The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-29 00:00:00

INTERESTING LETTERS FROM THE CAPE.

The Daily Telegraph of Tuesday publishes the following
letter from Gunner Howard, servant to Colonel Harness, to
his family in England. A telegram published in the Cape
papers, dated Pietermaritzburg, January 29, states that
Howard "had a narrow escape, but got away from the
hospital and sat in the bush all night, exposed to the lire
from both sides :"

Helpmakaar, Feb. 7, 1879.
Just a line to let you know that I am still in the
land of the living. I daresay before you get this you
will have heard of the massacre. They killed just half
of our battery, and nearly all the let-24th Regiment.
The awful black devils watched the General out of
camp, and then, as soon as his column had got clear
away, they came down—about 1,51,0 of,them—like bees
out of a hive, and there was awful slaughter. They took
everything belonging to officers and men—all but what
they stood upright in—burnt the huts, and scattered the
provisions all about the place. There was a deal of
money in camp—my Governor lost a bit, but, as it, was
Government money to pay the battery with, he,will
get it back again. I was not in the camp, for I had
the diarrhoea and was left behind at a place they
call Rorke's Drift, where there was a temporary hos-
pital. One company of the 24th, ninety strong, was
left to protect it. Well, the same day as the other
affair happened about which I have just told
you, four thousand or so of them paid us a visit
at the hospital. But we had about thrde hours
notice and plenty of sacks of oats with which
we threw up a temporary fortification round
this old place. When the Zulus arrived, about five
in the evening, they did nut find it quite as comfort-
able as they thought, for they expected that they
would have nothing to do but assegai us at their
pleasure, and possess the place, but we had knocked
holes through the walls of the house to fire through.
So what with the sacks and the holes through the
house, we had very good cover. Boxes of ammunition
were placed behind us. Forty men were in hospital,
and nearly all able to fight when it came to the pinch.
I had a rifle belonging to a sergeant who was too ill
to use it. The Zulus made short work of him.
When waiting for the:approach of the enemy we could
see them half -a mile before they got to us. When I
beheld the swarm I said to myself, "All up now ; "
but I was wrong, and we all agreed to fight till only
two were left, and these were to shoot themselves.
Well, we all got behind our rampart, and when the
Zulus were about 400 yards off, like a wall coming on,
we fired the first volley. The rifles being Martini-
Henry's, our firing was very quick, and, when struck
by the bullets, the niggers would give a spring in the
air and fall flat down. The enemy advanced to
within 300 yards, and then it did not seem healthy
to come any nearer, so we continued to fire at them
till it got dark. Then, as the roof of the hos-
pital was of thatch, they crept up and set it on fire.
When the flames burst out it was all the better for us,
for we could see the niggers and their movements,
though they could not see us. Didn't we give it to
them then, anyhow! They sheered off, all but a few
who hung about us all night; but as soon as it was
light we finished off all we could see, and I can tell you
that when I saw the general's column coming to our
relief I was glad. The general said we were a brave
little garrison, and that this showed what a few men
could do if they only had the pluck.

The following graphic letter from Private Wilson,
2-24th Regiment, dated Rorke's Drift, February 22,
1879, has been kindly sent to us (says the Standard of
Tuesday) :
"Dear Mrs. 31.—Since last I wrote to you we have
tramped many a long and weary mile—when I say a long
one, I mean that there is a great difference in the miles out
here and at home, the distance being measured by a horse
ride or so many hours. It is just one twelvemonth since we
left dear Old England; certainly the time does seem to have
passed away quickly, which I have no doubt is owing to the
change of scene, and there is no mistake but that we have
had plenty of that if it could do us any good. I daresay
long before this reaches you the news of the sad calamity
that has befallen us will be spread through England. I will
try and give you the details of it as near as possible.
"On the evening of the 21st a large body of Zulu Kaffirs
were seen shout fourteen miles from our camp—the place is
called Isandula. An outlying picket was sent out, comprised
of Mounted Police, Natal Carbineers, and Native Contin-
gent.
"Nothing occurred that was at all alarming that night,
We received orders to be up very eerily the next morning
and without noise, as we were going to attack them. We
had an early ration of coffee and biscuit, and then pro-
ceeded on our journey, leaving our camp standing with
five companies of the 1-24th, two guns with the Artillery,
Mounted Volunteers, and one battalion of the Native
Contingent, also one company of the 2-24th1 and a
lot of Staff, and casuals to guard the camp. The force
that went out consisted of four guns, Artillery, Mounted
Infantry, and a few Mounted Police, also six companies of
our own regiment. Twenty-three of us were warned tor
stretcher duty. We met with no opposition on our way, the
mounted men reporting that the enemy retired as we ad-
vanced. We jogged gaily on for about ten miles across
country, fully expecting that we should drop across them
before long. We next bent our course in a circular direction
to pick up the other part of our column that had been
on outlying picket. Just before we came in sight of
them we heard some firing, and naturally made more
haste to the spot; but at the best of times it is slow work
when you have to climb such terrible hills as they are here,
and the country all through seems to be composed of
nothing else. We came up to them at last, and found that
they had had a slight brush with a few of the enemy, killing
about forty and taking eight prisoners. After skirmishing
around for a while and finding there were no more of
them close by we halted fora rest—in fact there seemed
every prospect of as stopping here for the day. How-
ever, we had not halted very long when one of the
mounted men rode in and told General Lord Chelmsford
that our camp had been attacked. This left us in rather
a curious situation, as ike were expecting to meet
with a large force just about this spot; but of course to look
to our camp was the main point. The General rode off at
once, leaving us to follow. It was now about two o'clock,
and we had a distance of about fifteen miles to go before we
reached the camp. We were told to put our best leg fore-
most., and there is no mistake about it that we did try our
best to get back to the relief of our brother comrades, not
even making a halt for a drink of water, although we needed
it bad enough, until within about three miles of where the
camp stood. Here the General halted us, formed up,
and told us that our men had been overpowered,
and that they (that is the enemy) were in posses-
sion of our camp and stores for the moment. Every
one of us seemed to be dumbfounded, but when he told
us that we should have to take it_e) the point of the
I bayonet, and that he knew he could trast in us, we gave him
three hearty English cheers, and then he gave the order to

advance. The evening was now.closing in, and it was almost
dusk as we neared the camp. We could see groups of Hairs
(Zulus) scampering over the hills to the right of us; but
more is the pity that they were too far out of range for us to
fire at them. When within a thousand yards the Artillery
fired about one dozen shells to clear the way, and beyond
that all was as silent as the grave. Little did we dream what
a spectacle we should lay our eyes on in the morning. It
being now dark we cowl scarcely see before us as we now
divided into two columns, one on the right and the other on
the left of where our camp stood. When we gained the
height on either side we lay down, glad enough to rest any-
where, for altogether we had accomplished a distance of at
least thirty miles that day, suffering two disappointments, and
then arrived too late to be of any assistance to the camp.
It was fearfully cold lying out without a covering of any
sort, and the heavy dew saturated our clothes, so that it
soaked into our very bones. Truly the 22nd January is a
day to be remembered among the Fitst and Second 24th
Regiment as well as a good many others. Early next morn-
ing we had to push on to Rorke's Drift, as it was dangerous
for as to wait without a reserve of ammunition or commis-
sariat. As we came down the hill to fall in a ghastly sight
met our eyes—dead of both black and white strewn in
all directions. Our fellows were horribly mutilated, and
most of them stripped quite naked. Our tents were
torn into shreds; the ammunition carried away ; the
waggon-drivers had their throats cut in their waggons;
horses, bullocks, mules lay dead in every direction;
everything of any value to us had been carried away, just
leaving us with what we stood no in. We marched into
Rorke's Drift and recrossed the Buffalo Hill. We found that
the enemy had come down in great numbers and stormed
the place; but the garrison happened to have had timely
warning. This place—one of the many mission stations
that there are in this country—was turned into a commis-
sariat store for our column, and one company of about eighty
men formed a kind of fort with sacks of oats, mealies, boxes
of biscuits, and anything else that they could get hold of.
They bravely defended it, killing about four hundred Zulus,
who were all lying around the place when we came there.
The next morning we had to bury them, and the men
seemed to make great sport of it.!
"We thought that we should hear something of at' least
a few of our other men, or of the let Battalion; but out of the
five companies and band of the Ist and one of ours only two
men of the Ist have escaped the massacre, and one of them
happens to be Bella's husband. The two of them managed
to get on spare horses that were handy. You will have to
excuse this scribble as we have nothing convenient; indeed,
I consider that I am one of the lucky ones in contriving to
get this naper. But if I had fifty pounds I could not buy a
stamp. We are told that the letters will go free. Until a few
days ago we have been penned up in this miserable bit of a
place without a big coat, blanket, or a change of clothing;
but now we have got the two latter things, and we are
employed every day building a wall and meking our forts
stronger. We lay down witk our belts on, rifle and ammuni-
tion by our side. I have nothing more to tell you except
that both Bob and I are still alive and kicking, thank God.
We are continually expecting attacks here, but if they come
they will get a warm recep;ion.
"Give my love to all kind friends, and accept the same
yourself.—Yours, W. G. WILSON."