Tourism, Accommodation and Historical Attractions in Natal, South Africa
The Natal Battlefields
The Voortrekkers - Epilogue.
NATAL
tourism
The dreams of the Great Trek are realized but at a cost and with consequences 100 years later.
The Great Trek - Epilogue
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The Dream is Realized
The dreams of all those Voortrekkers who had crossed Orange River all those years before in February 1836 had now been realized. They were masters of two independent and recognized republics, the two greatest African nations had been defeated, the veld was finally quiet and the paroxysms of 1880, 1899 and the late 20th century were a long way away.
The Great Trek was not merely a mass migration but has taken on the gravity of an ordained chapter in Afrikaner history. The treachery of Dingane, the ferocity of Mzilikazi, the bluff, bluster and vacillations of the British Government are all colourful tableaux that decorate this part of the history of South Africa.
Consequences . . .
The memories of Maritz, Retief, Pretorius and Potgieter are as vivid today as they were 150 years ago. The events at Vegkop, Bloukrans, Blood River and dozens of other sites have burned into the consciousness of the Afrikaner people and the emotions they stirred were to have longlasting consequences.
The Timeline of the Great Trek
| 1806 | Second British occupation of the Cape | ||
| 1815 | Slagters Nek Rebellion | ||
| 1820 | Influx of British missionaries | ||
| 1822 | Proclamation of gradual replacement of Dutch language by English | ||
| 1824 | Lieutenant Farewell receives a grant of land round Port Natal from Shaka | ||
| 1826 | Cape Colony's boundary extended to Orange river | ||
| 1834 | Emancipation of Slaves | ||
| Commissie Treks set out | |||
| (Christmas) 4th Kafir War begins | |||
| 1835 | Tregardt crosses Orange river and remains near Caledon river | ||
| December | Potgieter begins to trek north from Tarka | ||
| December | Rumours of Glenelg revocation of Queen Adelaide circulate | ||
| 1836 | early | Tregardt prepares to trek north | |
| February | Potgieter party crosses Orange river | ||
| March | Tredgardt crosses Vaal river | ||
| May | Potgieter reaches Sand river and leaves to make contact with Tregardt | ||
| May (end} | Tregardt reaches Zoutpansberg | ||
| June | Potgieter joins Tregardt at Zoutpansberg | ||
| June 27 | Potgieter reconnoitres over Limpopo river | ||
| c. July 15 | Van Rensburg massacre | ||
| July (end) | Potgieter returns to Tregardt's camp | ||
| July (end} | Tregardt leaves to search for the Van Rensburg party | ||
| August | Maritz trek leaves for the north from Graaff Reinet | ||
| August | Potgieter leaves Zoutpansberg | ||
| August 25 | Matabele attack trekker parties which have crossed Vaal river | ||
| September 2 | Potgieter rejoins his party at Sand river | ||
| October 16 | Battle of Vegkop | ||
| November (early) | Maritz reaches Blesberg | ||
| December 2 | Maritz and Potgieter draw up a constitution for trekkers | ||
| 1837 | ]anuary 17 | Attack on Mosega | |
| February | Retief's manifesto is published | ||
| March | Tregardt sends first message to Lourenco Marques | ||
| March | Potgieter moves to Winburg area | ||
| April 1O | Tregardt sends off second message to Lourenço Marques | ||
| April 17 | Retief elected Governor | ||
| Uys moves north from Uitenhage | |||
| May | Tregardt sends third message to Lourenco Marques | ||
| June | Meeting approves constitution of Maatschappij | ||
| June | Uys arrives at United Laagers | ||
| June end | Smit installed as Trekkers' Predikant | ||
| August 7 | Buys arrives at Tregardt's camp on Doorn river to conduct his party to Lourenço Marques | ||
| August 23 | Tregardt sets off for Lourenço Marques | ||
| September 9 | Retief announces that passes over Berg have been found | ||
| September 13 | Trekkers hold meeting at Sand river and split into two groups; one under Retief heading for Berg, while Potgieter and Maritz ride north and organise a second punitive expedition against Matabele | ||
| October 2 | Retief camps at site of Bethlehem | ||
| 7 | Retief gets first view of Natal
Rev. Francis Owen arrives at Umgungundhlovu |
||
| 10 | Retief arrives Port Natal | ||
| 19 | Greyling camps at Kerkenberg | ||
| November 4-12 | Running fight against Matabele at Kapain | ||
| 7 | Retief arrives at Umgungundhlovu | ||
| 11 | Retief's messengers arrive at Kerkenberg | ||
| 13 | Trekkers begin the descent of the Berg | ||
| 27 | Retief rejoins his followers | ||
| 30 | Tregardt arrives at summit of Berg | ||
| December 23 | Tregardt completes descent of Berg | ||
| 28 | Retief sets offfor Sekonyela's country | ||
| 1838 | January | Sir George Napier succeeds Sir Benjamin D'Urban as Govern- or of the Cape | |
| 25 | Retief sets off on his second visit to Umgungundhlovu | ||
| February 3 | Retief arrives at Umgungundhlovu | ||
| 6 | Retief's party massacred on Kwa Matiwane | ||
| 16/17 | Bloukrans massacre | ||
| March 13 | Tregardt crosses Lebombo range | ||
| April 11 | Vlug Commando ambushed at Ithaleni | ||
| 13 | Tregardt arrives Lourenco Marques | ||
| 17 | Grand Army of Natal' destroyed at Ndondakusuka | ||
| May 1 | Mrs Tregardt dies | ||
| 16 | Landman annexes Port Natal
By this time Potgieter was two days west of the Berg |
||
| June (middle) | Potgieter acquires land between Vaal and Vet | ||
| August 13 | Successful Boer defence of Veglaer | ||
| September 23 | Maritz dies in Sooilaer | ||
| October 25 | Tregardt dies at Lourenco Marques | ||
| November | Potgieter settles at Potchefstroom | ||
| 22 | Pretorius reaches Sooilaer with reinforcements | ||
| 28 | Wen Commando moves out of Sooilaer | ||
| 1838 | December 4 | British troops land at Port Natal | |
| 9 | Oath of the Covenant | ||
| 16 | Battle of Blood river
Union Jack raised at Port Natal |
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| 27 | Battle of the White Umfolozi | ||
| 31 | Pretorius burns the kraals round Umgungundhlovu prior to his departure | ||
| 1839 | July | Twenty five survivors of the Tregardt trek are evacuated from Lourenco Marques | |
| October | Mpande flees into Natal with his followers | ||
| December 24 | Jervis evacuates Port Natal | ||
| 1840 | January 14 | Pretorius leads Beeste Commando over the Tugela | |
| 30 | Nongalaza defeats Dingane`s army north of the Mkuzi river | ||
| February 14 | Mpande crowned king of the Zulus | ||
| October | Loose federation between Natalia and the highveld re- publics formed | ||
| 1842 | March (end) | British troops under Major Smith begin march on Port Natal | |
| May 3 | British troops reoccupy Port Natal | ||
| 23/24 | Battle of Congella | ||
| June 25 | Boer siege of Port Natal raised | ||
| December 12 | British Cabinet decide on annexation of Natal | ||
| 1844 | April 9 | Potgieter declares independence of Winburg-Potchefstroom | |
| 1845 | April 30 | Battle of Zwartkoppies | |
| June | Potgieter treks to Ohrigstad | ||
| December | Republic of Natalia formally ceases to exist | ||
| 1846 | June-September | Factional strife at Ohrigstad begins to reach its peak | |
| 1847 | June | Potgieter leads reconnaissance across Limpopo and then revisits the Zoutpansberg district | |
| end | Pretorius leads burghers from Natal to high veld | ||
| December | Sir Harry Smith becomes Governor of the Cape | ||
| 1848 | early | Potgieter's people migrate to the Zoutpansberg | |
| February 3 | Sir Harry Smith declares annexation of the Orange River Sovereignty | ||
| August 29 | Battle of Boomplaats | ||
| 1852 | February 17 | Sand River Convention | |
| March 16 | Reconciliation of Potgieter and Pretorius | ||
| August | Potgieter leads his last commando in Sekwatiland | ||
| December 16 | Potgieter dies | ||
| 1853 | July 23 | Pretorius dies | |
| 1854 | February 23 | British abandon the Orange River Sovereignty |
