The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-08-09 00:00:00

THE ZULU WAR.

REJOICINGS AT NATAL ON THE VICTORY
AT IJLTJNDI.

The Natal correspondent of the Standard and Mail,
telegraphing from Pietermaritzburg at 1,20 p.m. on
July 6, says :—" You will already have received a
telegram giving the main facts connected with the
brilliant succe•ei just schieved by Lord Chelmeford.
The news arrived here last evening, and has been re-
ceived with the greatest enthusiasm. The telegram
was read out at the Theatre Royal, where a per.
formance was going on, and was followed by loud
cheering in all directions. To-day every one is speak-
ing of the victory in congratulatory terms, and the
public spirit, which has been damped by the long
delay, has now completely revived. I have been
able to gather some few additional particulars. It ap-
pears that the time of the action was longer than half
an hour and was nearer an hour; and that the number
of the enemy killed must have been over a thousani.
The attack was commenced at nine o'clock in the
morning when both columns were making for Ulundi
in hollow square. The number of the enemy is stated
to have been about 20,000, and they came down with
great impetuosity on all sides, keeping together till
within LO yards, when they faltered and broke. The
instant was seized for the cavalry to rush out upon
them, which they did, with great effect. Ulundi
is burnt, and all the kraals near it destroyed. Am in-
formed that Cetywayo was himself close by at the time
of the action. Lord Chelmsford will probably wait in-
strnctions from Sir Garnet Wolseley, at Kwazamasa.
This defeat of the enemy is looked upon in some oirec-
tions as virtually the close of the war, but this is petit ape
to) sanguine a view of the mat ter, as Cetywayo is still
at large, and will retire into the back country, where
he may still be a source of trouble. Its effect, how-
ever, will undoubtedly be to change the whole aspect of
matters. It places us in a commanding position, and
will undonbtedly have a great moral effect upon the
Up to the time almost of the action there
appears to have been great doubt in the minds of those
with the second division what the course of events
would be."

The Times of Natal correspondent with Wood's
column, wrote on June 23, that as the campaign was
approaching its crisis, it was astonishing how little
was known of what the end was going to be. On one
point, however, there was a concurrence of opinion,
viz., that the mission sent by Cetywayo was not dic-
tated by any sincere desire to sue for peace. It was
surmised by some that Cetywayo had failed to
induce his chiefs to combine for a decisive struggle.
The better opinion was considered to be that
Cetywayo was concentrating his forces round his
kraal, and this opinion has been fully justified by
the event. It will thus be seen that it was extremely
fstrtunate that Lord Chelmsford was not put off
Eis guard by the so-called peace overtures. No doubt
Cetywayo imagined such would be the case, and that
he would be able again to attack us unprepared. At
the different kraals found deserted on the march to
Ulundi a variety of relics of Isundula was discovered.
Sir Garnet Wolseley has returned in the Shah from
Port Durnford, where, in consequence of the severe
weather, it was impossible for him to land. He will
proceed to General Crealock's column by land.

In describing a reconnaissance made by Colonel
Buller on the day preceding the battle of Ulundi,
The Times correspondent, writing under date White
Umvolosi River, July 3, says : • . . . " Sweeping
through the mimosa treed and aloes, the Cavalry went
like a field in full chase: no ha4tation, no check, each
squadron diverging to cover its silos ed ground with-
out a pause. In the neighbourhood of the first
kraal Colonel Buller left a party of 120 men to
cover his retreat, and, without halting, continued
in pursuit of the Zulus before him, who, as the
Cavalry approached, had cleared out of the bush
and were now making straight for the Unodwengo
kraal. Near this point they came up with and
killed a few of them, Lord William Beresford, Colonel
Buller's galloper, who is always well in at the finish,
being the first to close with the enemy. Past the end
of the kraal there is a dip in the ground, and for a time
the party was lost to sight. Our attention was now
drawn to the right and left flanks of the Cavalry.
Over the spur of a hill on the left the Zulus were troop-
ing in large numbers, with skirmishers already far ad-
vanced, towards ths line of retreat by the Upper Drift.
Almost simultaneously, a still larger force, in close
columns, showed among the mimosa trees on the right,
and threatened at the rate at which they advanced to
make the return by the Lower Drift a dangerous
matter. Heavy firing was now suddenly heard beyond
the Unodwengo kraal, and evidently Colonel Buller
had found a large fore() in front of him. Far a minute
or two the firing continued, and then the Cavalry ap-
peared again over the brow of the hill, beating a hasty
retreat, and followed by the Zulus in large numbers.
Sating this, the covering party moved slowly out and
opened fire, while Colonel Buller halted his party to
allow stragglers a chance and also to return the enemy's
fire. This for the minute effectually checked the ad-
vance of the enemy, But as the Cavalry continued to
retire, they again moved forward, trooping out of
the Unodwengo and over the brow of the hill like
ants. From this to the drift a running fire was kept
up, and the Zulus, following at a great pace, lined the ,
krantz and mimosa trees before our men were fairly
across the drifts. General Wood tried a few shots ,
with the Gatlings at the Zulus on the krantz, but it
was more with the view of trying the range for a possible
future occasion. Colonel Buller, it appears. had come
upon a force of from four to five thousand Zulus lying
In the grass. There they remained until the cavalry
were within 200 yards of them; then, like one man,
they rase up and tired a heavy volley. Fortunately,
most of the bullets passed harmlessly overhead. Two
men were, however, shot dead and two more wounded;
two horses- were also killed. During the retreat Lord
William Beresford turned back to take up behind him
on the crupper a sergeant-major of the Frontier Light
Horse, whose horse had been killed under him. Not
every man would turn in the face of four or five thou.
hinds Zulus quickly following, and lessen his own
chance of escape by taking up a heavy man behind him
on an already done-up pony, the more especially if the
Zulus were as close to him as on this occasion they were
to Lord 'William Beresford. It was a plucky and
chivalrous act, just such a deed, in fact, as those who
know anything of Lord William Beresford would expect
to hear attributed to him. The force of Zulus shown to-
day is estimated at 15,000 men. As the main object
of the reconnoissance was to discover whether these
men were still in front of us, it was highly successful,
and the dashing and thorough manner in which it was
carried out by Colonel Buller adds still more to the
reputation he has gained in South Africa as a Cavalry
officer. The total list of casualties was three men
killed, three wounded, and seven horses killed."

It is stated that the Prince Imperial's sword has
been brought into Lord Chelmsford's camp by some
of Ceiywayo's peace messengers.