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About Generaal Joachim Christoffel Fourie
Field Cornet
http://www.boekmakierie.co.za/Onze%20Krijgs-Officieren.pdf (see Page 19)
Gedeel met permissie van Ian Hayter van die groep: The Anglo Boer war and related history group
Generaal Joachim Christoffel Fourie
Joachim Christoffel Fourie was born in 1845 in Grahamstown in the Cape Colony. He was a son of the couple Christiaan Ernst Fourie and Catharina Espach. Fourie grew up in the Lydenburg district. He gained his first military experience in 1880-81 during the Anglo-Transvaal War. He was a field cornet of the Lydenburg commando at the time.
Over the next 18 years, he gained further experience in some of the wars between the Republic of South Africa and African tribes. In 1893-94 he represented the district of Lydenburg in the First Volksraad.
When the Anglo Boer war between Boer and Brit broke out in October, Fourie left for the Natal front as an ordinary Burgher. He took part in several battles there. During the battle at Spioenkop on January 24, he made a name for himself when he, along with Cmdr. HF Prinsloo and others won the tactical Alwynkoppie for the Boers. From there, they made the British position on Spioenkop's crest untenable for the British and thus helped swing the battle in the Republics' favour.
In March, his Commando elected him assistant general even though he was still an ordinary Burgher up to that point. Two months later, Cmdr.-Gen. Louis Botha promoted him to assistant commander-in-chief. Fourie was involved in the vain attempt to stop Gen Buller's march out of Natal and after that his battlefield was the Eastern Transvaal. He has shown his mettle as a leader in numerous fights. In the guerrilla phase, he focused on disrupting the British communications structure and on raids on British units.
On 7 November 1900, the Battle of Leliefontein took place, southeast of Belfast, led by Fourie against a force of almost 1 400 soldiers under Maj.Gen. Smith-Dorrien.
The force consisted of soldiers from the Canadian Mounted Rifles, the Royal Canadian Dragoons and a section of the Royal Canadian Field Artillery's D battery. They had already forced the Boer Commando south across the Komati River the previous day.
After Smith-Dorrien withdrew in the direction of Belfast, the Boers launched a counterattack the next morning. Genl. Fourie and Cmdr. Hendrik Prinsloo were killed in this battle when they tried to take down the British field cannons at the forefront of an attack, while Genl. J. Grobler was wounded.
Although the Boers attacked strongly, the loss of their leaders had a major impact on the rest of the course of the attack. The Canadian Dragoons suffered heavy losses in the battle. Of the 95 men from that unit who took part in the battle, 31 were killed. It is considered one of the greatest battles fought by Canadian soldiers during the war and a number of Canadians were honoured with the Victoria Cross for their bravery during the battle.
Later General Smith-Dorien who was in overall command of the Canadians would erect a monument to Fourie and Prinsloo, in honour of their bravery.
Geskiedenis Fourie Familie se Facebookblad
10 November 2022
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Generaal Joachim Christoffel Fourie's Timeline
| 1845 |
February 1, 1845
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Grahamstown, Cape Province, South Africa
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| 1869 |
September 22, 1869
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Lydenburg, Ehlanzeni, Mpumalanga, South Africa
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| 1875 |
January 29, 1875
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| 1877 |
January 26, 1877
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Carolina, Welgevonden Plaas, South Africa, 1185
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| 1879 |
October 25, 1879
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Welgevonden, Carolina Dist,, Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek
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| 1882 |
July 5, 1882
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Carolina Dist, Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek
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| 1900 |
November 7, 1900
Age 55
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Witkloof Farm, Carolina, South Africa
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November 8, 1900
Age 55
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Welgevonden Farm, Carolina, South Africa
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