KNYSNA NEWS - Ian Uys, a Knysna historian, was invited to a book launch at the Voortrekker Monument last week, where to his surprise, he recognised an exhibited artefact from a Voortrekker/Zulu battle as the property of boy hero Dirkie Uys.

The powder horn is a cow's horn, about 220mm long and stopped at both ends, in which gunpowder was kept. It was used by 15-year-old Dirkie Uys, who died in the fight of Italeni on 11 April 1838.

The horn was seized by a Zulu herder during the battle and was later presented to Eelmans van Rooyen. 

Subsequent to this, the powder horn was presented to Dirkie's nephew, his namesake Dirk Uys of Verena, who has since passed away.

Ian Uys, upon rediscovering this artefact on the 185th anniversary of the Battle of Italeni, notified the curators of the Voortrekker Museum and asked that an appropriate caption be posted beside it in the display.

Dirkie Uys' powder horn (bottom left) on display at the Voortrekker Museum, next to a Bible that was presented to the Uys family by British settlers. Photo: Ian Uys

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