The Siege of Elands River Battlefield Guide

The Siege of Elands River battlefield Guide, Battlefields around Swartruggens Series, Number 1, compiled by Peet Coetzee, softcover, 21 cms x 29.7 cms, 103 pages, glossy finish, illustrated, inscription to inside cover, some slight cockling otherwise condition: very good.

The Battle of Elands River was an engagement that took place between 4 and 16 August 1900. The battle was fought at Brakfontein Drift near the Elands River between a force of 2,000 to 3,000 Boers and a garrison of 500 Australian, Rhodesian, Canadian and British soldiers, which was stationed there to protect a British supply dump that had been established along the route between Mafeking and Pretoria. The Boer force, which consisted of several commandos under the overall leadership of Koos de la Rey, was in desperate need of provisions after earlier fighting had cut it off from its support base. As a result, it was decided to attack the garrison along the Elands River in an effort to capture the supplies located there.