Fort Cunynghame

Fort Cunynghame was a telegraph office which, together with Komgha and a number of other establishments in the Transkeian Territories, was manned by the Frontier and Mounted (FAM) Police. It was named after Lieutenant Cunynghame who was in its command. Such offices were deemed to be necessary for "police purposes and for political purposes generally." The Cape's Controller and Auditor General, Mr C Abercrombie Smith, reported on 5 February 1880 that: "It appears that ... as soon as Offices at Fort Cunynghame were opened, Members of the FAM Police previously selected ... and trained were put in charge. These men continued to be paid out of the Police Vote. About the end of June 1878, the Government appears to have issued orders to reduce the FAM police to one thousand men, and it is stated that about one hundred men were employed away from the force in various situations ... In July 1878 the Government ordered that all members of the force employed as telegraphists should return to the ranks or apply for their discharges." As a result Fort Cunynghame was closed in August 1879.