Louw Wepener
Lourens Jacobus (Louw) Wepener was born on 21 July 1812. He was the son of a German immigrant – Frederick Jacobus Wepener – and a Cape Colony woman – Johanna Maria Erasmus. Wepener was born in Graaf-Reinet and lived with his uncle – Lourens. He was christened by Reverend Andrew Murray of the Dutch Reformed Church. Wepener was first married to Hester Susanna Nel and then later to Hilletje Maria Levina Van Aardt. He had nine children with his second wife.[1]
Born
21 July 1812
Graaff-Reinet
15 August 1865 (aged 53)
Thaba Bosiu Lesotho
Hester Susanna Nel and Hilletje Maria Levina van Aardt
Military career[edit]
Wepener participated in some Frontier Wars (1834–1853) as Acting Field Cornet. He moved to the farm De Nek in Aliwal North in 1850 where he took part in the Eighth Frontier War (1850–1853) (Xhosa wars) and was promoted to Commandant due to his outstanding leadership.
He later migrated to the Orange Free State where he bought two farms in Bethulie district – Constantia and Moordernaarspoort. When he arrived in Orange Free State, Wepener was appointed Acting Commandant. He took part in the Free State–Basotho Wars – which were a series of wars fought between Moshoeshoe I and the Orange Free State.
The three are the Senekal War (1858), Seqiti War which included two conflicts in 1856 to 1866 and 1867 to 1868. The wars resulted in the Orange Free State acquiring large tracts of land from Basotho. The Free State's forces were led by Commandant-General Johan Fick and Commandant Louw Wepener.
The first attack on Thaba Bosiu failed on 8 August 1865, the Boers tried again on 15 August.[2]
As he ascended Thaba Bosiu, Wepener and his agterryer had made some progress up the Khubelu pass but as soon as Basotho soldiers spotted them, Wepener was shot and he died on the spot. Basotho charged and about 11 Boers were killed and about 30 were injured.[3]