As the town gears up to celebrate Talana Live this weekend, the ghost walk on Monday and the start of the international history conference, it is time to brush up your local history knowledge:
1. 2014 marks the 114th of this first decisive battle of the Anglo Boer War. It was also a British victory – albeit a hollow one as the British in any case withdrew to Ladysmith after the battle.
2. Over 4 000 British troops had been sent to Dundee shortly before the war broke out. The main camp was where the new FET College is being built adjacent to the traffic vehicle-testing centre. The main Boer camp after the battle was on the corner of Willson and Union Streets.
3. The decision to hold and defend Dundee was a political one – the coalmine owners were a powerful and influential group and had pressurised the Natal government to defend Dundee because of the coalmines.
4. On October 11, some 14 000 Boer Commandos crossed into Natal and split into three columns – the central column under General Moroela Erasmus advanced towards Dundee.
5. On Thursday, October 19, the Boer left column – under General Lukas Meyer – congregated at Doornberg – a large flat-topped mountain 19km northeast of Dundee near the Blood River battlefield. They advanced in pouring rain to Dundee.
6. The Boers occupied Talana early on October 20. Soon after they were spotted, General Meyer gave orders for the Boer artillery to open fire on the British camp – creating pandemonium – much to the delight of the Boers.
7. British commander, Major General Sir William Penn-Symons rode on to the battlefield to get first-hand appraisal of the situation – although his men tried to sop him. He was mortally wounded and Brigadier General Yule assumed command.
8. By 2pm the battle was over and the Boers had retreated. Colonel Bernard Moller and his cavalry were ordered to cut off any Boer retreat from the rear. However, they got hopelessly lost and came under heavy fire from Mpati and took refuge at Adelaide farmhouse (on the Nyanyadu road) where the Colonel and his men were captured.
9. Within 39 hours of the Boers retreating from Talana, the heavy Boer shelling from Mpati forced the British to themselves retreat – the decision was taken to abandon the town and leave for Ladysmith. The civilians were led by town clerk, Francis Birkett, and left in the middle of the night.
10. The abandoned stores and ammunition were looted by the Boers who occupied the town for the next seven months – renaming it Meyersdorp in honour of the General.
