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Auction: 8029 - Soldiers' Rates of the BE - Gerald Sattin Collection
Lot: 58

Orange Free State 1849 (29 June) entire letter "From No. 1166 Pte. Jas. Butler, Res. Battn. 45th. Regiment" at Bloemfontein to England, the letter headed "Bloem Fontein Cape of Good Hope", countersigned by the Commanding Officer and showing oval-framed "general post office/Crown/capetown" h.s. and "2" charge h.s. as Private Butler had not prepaid his letter. A fine and rare soldier´s letter from the Orange River Sovereignty. Photo Estimate £ 1,200-1,500 Note: On 1st. December 1847, Lt. General Sir Harry Smith arrived the Cape of Good Hope as the new Governor of Cape Colony. On 3rd. February 1848 he proclaimed the whole territory between the Orange and Vaal Rivers to be subject to the Queen. The area was annexed to Cape Colony and designated "Orange River Sovereignty". It reverted back to the Boers as the independent Orange Free State on 23rd. February 1854 and eventually became the Orange River Colony The Boer farmers of the new Sovereignty rose against the imposed British authority and occupied Bloemfontein on 20th. July, driving away the British Commissioner, Captain H.D. Warden. On 9th. August Sir Harry Smith headed a column assembled at Colesberg to put down the rebellion. After a battle at Boomplaats on 29th. August Bloemfontein was entered on 2nd. September. The force occupied Winberg on the 7th. where the Boers surrendered, and returned to Bloemfontein on the 14th. This cover was the subject of an extensive article in "The London Philatelist", July/August 2002, a copy of which accompanies this lot

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