History of the Cape Mounted Riflemen: With a Brief Account of the Colony of the Cape of Good HopeCannon, Richard
History
History of the Cape Mounted Riflemen: With a Brief Account of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope
Cannon, Richard
Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) -- History; Great Britain. Army. Cape Mounted Riflemen -- History
In May the head-quarters were established at Graham’s Town, and,
in consequence of the hostile attitude of the Kafirs, the regiment
was distributed in small parties along the frontier, in two lines
of posts; the advanced line in detachments from Osterhuisen’s Post,
to Old Kafir Drift; the second, from Bruintjie’s Hoogte, to what
is now called Groen Fontein; in all, about twenty-two posts, the
head-quarters remaining at Graham’s Town.
Several posts in the rear line were subsequently abandoned, and
some of the posts in the front line were occupied by British
regiments, the Cape Regiment being found more efficient in
patrolling, scouring the bush, and dislodging parties of Kafirs
assembled within the colony.
[Sidenote: 1813]
[Sidenote: 1814]
[Sidenote: 1815]
These arduous duties were performed by the regiment in 1813,
1814, and 1815; in the last-mentioned year Major Lyster left the
frontier, and the command of the regiment devolved on Major Fraser.
In the year 1815 an extensive revolt took place among the colonists
on the frontier, and the Cape Regiment was conspicuously useful on
this occasion; its firm and soldierlike bearing checked the revolt;
it assisted in the capture of the insurgents; and a hundred men
under Major Fraser attended the execution of several convicted
delinquents.
After the suppression of this revolt, a detachment of the regiment
was selected to be attached to the Royal Artillery as drivers; and
in October, two hundred men marched into Kafirland, under Captain
Bogle, to recover property which had been stolen by the natives.
In the mean time the war had terminated in Europe, and the
sovereignty of the Cape of Good Hope was permanently confirmed to
Great Britain by the Congress at Vienna.
[Sidenote: 1816]
[Sidenote: 1817]
In March, 1816, the establishment of the Cape Regiment was fixed at
ten companies of three serjeants, two corporals, and fifty private
soldiers each; and a further reduction being made in the strength
of the British army, its numbers were reduced, in January, 1817, to
six companies, under a major commanding.
During this year, detachments of the regiment were employed
night and day in patrolling the Fish River Bush, and repelling
the incursions of the Kafirs. In March two lines of posts were
directed to be established along the frontier, and the first line,
commencing at Upper Kafir Drift and extending up the Fish River as
far as Roode Wall, was occupied by the Cape Regiment; at the same
time the following orders were issued for its guidance by authority
and direction of Lieutenant-General Lord Charles Henry Somerset,
then Governor of the Colony.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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