The Attack On Rooihuiskraal - 12th February 1881   

On 6^th January 1881 an attack was made on the Boerpositions to the east of Pretoria at Zwartkoppies where seventeen Boer prisoners were taken and six ofthe attacking troops killed. On 16^th January a sortie was made to the west of Pretoria with the object of destroying the Boer laager near the Elandsfontein Ridge, this was not achieved and two of the atttackers were killed and eight wounded and two were awarded the Victoriia Cross. On 23rd January a skirmish to the north of Pretoria, near Wonberboom, resulted in one soldier being wounded. The perimeter had thus been tested in all directions of the compass.

On 7th February the news reached Pretoria of General Colley's reverse at Laing's Nek which meant that the Relief Column's arrival in Pretoria must be considerably delayed. There was apparently a difference of opinion between Sir Owen Lanyon and Colonel Bellairs as to whether any further attacks on the Boers should be made before it was known that the Relief Column was nearing Pretoria. The views of the former prevailed and it was decided to attack the Red House Laager in preference to the Wonderboom position which had formidable natural defences.

Accordingly, at 2 a.m. on 12th February 1881, a column commanded by Lieut. Colonel Gildea and consisting of a total of some nine hundred men, a Krupp four-pounder gun and two nine-pounder field guns set out and, leavmg the Potchefstroom road to the right, headed southwards along the Heidelberg road. Captain Sanctuary led the Carbineers across the Hennops River to the hill beyond (Bakenkop) whilst the Pretoria Rifles under Major Le Mesurier with the Krupp gun occupied the high ground to the left overlooking the drift and Lieut. Collings with mounted Fusiliers occupied the hill to the right (Swartkop). The main body of the column went forward to the position held by the Carbineers and Captain Sanctuary was then ordered to attack the large stone cattle kraal nine hundred metres to the south of the Red House. Lieut. Colonel Gildea followed the Carbineers with the main column now consisting of the two field guns and some one hundred and seventy men. This column halted in a good position amongst some thorn trees on a rise fourteen hundred metres from both the kraal and the Red House, the latter now lying to the right.

As dawn broke the Boers could be seen in occupation of the kraal. The Carbineers attacked and, as they came close to the kraal, they were subjected to intense fire from the defenders. Captain Sanctuary and several others were struck down and the Carbineers were beaten back to a position on the left of the main column whereupon the guns brought accurate fire to bear on the kraal (one report states that the walls were breached) as a result of which the Boers evacuated the kraal, but they did not retreat from the battlefield. They galloped away to the south under cover of “dead” ground and circled round to the east where they were joined by reinforcements coming from the Doornkloof Laager situated a few kilometres to the east (where Irene now is).

The enlarged Boer force then moved northwards and westwards and, from the cover of some thorn trees, attacked the already mauled Carbineers on their left flank and in the rear. This counter-attack led by Veldkornet Erasmus, comIng from such an unexpected quarter, caused the Carbineers to give way in their centre thus enabling the Boers to come within four hundred metres of the guns and the maiin column.  Lieut. Colonel Gildea attempted to restore the sItuation by sendIng the Engineers, led by Lieut. Commeline, to the assistance of the Carbineers.

This was the critical stage of the engagement as the Boers were raking the main column with crossfire and, before the situation could be restored, Lieut. Colonel Gildea was shot in the buttocks and had to be placed on a wagon from which position he ordered Captain Dunn to effect a withdrawal which soon became an uncontrolled retreat as the mule-drivers, scared by the bullets whistling past them, began a headlong homeward rush. The driver of the leading wagon, on being threatened by an officer with a revolver, was forced to stop and thus the pace of the retreat was reduced and the column, with assistance from the Krupp gun above the drift, was enabled to cross the river without further attack from the Boers. The engagement ceased in this manner at 8 a.m.

The ambulance wagon had been left behind and was captured by the Boers. It was recovered the next day and returned with the wounded amongst whom was young D. Erasmus who had been seriously wounded and died the following day. Only one man was killed in action, but seventeen were wounded and half of these died including Captain Sanctuary who had been shot through both legs. This gallant Captain strapped a ramrod to his leg to support the broken bone so that he could continue the fight. Not one on the Boer side was killed. The Boers taken prisoner in the Swartkoppies engagement on 6th January were exchanged for the British wounded at Rooihuiskraal the day thereafter.

The overall result was thus a resounding victory for the Boers who, with about eighty men, firstly repelled the advanceof some two hundred regular troops and then, by a spirited and well-conceIved counter attack, caused the retire order to be given to the entire forward column. On the BntIsh side the disablement of their Commander and the subsequent order to withdraw resulted in a panic which did not end until the column of some nine hundred troops had reached Pretoria in what may be descnbed as a rout.

After the Rooihuiskraal engagement the British troops did not again venture out of Pretoria until the siege had ended on 28th March followIng the peace concluded after the Battle of Majuba which took place on 27^th February 1881.

Source: D.G. van der Byl