First Boer War 1880 to 1881
The 44th East Essex and 56th West
Essex were not involved in the first Boer War although a few
individual members and members of Essex Militia/Volunteer
Battalions served with other battalions.
Narrative of the War
There were several conflicts in Southern
Africa in the late 1800's but the largest were the Boer Wars.
Boers were Afrikaners or residents of
South Africa who had Dutch extraction but who lived in South
Africa which at the time was under British Rule.
The first Boer War in 1880 started when a
large number of Boers left the peopled area of the Cape and
moved into the interior of South Africa which at the time was
sparsely populated by white settlers.
At first the British took no direct
action but when the Boers established self-proclaimed
independent Republics called Orange Free State and Transvaal the
British claimed ownership of the territories.
When this claim was resisted the British
attempted to reclaim control by force
While the Boers had no formal army most
of their men were skilled horsemen and adapt with a rifle as
these skills were required and on daily basis for people faming
land in southern Africa.
The British Army in Africa was more used
to fighting against native bands where their discipline and
firepower would prove successful.
In the Boers they found one of the best
light cavalries in the world and failed to take control of the
area after suffering a string of defeats
As a
result a peace treaty in 1881 agreed that the British would
still own the land but allowed the Boers control.
