850 to 1852. Two campaigns.
• The War of Senekal, 1858.
• The Sequiti War, 1865 to 1868. Two campaigns.
• The Morosi War, 1879.
• The Basutoland Rebellion (The Gun War), 1880 to 1881.

In all these wars African levies fought on the side of the white troops and their casualties, where known, are included. Just over three hundred names are recorded here, men of all races who were killed or who died of wounds and disease. Probably quite a few have been omitted owing to the considerable difficulties experienced in collating the lists.

The areas included are Basutoland and those territories immediately surrounding it, except Natal, where none are known to have been killed in action. In no cases are the names of civilians killed but not belonging to the forces included.

The task of collecting the names of those killed at Mount Morosi was begun by Father Carmichael of the Church of England Mission at Modderpoort, O.F.S., about 1935, and continued by Mr. G. H. Bruce of East London, formerly in the 1st Cape Mounted Yeomanry. Only 37 names out of an official total of 43 have been listed, though Mr. Bruce took the greatest trouble to ensure full accuracy.

The names of those killed at The Hell, near Thabana Morena, have been supplied by the Johannesburg Public Library.

THE EIGHTH KAFFIR WAR

The Eighth Kaffir War was fought by British Regulars and Cape Colony Irregulars against the African tribes on the East Coast. It spread and ultimately involved the Basotho, Baphuthi and allied tribes. The Roll for 1851 covers a clearing operation in the Orange Free State, then The Orange Sovereignty, and attacks against the Baphuthi, under Chief Morosi, at Genadeberg and Dulcie's Nek, on the present borders between the Herschel District of the Cape and the Quthing District in Basutoland.

REFERENCES:

• Blue Book C. of G.H., A 17-79, Morosi Rebellion, p.39.
• Godlonton and Irving: Narrative of the Kaffir War, p. 346 (for list of casualties).
• Hudson, M. B.: A Feature of South African Frontier Life (Port Elizabeth), 1852, p. 110.
• Journal of the Society of Army Historical Research, Vol. XVIII, pp. 71-2 and maps.
• Orpen, J. M.: Some Principles of Native Government (Cape Town), 1880, pp. 60-61 and diagrams.
• Theal, G. McCall: Basutoland Records (Cape Town), 1883, Vol. III, p.
• There were no casualties recorded in the attack on the Bataung at Viervoet, a plateau to the north of the Platberg, in June, 1851, although the Barolong levies suffered heavy losses. (Reference: Tylden, G.: The Rise of the Basuto, pp. 45-7.)

THE BEREA CAMPAIGN (1852)

The Berea Campaign of 1852 was fought by Lieut.-General Sir George Cathcart with British Regulars against the main force of the Basotho, under Chief Moshesh, near the present town of Maseru. The object was to compel the payment of a fine in cattle as punishment for constant raids. The fine was exacted, mainly by capture, and Cathcart retired for political reasons, leaving the Basotho stronger than before.

Note by Major J. J. Hulme:

REFERENCES:

• List of casualties supplied by the War Office.
• Cathcart, Lt.-General Sir George: Correspondence of Lieutenant-General Sir George Cathcart (Murray), 1856, maps.
• Theal, G. McCall: Basutoland Records, 1883. Vol. I, pp.632-5, Vol.II, p.270, Vol.III, pp.84-9.

THE WAR OF SENEKAL (1858)

The War of Senekal, between the Commandos of the Orange Free State and the Basotho, lasted from March to June, 1858, and was caused by prolonged and aggravated boundary disputes. After some indecisive clashes the Free Staters retired to their own country without attacking Thaba Bosiu, Chief Moshesh's stronghold. After having much the better of the fighting the Basotho agreed to submit the boundary question to arbitration, with results that could be satisfactory to neither party.

REFERENCES:

This campaign is badly documented. Casualties are from:

• The Friend (Bloemfontein), 1858.
• Theal, G. McCall: Basutoland Records, 1883, Vol. II, passim.
• Z.A.R. Staats Courant (supplied by Mr. R. F. Kennedy, Director of the Africana Museum, Johannesburg).

See also:
Tylden, G.: The Rise of the Basuto, 1950, pp.73-7.
The names of the Burghers who were killed at "Die Hell", near Thabana Morena, are published by courtesy of the City Librarian, Johannesburg.

THE SEQUITI WAR

There was a considerable amount of fighting in the first campaign from 1865-6 but very little in the second from 1867-8. The Basotho were completely defeated in the field but, owing to the failure of the Free State to capture Thaba Bosiu, the Basotho managed to keep on skirmishing until Great Britain stepped in and forced the Free State, completely exhausted financially, to make peace on terms which secured the Basotho in the possession of their country as it is to-day but under the rule of the Cape Colony.

Note by Major J. J. Hulme:
The casualties recorded on the Basuto War Memorial in Bloemfontein are:

This list and that in the Roll show various discrepancies which point to the need for further research.

The Friend, 2 September, 1865, gives the losses in the assault on Thaba Bosiu as:

REFERENCES:

Casualties are from:

• Collins, W. W.: Freestatia (Bloemfontein), 1907, p.267.
• Fraser, Sir J. G.: Episodes in My Life (Cape Town), 1922.
• Theal, G. McCall: Basutoland Records, 1883, Vol. III, passim.

See also:

• Tylden, C.: The Rise of the Basuto, 1950, Ch. IV.
• Basuto War Memorial, Bloemfontein.

THE MOROSI WAR

The investment and capture of Mount Morosi in the Quthing District, March to November, 1879, by the forces of the Cape Colony.

Note by Major J. J. Hulme:
Von Broembser, Trooper, Herschel Mounted Volunteers, Silver Spruit, 13/5/1879
Ref: Cape Archives; D. D. 1/10 Miscellaneous ; Report A G. Austen to H. Everitt, dated 14 May, 1879.

REFERENCES:

The casualties, copies by the late Major Deare from the Government Gazettes of the Cape of Good Hope, are given in full in the Natal Week-End Advertiser for May, 1930, and supplemented by Mr. C. Bruce of East London in the Daily Despatch of the 16th November, 1930. The late Father Carmichael assisted Mr. Bruce.

See also:
Blue Books A-17 79, C-16 79, A-49 79.

THE BASUTOLAND REBELLION
(THE GUN WAR) 1880-1881

The Basutoland Rebellion was fought by the Cape Colony with the idea of disarming the Basotho, an object which failed completely, and by the Basotho, in alliance with various tribes in the Transkei and East Griqualand, to drive out the whites. The latter objective was not attained. Many Africans fought for the Cape but there were no Regular British troops other than a handful of Staff Officers. As a further result of the war the Basotho, in time, came, as they desired, under the direct rule of Great Britain instead of that of the Cape.

Note by Majar J. J. Hulme:
PRINCE ALFRED'S VOLUNTEER GUARD
The Regimental history "Prince Alfred's Guard", by Neil Orpen, 1967, gives the unit's casualties in the Gun War as:

Lt. R. Seater
Sgt.-Maj. J. Wynne
Cpl. J. Heath
Pte. H. Dawling
Pte. J. W. Sell
Pte. C. Smith
Pte. R. Spurrell
Pte. D. Dundas.

REFERENCES:

The list of casualties is compiled from Government Gazettes C. of G.H., 10th November, 9th December, 17th December, 1880, 23rd February-March, 2nd April, 20th May, 1881, with supplementary list, 1881, and short lists against despatches reissued as cited. Some of the Griqualand East casualties occur sporadically in despatches in the Government Gazette. Other despatches not published in the Gazette are to be found in Carrington's War Diary, in the Cape Archives, which contains copies of despatches kept by and sent to Carrington during the campaign.
See also:
Tylden, G.: The Rise of the Basuto, 1950, Ch. IX.

NOTES:

(i) (d) after a name indicates that the person died of disease.
(ii) Qalabani (Qalabane) is a hill near Mafeteng, 29° 46' S., 270° 11' E.
(iii) Tweefontein is in the Mafeteng district, 29° 48' S., 270° 22' E.
(iv) Mokotlomela is a hill in the Quthing district, near Mount Morosi, 300° 17' S., 270° 54' E.
(v) Griqualand is used here to indicate Griqualand East and the Transkei.

Your web page seems to list him as being killed in March 1881.

Today while researching I found the name of my grand fathers commanding officer, Major Lawrence, who died in action with the Kimberley Horse in 1881. On the same paragraph my grandfather is also listed in the Roll of Honour.

No one seems to know why my grand father changed his name. He served also as a boy seaman in the Royal Navy under his real name.

I attach a very old photo of my grandfather in Kimberley Horse uniform.

Lieut. Samuel Astley ‘Lucky’ Seymour

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