The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-01 00:00:00

THE ZULU WAR.

DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE DISASTER

AT INSANDULA.
NARRATIVZ OF A SURVIVOR.

The Daily News of Monday publishes a very
interesting letter from their Special Correspondent at
Pietermaritzburg, under date, Feb. 3. We make the
following lengthy extract therefrom :
"I send you the following detailed account of the terrible
disaster at Isancinla :

"The day before the action took place Colonel Glyn, In
command of the 3rd column, acting under the direct orders
of Lord Cuelinslord, sent away the advance guard under the
command of Major Dartnall, composed of a detachment of
Carblneers, the Natal Mounted Police, Lonsriale*s Native
Contingent, and others. This advance guard sent to say it
was engaged with the Zulus. Lord Chelmsford himself and
Colonel Giyn pushed forward the main force, consisting of
seven companies of the 2-24th, under Lieutenant-
Qoional Dagaeher, Linsdale's Native Contingent under
Major Black, 2-24th and other troops, leaving behind as rear
guard five companies of the 1-24th under Deutenant-Colocel
Pulleine, one company of the 2-24:h under L.entenant Pope,
and a portion of the let R-giment of the Natal Native
Contingent under Lieutenant-Colonel Durnford, with the
following cavalry :—About thirty Natal Carbineers, the
Buffalo Border Guard, and about twenty-five New-
castle Mounted it flemen. In addition, Colonel burn-
ford had S kali's Horse and two guns, under Captain
B.ussell, B.A. There were a few artillerymen. The
Airmy Hospital Corps, the Commissariat, with a column of
Lord Chelmsford's-moved forward with the main body either
on the evening of the 21st or the morning at toe 22nd. The
rear guard had finished Pa usual morning march and out-
spanned when Zulu skaluishers were observed surrounding
the hills. These skirmishers advanced towards the camp,
keeping up a desultory fire,
"The camp was pitched in a broken country in a sort of
valley, with distant surrounding hills. Colonel Pulleine
sent skirmishers, who responded to the fire of the alias. It
seems that the number of Zulus was not estimated, it being
considered a slight demonstration of a few men. As the
enemy's scouts were soon joined by bodies of considerable
strength, Colonel Pulleine's skirmishers were recalled and
the camp hastily put upon the defensive.
"The Zulu army then came on rapidly in regular
battalions, eight deep, keeping up a heavy steady fire, until
well within assegai distance. They then ceased their fire and
hurled assegais. Our men kept up a very steady, telling flre,
and great numbers of the enemy dropped, but without
checking their progress. The places of the men who fell were
constantly filed by comrades.
- - - -

" Winla this attack was going on in the rear a double
flank movement was executed, by which the horns of the
Zulu army surrounded the camp. The disadvantage of Ike
waggons not beibg packed in Luger wads new evident, and it
led to the disaster.
.‘ Oar men had emptied their pouches, and found it im-
possible to replenish them, as the Zulus had obtained
possession of the ammuuitsou waggons. 'lna affslr became
then one of absolute butchery. Our officers and men
were assegated as they stood. Tney made no charges. The
Zulu host came cllwn with the weight of its battalions and
literally crushed the small body, which could only defend
itself with the bayonet, and very soon 1: had not even room
to use that. The Zulus picked up the dead bodies of their
comrades and hurled them on the bayonet points of our
soldiera, thus simply besting down all defence. The work
of destruction was complete.

"Within two hours Henn the time the Zulu skirmishers
were seen there was not a Living white man in the camp.
The ammunition, the guns, the commissariat supplies, the
waggon?, the oxen, all the material of the column, fell into
t'ne hands of the enemy.
"Fortunately two cannons were spked by Captain Smith,
8.A., who was assegais(' whilst in the act of spiking. As far
as could be ascertained, the Zulus carried away all the
ammunition and some waggons, and destroyed whatever was
left behind.
"Young, an officer belor ging to Lon sdale's contingent, who
had been wounded in the skirmish with Sirayo's men some
days prev:ously, happened to be at the camp of Isandula,
where his brother was superintending the return if the 23rd
to Pietermatitz oirg. Being invalided, and not being con-
nected with any regiment, he fired a rifle from the cureer
of is waggon until he had exhausted his ammunition. Being
unahle 1.0 obtain a further supply, and having no weapon
whatever, he saw in was useless for him to remain any
longer. lappily for him he had got a good hoarse, and
a desperate dash carried him through a weak point in the
enemy's cordon just in time. He was chased by the Zulus,
who were swift runners, but could nut get up with him.
Looking back he saw our men, completely surrounded, firm
as a rock, falling rapidly. but fighting to the last. The loud
palls of the Zulu* filled the air. _there was no other noise
except their demoniac shrieks as the awful work was done
with the short stabbing aseegat. He saw Lieutenant Coghill
trying to tight his way through, as a'so Adjutant Melville,
who had seized the colours and was vainly trying to carry
them through. It is probable that Lieutenant Coghill was
dispatched for assistance, as he was acting that day as staff
officer to Colonel Pulleine. Both Coghill and Melville were
splendid horsemen and were well mounted. They were not,
however, so fortunate as Young. The place he escaped
through was a minute after he passed it completely blocked.
Be saw it was impossible to pierce the dense masses of Zulus
between him and the Drift, so he made tor a point on the
river lower down, where he found no Zulus. He had, how-
ever, to jump the cliff, happily only ten feet high. Hit had
been a hundred he must .have jumped it, as his pursuers
were not far behind. His horse, having warn a few yards, '
was able to ford the rest of the river. He then rode to
Helpmakaar. A few of the Natal native contingent and
others were drowned in attempting to swim, but some were
Saved.
"It may be seen from this short narrative that the Zulu.
army was completely organized. It advanced, first throw-
ing out skirmishers; then, as the battalions came down in
mass, used their rifles whilst at long range with considerable
effect. When near enough to use their own more familiar
weapon, the assegai, they threw in two or three showers. All
this time they were advancing steadily and rapidly, and the
stabbing assegat was soon at work.
"The impression in Natal is that this engagement on the
part of the Zulus is not attributable to generalship, but
that the army of invasion was making for Natal and acci-
dentally came across the rear guard of Colonel Glyn's
column. Our troops were allowed to cross the river at
various points. Colonel Glyn's main body was enticed by
a feint advance away from its material. Then the main
body of the enemy, supposed to be under Sirayo, the
favourite Indiana of Cetywayo, swept down on the baggage
guard.
"Young and another who were saved speak in the hiEzhest
terms uf the way in which the gallant force sustained the
assault of the overwhelming hordes of the enemy Our
native allies fought bravely, too, and if the camp had been
formed in Laager, and our men could have been furnished
with the ammunition with which the camp was so generously
supplied, it would have given a different account of the
enemy.

-- .
"Young saw nothing of barbarities. The way in which
the men were surrounded and crushed down by weight of
numbers proves that utter annihilation took place, but it is
hoped that the horrible stories in circulation have no
foundation in fact.

"All that are left of the 2ith Regiment am o Captain Harri
son's Company, stationed at St. John's River; Captain
Upcharts and Captain B.ainforth, who were at that time on
their march to join their battalion; Major Much; and Dr. A
Hartley, who were invalided a short time before; and Lieu-
tenant Morehead, who was doing staff duty at Pietermaritz-
burg.
"The great wonder was that so few men—for there wer
only about 600 men in the camp, excluded natives who ran,
and not including Colonel Darnford's mounted men, under
Captain Barton, who did fight well—were able in the open,
and with no protection or cover, to keep off for four or five
hours the large numbers of ilaffirs that must have attacked
them. The line of Zulus which came down the hills to the
left was nearly three miles long, and must have consisted of
over fifteen thousand men, while abody of over five thousand
remained on the top as a reserve, and took no part in the
action, but simply drove off the captured cattle, waggons,
and plunder. .
"When these men moved they look moat of their dead
bodies with them in our waggons, mixed with the debris of
the commissariat waggons, the contents of vvhich—flour,
sugar, tea, blsouits, mealies, oats, &c—were scattered about
and wastdd in pure wantonness. On the ground there were
also dead horses shot in every position, oxen mutilated,
males stabbed, while lying thick upon the ground in clumps
were the bodies of the white men, with only their boots and
shirts on, t or
just pe rehnaopusgahnitho lodwpinagi r
too of
Indicatetrousers t
oo rwphaircthobf
branch
Coate, with

•

they belonged. In many cases they lay with sixty to aeventy
rounds of empty cartridges alongside them, showing that
they had only died after doing their duty.". . . .

OP TROOPS.

The 21st Fusiliers took their departure from Cork for
the Cape on Saturday, in the temporary troop steamer City
of Paris, at half-past seven in the morning. The men showed
a high state of efficiency, and in Physique there will be no
better corps engaged at the Caps. The bands of the 16th
and 671 h regiments, and the band- and piper of the 21st,
played alternately during the parade. At a quarter to nine
o'clock the order to march forward was given; and, preceded
by the bands above mentioned, the regiment moved to the quay
site for transfer to Queenstown. Leaving the barracks, and
along tile line of march, the military and civilians cheered
the men cordially. From the windows hats and handker-
chiefs waved, and there were loud expressions on all sides
of "God speed to the battalion !" They got on board the
river steamer without any delay, and by half-past eleven
o'clock all were safely quartered in the City of Paris. All
being in readiness the troop steamer slipped her moorings,
and steamed slowly down the harbour. The greatest enthu-
siasm was manifested at Queenstown on her departure.

On Monday morning a detachment, Consisting of two
officers and 112 rank and file of the 24th Regiment, left
Brecon for Aldershot en route to the Cape. They marched
to the station, headed by the volunteer band, which
played appropriate airs, the soldiers joining their voices
to the strains ot the music. The morning was bitterly
cold, and snow fell heavily; but this did not deter a
crowd of over a thousand people from assembling to see
ti e detaohment depart, attired in their great coats and new
helmets. The men appeared to be in capital spirits, and in
thol ranks were a number of volunteers, some of whom had
nearly completed their term of service. The train glided from
the platform, the regimental band struck up Auld Lang
Syne, ' and, amid enthusiastic cheers, the gallant fellows