Frontier Wars Collection

Item set

Title: Frontier Wars Collection
Alternative Title: The Frontier Wars
Description: The “The Frontier Wars” item set is a significant thematic collection within the Cory Library and Historical Archives’ digital holdings, documenting the series of conflicts along the Eastern Cape frontier between Indigenous Xhosa groups and colonial forces during the 18th and 19th centuries. These wars — often referred to as the Xhosa Wars in historical literature — were a defining feature of colonial expansion in southern Africa, significantly shaping the region's political, social, and geographic landscape. The collection brings together archival images, maps, and textual records that illuminate aspects of military engagements, frontier settlements, and the broader human experience of conflict on the Eastern Cape frontier.
Date Issued: Primarily 19th century (historical documentation dates)
Language: English
Type: Collection
Subject: See all item sets with this value South Africa--History--Frontier Wars, 1811-1878; Eastern Cape -- History; Colonial military history; See all item sets with this value British--South Africa--History--19th century; Xhosa People -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- History
Format: Digital images; Digital manuscripts
Spatial Coverage: Eastern Cape, South Africa; Cape Colony
Temporal Coverage: Late 18th–19th century frontier conflicts

Items

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[Illegible] abandoned fort on the frontier

Photograph of an abandoned fort, possibly in the Eastern Cape, with a boy in the foreground
14 Miles from Alice on the road to Seymour where the inhabitants of Juanasburg, Woburn and Auckland were massacred on Christmas Day 1850
A Hottentot Victim of the War of the Axe

Gravestone with the words “Hottentot victim of the [drawing of an axe] war 1846” engraved on it. Note on the back: “A Hottentot victim of the war of the axe 1846 45".
A soldier's grave at Fort Wiltshire (Willshire)

In P E Raper's "New Dictionary of South African Place Names", ISBN 1868421902, is this entry, on page 105: *Fort Willshire - Former fort at the confluence of the Keiskamma and Rhwantsana Rivers, 23km south-south-east of Alice, at 32 59S, 26 55E. It was named in honour of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Willshire, veteran of the Peninsular War, who took command in 1819.
Baakens River and Fort Frederick, 1840
Brownlee meets Ngqika Chiefs near Fort Cox
Bushy country around Fort Wiltshire (sic)

Fort Willshire was built by the Royal Engineers under Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Willshire of the 38th Regiment, on the orders of Lord Charles Somerset, in 1819.
Bushy country around Fort Wiltshire (sic)

Fort Willshire was built by the Royal Engineers under Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Willshire of the 38th Regiment, on the orders of Lord Charles Somerset, in 1819.
Closeup view of the Karel Landman Monument

The Karel Landman Monument in the Sundays River Valley Rural, Eastern Cape, was designed by Gerard Moerdyk and built by the Lupini Brothers. It was unveiled on 16 December 1939 by W A L Landman. It honours Karel Landman who farmed in this area until 1837 when he became a leader in the Great Trek. He led a party of 180 Trekkers and their servants on a trek of 885 kilometres into Natal where he was prominent in several battles with the Zulus and he was second in command of the Boer forces at the pivotal battle of Blood River. The commemoration of Karel Landman and his trek, in this 3m globe with an ox wagon traversing it, was an initiative of the National Party and the councils of the Dutch Reformed Church in two neighbouring villages, Alexandria and Paterson. Legend has it that the councils could not agree which village should 'host’ the monument, so it was placed on this remote koppie overlooking the surrounding countryside, between the two villages.,F G Butler (donor)
Closeup view of the Karel Landman Monument

The Karel Landman Monument in the Sundays River Valley Rural, Eastern Cape, was designed by Gerard Moerdyk and built by the Lupini Brothers. It was unveiled on 16 December 1939 by W A L Landman. It honours Karel Landman who farmed in this area until 1837 when he became a leader in the Great Trek. He led a party of 180 Trekkers and their servants on a trek of 885 kilometres into Natal where he was prominent in several battles with the Zulus and he was second in command of the Boer forces at the pivotal battle of Blood River. The commemoration of Karel Landman and his trek, in this 3m globe with an ox wagon traversing it, was an initiative of the National Party and the councils of the Dutch Reformed Church in two neighbouring villages, Alexandria and Paterson. Legend has it that the councils could not agree which village should 'host’ the monument, so it was placed on this remote koppie overlooking the surrounding countryside, between the two villages.,F G Butler (donor)
Drawing of Fort Hare by Mr G Porte

Drawing of Fort Hare by Mr G Porte.
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Committees Post,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Committees Post

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 21st July 1873. War Department number on map WD. X
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Eland's Post,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Eland's Post

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 23rd July 1873. War Department number on map WD. X
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Fort Brown,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Fort Brown

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 17th July 1873. War Department number on map WD. VII
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Fort Chumie,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Fort Chumie

Title 29th January 1944. Copied by Walter P. Jones, 21st August 1873. War Department number on map WD. XIII.
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Fort Jackson,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Fort Jackson

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 18th August 1873. War Department number on map WD. IV.
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Fort White,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Fort White

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 23rd July 1873. War Department number on map WD. XI.
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Keiskamma Hoek,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Keiskamma Hoek

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 19th August 1873. War Department number on map WD. VI.
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Koonap Post,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Koonap Post

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 23rd July 1873.War Department number on map WD. XIII.
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Line Drift,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Line Drift

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 18th August 1873. War Department number on map WD. XIV.
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Middle Drift,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Middle Drift

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 21st August 1873. War Department number on map WD. VII.
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Port Retief,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Port Retief

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 23rd July 1873. War Department number on map WD. XV.
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Tamacha,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Tamacha

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 20th August 1873. War Department number on map WD. IX.
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at the Dohne,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at the Dohne

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 20th August 1873. provisionally handed over to the colonial government 5th April 1873, pending sanction from war office vide letter to v.s. of state for war of 12th March 1873, with H.E. the commander of the forces approval thereon on the same date. War Department number on map WD. X.
Eastern Frontier Dist. plan of W.D. property at Windvogelberg,Eastern Frontier District plan of War Department property at Windvogelberg

Copied by Walter P. Jones, 19th August 1873. War Department number on map WD. V.