Fort Peddie

The Fort was situated between East London and Port Elizabeth, and was established sometime before 1823 when, according to some writings, a certain person called, Shaw, "...envisaged a mission station at Wesleyville, near Peddie". The fort played a crucial role in 1846 during the Xhosa uprisings, as other historical documents record ... "As the Xhosa poured into the colony, the frontier outposts were abandoned.    Fort Peddie, halfway between the Great Fish and Keiskamma Rivers, was all that was left between the Xhosa and Grahamstown.     However, the Commander of the force only ordered a few shots fired from his cannon and then retired on Fort Peddie.     On March 28th the Xhosa attempted to destroy Fort Peddie.    For two hours the 8,000 Xhosa warriors rushed in then fell back before they finally melted away into the bush.    The Xhosa had made off with the British cattle so they thought that they had won the day.    Whoever won, the Xhosa were still free to move about the frontier." An interesting footnote... In 1852, the Kaffir Wars referred to above were still raging. To reinforce the British Garrisons, very likely including Fort Peddie, Her Majesty's troop ship, "Birkenhead", was dispatched from Simon's Bay, near Cape Town. She was a stout ship from the Laird Shipbuilders on Merseyside, having an iron plated hull, a 560 horsepower steam engine which drove twin paddles amidships and was fully rigged for sail as well. In addition to the troops, horses and supplies, 25 women and 29 children were on board, being the families of some of the men. Two days into her journey tragedy struck when she hit an uncharted submerged rock which ripped her from forepeak to engine room. She was doomed. When it was clear all was lost, Captain Salmond gave the order to abandon ship. However, one of the army officers on board, Lt. Col. Alexander Seton, a tall 38 year old Scotsman, realising there was a grave risk of the women and children, already in a cutter, being swamped by the rush to the boats called for order, and raised the cry, for the first time in history, "Women and children first". The men stood their ground and this action saved the women and children. Eventually some 207 survived but 436 perished and the phrase, "The Birkenhead Drill" entered the language.