Philipstown is a town in the eastern Karoo region of South Africa.

Named after Sir Philip Wodehouse (1811–1887), Governor of the Cape Colony from 1861 to 1870.

[2] At the jailhouse to the west of town is the building where a small force of the 65th Imperial Yeomanry and Native Police held off a large force of General De Wet's men during the Second Anglo-Boer War.

During this action, Corporal William Sopp of the Imperial Yeomanry was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for courage under fire when he rode out from this building to warn the approaching Australian Bushmen who were coming to relieve them that there were hundreds of Boers lying in wait for them.

This caused De Wet to delay his movements for several hours and turned him back towards a large pursuing British column.