TOPIC:

Served: Vrede.

ABO (Burger L C. Odendaal)

Kaplan Auctions, June 2025. Estimate R5,000

Lourens Christiaan Odendaal was born on 28 September 1880, he was baptized on 12 December 1880 in Graaff-Reinet, Cape Colony. He was the son of Samuel Willem Odendaal and Dina Johanna de Jager and grew up on the family farm Davidsvlei near Vrede in the Orange Free State.

Background Information

When war broke out on 11 October 1899, the 19-year-old Lourens joined the Vrede Commando. Just two days later, on 13 October, the Commando crossed into Natal as part of the Boer invasion of British territory.

The Vrede Commando was involved in the initial battle at Rietfontein (24 October 1899) as well as the siege of Ladysmith, a key British garrison town in Natal.

During the siege the most significant engagement was the Battle of Platrand (also known as Caesar’s Camp / Wagon Hill). In the early hours of 6 January, Free State forces under General Cornelis de Villiers launched a surprise assault on British positions along Platrand Ridge. The Vrede Commando was among the attacking units. The battle was brutal, with fierce close quarters combat. The Boers nearly broke through, but a determined British counterattack eventually repelled them.

Guerrilla Warfare and Local Skirmishes

After the British captured Bloemfontein and Pretoria in mid-1900, the war shifted into a guerrilla phase. The Vrede Commando returned to the Free State and engaged in hit-and-run tactics, ambushing British patrols and disrupting supply lines. Lourens fought in several local skirmishes in the Vrede district, these actions were part of a broader resistance led by General Christiaan de Wet. 

Strategic Context

In early November 1900, British forces under Colonel Le Gallais and General Knox were actively pursuing Boer General Christiaan de Wet, who had narrowly escaped capture near Frederiksstad. De Wet, reflecting on this period in his memoir Three Years War, expressed deep frustration with the logistical burden of wagons. Though essential for transporting supplies and artillery, these wagons significantly slowed his movements and exposed his commando to British pursuit.

After evading capture, De Wet regrouped his force—approximately 800 men strong and supported by artillery—on the Doornkraal Farm near Bothaville, situated in the northern Orange Free State. Among his ranks were President Steyn and the Vrede and Harrismith Commandos, both of which had endured the strain of continuous operations. Despite knowing that British forces were closing in, De Wet placed his confidence in his outposts, believing they would provide timely warning of any enemy advance.

However, on the night of 5 November 1900, the British column entered Bothaville under cover of darkness, unknowingly camping just a few miles from De Wet’s position at Doornkraal. Neither side realized how close they were to one another.

Murray Cosby Jackson, a soldier with the 7th Mounted Infantry, later speculated that the Boers believed the British had halted five miles away, unaware that they had moved into the town itself. Jackson described the British troops as soaked, sleepless, and trudging through thick mud without shelter. That night, the men scavenged through the ruins of the burnt-out town, unaware of the dramatic clash that would unfold at dawn.

Surprise Encounter at Dawn

At 4:30 a.m. on 6 November 1900, Colonel Le Gallais ordered his column to move out in pursuit of General Christiaan de Wet. The 5th Mounted Infantry (MI) was assigned as the advance guard and scouting party and was promptly set in motion.

Meanwhile, the 7th MI—of which Murray Cosby Jackson was a member—was tasked with finishing the crossing of the Valsch River drift and then remaining in reserve to guard the baggage train.

Le Gallais himself, accompanied by the 8th MI and the Imperial Yeomanry, followed behind the 5th MI as they headed south. Major Lean’s 5th MI advanced swiftly and unexpectedly encountered a small Boer picket post, whose members were asleep. The outpost was quickly captured, and recognizing the opportunity, Lean ordered a gallop toward the next rise. Just 300 yards beyond lay the Boer laager, tightly packed with guns, wagons, and horses.

Major Lean immediately dispatched a messenger, dismounted with his men and opened fire with devastating effect. The sudden attack threw the Boer camp into chaos. President Steyn, reacting quickly, escaped on a horse that had been kept ready by his adjutant, followed closely by General De Wet. Many of the burghers who had horses managed to flee as well, abandoning valuable equipment including guns, ammunition, and wagons. Despite the panic, a determined group of approximately 150 burghers chose to stay and fight, displaying remarkable courage under fire.

At this early stage of the battle, the 5th MI bore the brunt of the fighting and suffered the heaviest casualties of the day. Their bold advance had triggered a fierce engagement, setting the tone for the brutal confrontation that followed.

The Farmhouse: A Command Post Turned Death Trap

As the battle erupted at dawn, Colonel Le Gallais and his staff officer, Major Hickie, galloped forward to assess the unfolding situation. They reached a farmhouse overlooking the battlefield and entered, hoping to gain a clearer view of the terrain and Boer movements. From this vantage point, Le Gallais observed that the Boer forces—many of whom had initially fled—were regrouping and attempting to flank both sides of the British position.

Recognizing the danger, Le Gallais dispatched Hickie to the heliograph post with urgent orders. Major Welch, who was guarding the baggage train, was to reposition his men between two nearby kopjes and send all available troops to reinforce the vulnerable left flank. This manoeuvre helped stabilize the British line.

When Hickie returned to the farmhouse, he was met by a hail of gunfire. Five bullets struck and killed his horse as he approached. Inside, he found a scene of devastation. Colonel Le Gallais lay mortally wounded. Captain Ross had been shot through the jaw and throat. Captain Williams was already dead. Lieutenant Percy Smith of the Middlesex Regiment was wounded, along with four other men. Outside, the bodies of fourteen dead horses lay scattered around the building.

The farmhouse had become a deadly trap. The front window, facing the Boer position, was a funnel for incoming fire. Worse still, the door opposite the window had been left open, allowing bullets to pass straight through the house. Hickie learned that Ross had gone to the window to observe the battlefield and was immediately struck down. Four men attempted to carry him out, silhouetted against the light of the back doorway. The Boers, spotting the movement, unleashed a torrent of fire. As Ross was being carried down the passage, Le Gallais emerged from another room to see what was happening—and was shot. The bullet entered his left breast and exited through his side. He collapsed with a groan but remained conscious, asking about the progress of the battle.

His final words to Hickie were:
“If I die, tell my mother that I died happy, as we got the guns.”

With Le Gallais incapacitated, command passed to Major Taylor of U Battery. For a time, before reinforcements could arrive, the British position hung in the balance.
 
Heroism on the Field

The following hand-drawn map, preserved in the Alexander family archives and now part of my personal collection, illustrates battlefield positions as they appeared around 9 a.m. on the day of the engagement. Though it offers valuable insight into the layout and movements during the battle, it contains notable inaccuracies—such as incorrect cardinal directions—and should be regarded as a general guide rather than a precise historical record.



Jackson’s unit approached from the right flank, initially unaware of the proximity of the Boer camp. As they crested a rise, they were immediately fired upon.

Jackson vividly recalls: “We never dreamt that they had been camped so close to us.” The proximity was so tight that the British were within rifle range almost instantly, and the Boers had no time to properly deploy.

He elaborated on the chaos describing Boers scrambling for cover behind a dam wall with British troops advancing under heavy fire.

Despite the chaos, the British held their ground. Wounded men helped load rifles for their comrades. On the left flank, a gun from U Battery was nearly overrun. Its crew, all killed or wounded, served it to the last man. Lieutenant White and six men from the Suffolk Mounted Infantry rushed forward, drove off the Boers with close-range fire, and saved the gun.

Jackson describes how Private Green of the Lincolns earned the Distinguished Conduct Medal for carrying a case of ammunition through the firing line, just 100 yards from the Boer position.

When de Lisle arrived with further reinforcements at about 10am, he took command. The Boers, whom de Wet had managed to rally and were trying to counterattack, were driven back. De Lisle sent his New South Wales men to the left, where they fired on the garden and the Boers in the small farmhouse to the rear. Late reinforcements were some West Australians under Lieutenant Darling. The garden was surrounded, the counterattack beaten back, and de Lisle determined on decisive action. Thus, the 5th MI and Darling's West Australians were ordered to fix bayonets and charge. With the first flash of steel, the white flag went up and the Boers surrendered.

Aftermath

The battle raged for over four intense hours and finally drew to a close around noon, when the exhausted Boer defenders surrendered.

The following hand-drawn map depicts the battlefield positions as they appeared at the time of the surrender. Once again while it offers valuable insight into the layout of the engagement, it contains some inaccuracies and should be regarded as a general guide.



The battlefield was littered with dead horses, splintered wagons, and makeshift rifle pits stained with blood. Jackson notes that Bothaville “looked like a battlefield,” unlike many other skirmishes.

The British captured 130 prisoners, including 28 artillerists with 30 wounded and six guns, two of which had been lost at Sanna’s Post.

The British buried the dead—Boer and British alike—and transported the wounded to a nearby farm. The column then marched to Kroonstad, where they received a warm reception and displayed the captured guns in the market square.

Jackson reflected that the men felt they deserved a campaign bar for Bothaville—but none was awarded.
 
Boer Perspective

De Wet admitted the surprise but emphasized the speed of his men’s response. He claimed the British had superior numbers and firepower but failed to capitalize fully due to terrain and confusion. He described the retreat as orderly and denied that his forces were routed.

Odendaal’s Wounding

During the battle, Lourens - one of the brave 150 and just 20 years old at the time - was severely wounded, sustaining gunshot wounds to his left hip and leg. He was evacuated alongside the British column to Kroonstad, where he spent five months recovering from his wounds. Following his convalescence, he was transferred to the Merebank Concentration Camp in Natal.

Due to the severity of his injuries, British authorities did not consider him a threat and chose not to classify him as a prisoner of war. His condition rendered him medically unfit for further military service, and he remained sidelined until the war’s conclusion on 31 May 1902.

Family Reprisals

While Lourens was recovering, his family faced British reprisals. Their farm, Davidsvlei, was burnt by British forces for allegedly harbouring Boer fighters. Outhouses and a cart were also destroyed to prevent them from being used by the Boers. His father, Samuel Willem Odendaal, mother Dina Johanna, and sisters Alida Maria, Elzia Herretta, and Gertruida Petronella were all interned in the Standerton Concentration Camp, later joining Lourens at Merebank.

Post-War Recognition

In 1940, Lourens was granted a permanent war pension based on 40% disability resulting from his wounds at Bothaville.
In 1947, he applied for and received the Anglo-Boer War Medal, supported by affidavits and official correspondence confirming his service, injury and loyalty. His application was expedited due to his enduring disability.

Death and Legacy

Lourens Christiaan Odendaal died on 24 October 1948 just over a year since receiving his Anglo-Boer War Medal. His life story—marked by battlefield courage, personal suffering, and the endurance of his family—stands as a powerful testament to the human cost of war.
 


References:

1. samilitaryhistory.org/vol166rs.html
2. www.angloboerwar.com/forum/19-ephemera/3...f-bothaville?start=0
3. trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/270154104

Tragically 23 year old Samuel Wilhelm was Killed in Action whilst fighting alongside his brother Lourens and his name is recorded on the Boer Memorial at the site of the battle.