Bloedrivier - die ander

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Antjieskraal or Blood River Station


Having been pursued by the British for some time and to ill to travel any further Commandant Scheepers instructed his men too leave him behind on Kopjeskraal, which is about 20km southeast of Antjeskraal. According to Taffy Shearing in her work Commandant Gideon Scheepers and the search for his grave, Scheepers’ commando left the farmstead on 10 October 1901 in two groups, one under Hans Pypers and the other under Schalk Pypers. A messenger was send to Prince Albert to inform the British about his whereabouts so he could receive proper medical care. On 11 October Scheepers surrendered to Captain Shearmann of the Hussars who arrived at Kojeskraal (Shearing, pp.138-141). According to Charl Conradie Sheepers’ men left on 9 October and he therefore surrendered on 10 October. (Conradie, p.35). From the Kojeskraal farmstead Scheepers was taken to Blood River Station, today known as Antjieskraal Station or Siding. Dr J H Mearns from Prince Albert, who was called out to examine Scheepers at Kopjeskraal, accompanied his patient to Blood River Station. Since they had to wait three hours for the train, the house of Johan van der Merwe, the local teacher, was commandeered by the British so that Scheepers could occupy the bedroom. From Blood River Station he was taken to Matjiesfontein and after being treated in a military hospital in Beaufort west for a while, he was taken to Noupoort and eventually to Graaff-Reinet. (Marincowitz, pp.30-31)

Although, Scheepers was an officer of the Free State Artillery and therefore a prisoner of war, he was put on trail in Graaff-Reinet by a military court, in accordance with typical British justice, and at 3 o’clock on the afternoon of 18 January 1902 he was executed by firing squad. Scheepers was found guilty on charges such as arson since he gave orders to burn down the farmsteads of two British sympathisers - a crime the British themselves were guilty of and which was actually their brainchild. In their Scorched Earth Policy they burnt down over 33 000 farmsteads in the Free State and the Transvaal, destroying all crops, orchards and livestock and in some cases even burning down village churches. The night of 18 January Scheepers were re-interred in secrecy by five members of the Coldstream Guards on an unknown spot to prevent Scheepers from becoming a Boer martyr. Scheepers’ execution caused an international uproar. (Koch, pp. 35-41)

Today Antjieskraal siding can be reached from the N1 via a gravel road of about 4km. The turnoff is about 60km northeast of Laingsburg and 24 km southwest of Prince Albert Road. It is marked by an old fashioned road sign stating ‘Bloedrivier.’ The house in which Gideon Scheepres was held is situated on the farm Elim, which belongs to Lucas and Jacoline Botes. They take visitors into this house and actual room in which he was held. Both the Blood River (Ketting) and Dwyka Blockhouses can be reached from this farm. (Rose Willis)

Sources:

Conradie, Charl F: Murraysburg Tydens die Anglo-Boere Oorlog (1899-1902.) Self-published.

Koch, Retief: Van die Oewer van die Dwyka na Graaff-Renet se Sand. Kommandant Gideon Scheepers. Sy Lewe, Gevangeneming en Tregstelling. Tweede Uitgawe. Die Oorlogsmuseum van die Boererepublieke.

Marincowitz, Helena (1999): Prince Albert and the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). Prince Albert, Fransie Pienaar Museum

Shearing, Taffy and David (1999): Commandant Gideon Scheepers and the search for his grave. Sedgefield, Privately Printed.

Willis, Rose: personal correspondence.

from: Antjieskraal or Blood River Station

http://gis.deat.gov.za/isrdp/staticsites/ss_k/documents/antjieskraal_or_blood_river_station.doc

Dwyka Station Blockhouses (151)



There are two blockhouses on the railway line near Dwyka Station, one on each side of the Dwyka River. These two blockhouses are the ‘twin towers of the Dwyka’ mentioned by Deneys Reitz in his book ‘On Commando.’ This specific blockhouse is particular unusual having a door at ground level. Normally a blockhouse could only be accessed through a stable-type steel door at the first floor by making use of a retraceable ladder.

The Dwyka Blockhouses are situated about 13 off the main road, along a gravel road. The turnoff is about three kilometres south of Prince Albert Road. These blockhouses can also be reached via Elim Farm and Antjieskraal siding on a gravel road of about 9km of which 4km is of a lower order than the road form Prince Albert Road. The turnoff to Antjieskraal is about 60km northeast of Laingsburg and 24 km southwest of Prince Albert Road on the N1. It is marked by an old fashioned road sign simply stating ‘Bloedrivier’.


Sources:
Marincowitz, Helena (1999): Prince Albert and the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). Prince Albert, Fransie Pienaar Museum.

Willis, Rose: Laingsburg. A proud tradition of old-fashioned hospitality. (Information leaflet).

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