events
September 17, 1901
Second Boer War: Boers capture a squadron of the 17th Lancers at the Battle of Elands River.
Battle of Elands River (1901)
The Battle of Elands River took place near the Elands River Poort mountain pass on 17 September 1901 during the Second Boer War. During the battle a Boer raiding force under Jan Smuts destroyed a British cavalry squadron led by Captain Sandeman, a cousin of Winston Churchill, on the Modderfontein farm. This battle is therefore also known as the Battle of Modderfontein.