Lord Roberts and Staff, Occupation of Pretoria, South Africa, 1899 (b/w photo)

‘Lord Roberts and Staff cheering the Queen - raising the Union Jack on occupation of Pretoria, 5 June 1900’. Stereoscopic photograph, Boer War, 1899. Of the 38,000 troops who had left Bloemfontein on 3 May 1900, only 26,000 entered Pretoria with Lord Roberts. Some had been left to garrison Johannesburg or dropped off to act as guards, about 3,000 were battle casualties, some had been lost through disease and other causes, but a high proportion were dismounted cavalrymen or mounted infantry left behind because their horses had died or were exhausted. The march of some 480 km had been accomplished on short rations and in trying weather conditions in 34 days, including halts totalling 16 days, but it did achieve the decisive result which had been anticipated, Botha’s peace proposals and the surrender of Pretoria had given the Boers a breathing space in which to regroup and restore morale, and they now determined to continue the campaign by means of guerrilla warfare. From a box of 89 stereoscopic cards entitled, ‘South African War through the Stereoscope Pt 2 Vol 1', published by Underwood and Underwood and produced by Works and Sun Sculpture Studios, 1901 circa.