THE GUNS OF DIMAWE (II)

Although Sechele’s six-pounder would have been the largest cannon present, in terms of quantity and tactical usage the Boers appear to have had the advantage in artillery. Besides effectively hitting the Batswana defences with coarse shot from their cannonade they were also able to pin down the defenders with smaller swivel cannon. From a September 16, 1852 report by the Rev. Robert Moffat, based on eyewitness accounts:

“The Boers found means of setting fire to the town, when the hill in the centre became enveloped in heat & smoke, when a scene of confusion ensued easier conceived then described. This decided the fate of the Bakuenas, who found their efforts to defend themselves against such a force crippled by the smoke that enveloped them.