Fort Cox
Fort Cox was a "post of occupation" established by the British military in 1835 and was named in honour of Major William Cox of the 75th Regiment and a former Officer Commanding of the Cape Mounted Rifles. It was located on a bend of the Keiskamma river, about 5km from Middledrift on the road to Keiskammahoek. Like many fortifications of its time, it appears to have been an earth redoubt reinforced with stone. The work, which began on 1 July and was completed on 21 September 1835, was conducted by a force of 80 Khoikhoi soldiers who laboured under extremely difficult conditions, and, during construction, lost at least six men in ambushes by Xhosa tribesmen. The site was abandoned in 1836 when the British withdrew from the Province of Queeen Adelaide, and was rebuilt in 1846 as a result of the frontier war of 1846-48. In August 1848 it was visited by Thomas Baines who reported that:
"... we reached Fort Cox (an extensive square of low buildings) ... on an eminence nearly enclosed by the winding of the Keiskamma River and overlooking the gorge of the celebrated Amatola Mountains, the (Xhosa) stronghold during the late war."
Despite the more obvious dangers which a force of occupation had to face, more often than not the greatest threats to military morale were the long hours of inaction which these men had to endure under the African sun. Unlike King William's Town and Fort Beaufort, which offered a large selection of canteens and local women willing to sell their graces, remote outposts such as Fort Cox had to make do with what little was available. Robert Wilmot visited here in 1856 and reported that:
"... Fort Cox is almost surrounded by the river. A long and circuitous road led over the neck to the quadrangle of strong stone cottages and walls and on entering and enquiring for Mr Croome the sub. in charge, we found him out and formally took possession of his quarters, even eating his bread and cheese, using his eau de cologne, and reading his books. The soldiers were playing at a mysterious game called 'long bullet' as we passed out, which as far as I could see, consists in throwing an iron ball of great weight into a crowd of friends and whoever succeeds in breaking most legs, wins of course. "I can imagine no banishment more complete than the frontier posts to men of no particular tastes but a general liking for society. Sporting men get on well enough, and scientific or reading men are never at a loss, but the generality are bored beyond endurance and many date their fondness for spirits to the time passed at a lonely outpost in (Xhosa)land."
In 1876 a military report stated that Fort Cox was now in ruins.
