After the occupation of Pretoria in June 1900 the British had controlled many of the large towns in the Transvaal Republic, but the Boers were still strong in the Magaliesberg rural areas and Rustenburg was virtually besieged.
The route between Pretoria and Rustenburg crosses the Magaliesberg through two passes a few kilometres apart, Silkaatsnek and Kommandonek. These strategically important positions were guarded from the Rietfontein Camp (now the south-eastern shore of the Hartbeespoort Dam) by contingents of the Royal Artillery and the Scots Greys cavalry under the command of Lieutenant Colonel the Hon. W.P. Alexander.
On 11 July 1900 (The First Battle of Silkaatsnek), Alexander and his men were due to join similar-sized column of mounted infantry and artillery under the command of Major-General Smith-Dorrien coming from Krugersdorp and the combined force was to clear the Boers from their Magaliesberg strongholds and relieve the pressure on Rustenburg (click here to read about the Battle of Dwarsvlei).
Location of the First Battle of Silkaatsnek
The evening before their departure Colonel H.R. Roberts (not related to the Supreme Commander) brought a battalion of the Lincoln Regiment to replace Alexander’s Scots Greys at the Rietfontein camp. The Lincolns camped at Silkaatsnek about ten kilometres from Alexander’s position but Roberts failed to place guards on...
