DOORNKOP VOORTREKKER LAAGER SITE:
Types: Grave yard, house foundations (archaeological) and monument
Directions: On the Loskop Road (after taking the turn-off from the N3 at the Estcourt North turn-off), continue until you see the D52 secondary road. Continue for approximately 7km then you will come to the farm “Doornkop” where the monument is visible in front of the farmstead.
Elevation: 1046m
GPS: 29 Y-072685
SA X3190796
Owner: James Ralfe
Address: P.O. Box 284, Winterton, 3340
Contact details: 083 441 5597 or 036 4222 609, james@lyndock.co.za
Address: Nigel Ralfe, P.O. Box 63, Estcourt, 3310
Contact details: 083 441 5598 or 036 4222 817
Background history: “Doornkop”, was the site where Piet Retief’s laager was camped and from where he went on his second visit to King Dingane when him and 69 of his men were murdered on the 6th of February 1838. At the time of the Great Murder at Bloukrans this laager included Piet Retief’s wife and Erasmus Smit and his wife, but luckily the Zulu attack did not went so advance so far and the laager became a refuge for those who escaped. On the following day rescue parties went out to help the wounded and to bury the dead.
After the murders (16 February 1838) Gerrit Maritz moved his laager from Saailaer (Estcourt) to “Doornkop”. Shortly afterwards AH Potgieter arrived and half of his Trek joined the Maritz section while the others joined the Retief section. Later, Piet Uys also joined the laagers and there where now three of the original Trek-parties collected at “Doornkop”.
From Doornkop, AH Potgieter and Piet Uys decided to attack King Dingane but they were ambushed and Uys and his son lost their lives. The commando again returned to “Doornkop”.
A Bronze plaque was placed at the site in 1967. At present the bronze plaque is kept in the farm house next to the monument.
Recommendations: Replace the old National Monuments Council Plaques with Amafa aKwaZulu-Natali Plaques.
Replace the faded bronze plaques of the Great Trek and Voortrekker Routes and Laagers with plaques made of resin.
General maintenance: Brush-cut and weed the area inside the fenced of space at least once a month in the winter and twice a month in the summer. Make sure that the site is neat and that rubbish is removed on a bi-monthly basis.
Fences need to be repaired and maintained if and when necessary, at least on an annual basis. Fences and gates to be painted silver at least once a year.
Historical Significance (continue):
Related sites on the same farm: Modderlaer, a Voortrekker graveyard and foundations of demolished or burnt down houses older than 100 years.
“Modderlaer”: Another Voortrekker site, known as Modderlaer lies at the foot of Doornkop, on its western side.
After the death of Piet Uys and his son Dirkie, the Voortrekkers expected an attack from the Zulu people and consequently a further amalgamation of trek parties took place between the 12th and 14th of April 1838. The laagers of Retief and Uys joined forces at “Modderlaer” on the west, while Maritz’s laager was still established on the north-east hill of “Doornkop”.
However, because of the large amount of people and livestock, grazing fire wood and game became insufficient and the Trek parties had to move to “Veglaer” (also known as “Gatslaer”) 19km south of Estcourt.
By the end of July 1838 a party led by Koos Potgieter and Hans (Dons) de Lange[1] was established at “Veglaer”. On the 13th of August 1838 10 000 Zulu warriors attacked them, but the defense was so effective that the Zulu retired. A Bronze plaque was erected here by the National Monuments Council in 1966.
[1] Hans “Dons” de Lange was a good friend of Mpande and was known by the indigenous peoples as the “White Crow” (Horn, Vincent. Personal Interview. November 2011).
HOUSE FOUNDATIONS LINKED TO THE ANGLO-BOER WAR AT THE FARM DOORNKOP
The farm owner related that this house was burnt down during the Anglo-Boer War 1899 – 1902, see foundation stones above. The owner related that the British government gave the owners 600 pounds to construct a new house after the war.
Elevation: 1041m
GPS: 29 Y-072928
SA X3190802
GPS – Corners of the grave yard on the farm “Doornkop”, Winterton area
Point 215: Elevation: 1039m GPS: 29 Y -072976 SA X3190623
Point 216: Elevation: 1040m GPS: 29 Y-072995 SA X3190627
Point 217: Elevation: 1040m GPS: 29 Y-072997 SA X3190607
Point 218: Elevation: 1041m GPS: 29 Y-072978 SA X3190608
Preventative Care Recommendations: Brush-cut and weed the gardens at least once a month in the winter and twice a month in the summer.
Maintain and repair fence on an annual basis
Repaint fence in silver on an annual basis
Apply Round-up pesticides in the winter after the first frost to deal with the weed
Cleaning of headstones, curbing and ledgers: only use Sunlight liquid and water on marble and sandstone material and apply solution with a soft-bristled brush.