A Second Boer War engagement that cleared Boer positions along the railway line during Lord Methuen's advance toward Kimberley.
Key Facts
- Date
- November 25, 1899
- Also known as
- Battle of Enslin
- British commander
- Lord Methuen
- Boer commander
- Koos de la Rey
- Preceding event
- Battle of Belmont
- Trigger
- Boer artillery derailed British armored train on Nov. 24
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the Battle of Belmont, Lord Methuen advanced his force northward along the railway in armored trains. On November 24, 1899, Boer artillery in the surrounding hills shelled the train and derailed it, blocking Methuen's progress toward Kimberley.
On November 25, 1899, British forces under Lord Methuen assaulted Boer positions held by Koos de la Rey near Enslin railway station at Graspan kopje. The engagement was an attempt to dislodge the Boers and allow the British advance up the railway line to continue.
The battle allowed Methuen to resume his northward advance along the railway toward Kimberley. It formed part of a series of engagements in late 1899 as British forces sought to relieve the besieged town during the early phase of the Second Boer War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Lord Methuen.
Side B
1 belligerent
Koos de la Rey.