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Geskiedenis oorsig:
Genl. Chris Botha besluit om die Britte in hul opmars na Vryheid gedurende Mei 1900 by Scheepersnek in te wag en gee opdrag aan Kommandant Blignaut van die Swazilandse polisie om hierdie stelling met ongeveer 80 burgers – hoofsaaklik van die Swaziland polisie en enkeles van Vryheid – te beset. Ds. E.C. Anderssen reis te perd van Vryheid om vir die burgers op hierdie Sondag ’n diens te hou.
’n Troepemag van 356 Britte – Bethune’s Mounted Infantry – met twee kanonne ruk onder kol. Bethune van Nqutu na Vryheid op. Die verskillende eskadronne staan onder die leiding van lt. Lanham, kapt. Goff en kapt. Ford. Kapt. Goff trek teen Bethune se bevele te vêr vooruit en isoleer sy eskadron van die res. Op 20 Mei 1900, tydens ds. Anderson se diens, breek die geveg los waarin drie offisiere nl. Goff, Lanham en lt. McLachlan kort na die aanvang van die geveg sneuwel. Die Britte onttrek na ’n driekwartier en vlug in die rigting van Nqutu.
Daar is teenstrydige opgawes van die presiese aantal ongevalle tydens die slag. Volgens Gert en Erika van der Westhuizen se Gids tot die Anglo-Boereoorlog in die Oos-Transvaal sneuwel 27 Britte, 25 is gewond en 11 is krygsgevange geneem. Aan die Boere kant sneuwel slegs die gewilde Cornelis Ferreira van Vryheid, terwyl 1 burger gewond is en 1 krygsgevange geneem is.
’n Monument vir die gesneuwelde Britse soldate is op die terrein by Scheepersnek opgerig waar die gesneuweldes in ’n massagraf begrawe is. Sersant-majoor Edgar S. Hadler is voor die gedenkteken begrawe in ’n afsonderlike graf.
Die Skat:
In 2010 het ons 'n skat van Wazat hier gevind, maar sedert 2011 is die skat geargiveer nadat dit herhaaldelik weggeraak het. Vir lank speel ons al met die gedagte om weer iets hier weg te steek. Wees baie versigtig dat van die inwoners in die huise naby die die monument jou nie sien rondkrap nie!
Waar die bruin inligtingsbordjies op die R34 teerpad die monument aandui moet jy in die veld indraai - die indraai is nie duidelik nie - veral nie as die gras lank is nie. Die ko-ordinaat van die afdraai is gelys onder die addisionele ruitverwysings hieronder (RV1). Daar is geen rotse of klippe nie, maar wees nogtans versigtig met 'n lae sedan voertuig as die gras lank is. Ry langs die doringdraad af met die twee-spoor pad tot by die parkeer area (ko-ordinate is ook hieronder gelys). Gaan deur die voetganger hekkie en stap ongeveer 230m tot by die monument - LW: Die monument is in die middel van 'n privaat bewerkte land - loop met die kontoerwal langs indien daar 'n gewas op die land staan.
Probeer asb. om die skat weer terug te plaas en versteek presies soos jy dit gevind het!
ABW - Battle of Scheepersnek
Historical background:
Gen. Chris Botha instructed Comdt. Blignaut of the Swaziland Police with a commando of 80 Burghers to occupy Scheepersnek in order to await the British in their advance to Vryheid. These burghers were mainly of the Swaziland Police and a few from Vryheid. A company of 356 British soldiers - Bethune's Mounted Infantry - with two artillary guns, under command of Col. Bethune advanced from Nqutu in the direction of Vryheid.
The respective squadrons were under command of Lt. Lanham, Capt. Goff and Capt. Ford. Against the orders of Bethune, Capt. Goff moved too far ahead and isolated his squadron. On 20 May 1900, while Rev. Anderssen was giving a sermon in the Boer Laager, the first shots were fired. Three officers, Capt. Goff, Lt. Lanham and Capt. McLachlan, were killed in action. After an intense fight that lasted no longer than forty-five minutes, the British withdrew in the direction of Nqutu.
>Sources are not agreeing on the exact number of casualties. According to Gert and Erika van der Westhuizen's Guide to the Anglo Boer War in the Eastern Transvaal, 27 British soldiers were killed in action, 25 wounded and 11 taken prisoner. On the Boer side only the popular Cornelis Ferreira was killed, while 1 burgher was wounded and 1 taken prisoner.
A monument in honor of the British soldiers killed at Scheepersnek was erected on the battlefield site. Their remains lie buried here in a mass grave. Sergeant Major Edgar S. Hadler was buried in a separate grave in front of the monument.
The Cache:
In 2010 we discovered a cache of Wazat here, but since 2011 it has been archived after it went missing repeatedly. For long we have been playing with the idea of hiding something here again. Be very cautious that the people living in the houses close to the monument don't see you scratching around please!
Where the brown info boards along the R34 tar road indicates the monument, you should turn into the veldt - the turnoff is not very clear especailly when the grass is tall. The coordinates of the turnoff is listed under the additional waypoints below. (RV1) There are no rocks or stones, but be cautious when driving with a low ground clearance sedan when the grass is tall. Drive along the barbed wire fence with the track to the parking area (coordinates are also listed below). Go through the pedestrian gate and walk aproximately 230m to the monument. NB: The monument is in the middle of a privately owned cultivated field - please walk along the contour bank if there is a crop on the land.
Please try to put the cache back and hide it exactly as you found it!