The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-22 00:00:00

THE ZU,LV WAR.

(From 3tonday'l Daily Telegraph.)
zurcovnT OF THE COLOURS OF THE 24TH.
MADERIA, March 15.
Under the date of Feb. 4, a Special Correspondent on the
2tain frontier writes as follows :

"A party went from our little camp at Rorke's Drift, con-
sisting of Major Black, of the 2-24th Regiment; the Rev.
George Smith, Chaplain of the Forces; Captain Harford,
nineteen men, the Commandant of Lonsdale's Corps, Captain
Charles Raw; four men of the Native Mounted contingent,
and Brickhill, the interpreter to the Staff. The downward
course of the Buffalo river was followed until a crossing
place at an almost impassable drift was reached, where many
of our brave fellows, after the carnage of Isandhlwana Camp,
essayed to pass and perished in the attempt.

"The route was strewn with dead bodies those of the
natives composing the majority, these being either members
of the Natal Native contingent or loyal natives who believed
in the supreme power of the Government or the magical
effect of the boundary line, even to the last.
"When the steep path leading down the precipitous rocks
to the river wap reached scouts were posted.
"A descent was made, and half way down nearly half a
mile from the river, lay the bodies of Adjutant Melville and
Lieutenant Coghill. These were decently interred, and ser-
vice was performed by the chaplain. Lieutenant Coghill's
ring, Adjutant Melville's spurs, and other articles belonging to
the brave fellows belkg car fully taken charge of by their
comrades.

's The path thence to the river was strewn with dead Zulus
and various paraphernalia of savage warfare. Arrived at the
river the dead horses, saddles, stirrups, spurs, leggings,
charms, and articles of native dress, accidentally or purposely
cast off, lying by the roaring stream, foaming over huge
boulders, and passing between precipitous cliffs covered with
bush and aloes, showed the spot where the rushing torrent
and savage foe alike overwhelmed many bra. a men.

"About 500 yards below, at the crossing place, Mr.
Harbour, of Commandant Lonsdale's Corps, sucteded in
finding the Queen's colours of the 1-24th, with the pole com-
plete, injured by the action of the rapid stream, but other-
wise untouched, the gilt Lion and Crown surmounting the
pole, and the colour case were found by two other of
Lonsdale's men a few yards lower down.

"These colours were borne back at the head of the little
cavalcade in triumph, and when Rorke's Drift was reached
the soldiers left their dinners or whatever occupation they
were engaged upon, overjoyed at the sight of their lost
colours regained, and gave their heartiest cheers for the old
flag and for Major Black and the volunteers who bad re-
covered them.

"The major, In a few well-chosen worrls, then handed the
colours to Colonel Glyn amidst loud huzzahi. smdthe colonel,.
with heartfelt emotion, on behalf or Liaiselt and hit regi-
ment, thanked the little band for the noble work they had
voluntarily undertaken and succesafully performed."

The Daily Hews publishes a letter from the Cape, of which
the following is an extract;—
"Pont ELIZABETH, Feb. 14.
"We are thankful but exceedingly puzzled to know why
the enemy has remained quiescent. One shudders at what
the result might have been, and may yet be ere reinforce-
ments from home arrive. There are only 10,000 whites, men,
women, and children, in Natal, and if 20,000 or. 30,000
savages, skilled in military movements, and now effectively
armed with the best that a British general's captured camp
could yield, had come down flashed with victory, they could
have devastated the land most thoroughly. Natal was
and, at the time this is written, is completely at the mercy
of the Zulus, and its only safety is that its enemies do not
_ _ _
km

Low their power. Sympathy of a substantial sort is shown
by the other South African Colonies towards their sister.
State in this crisis. Her Majesty's regular forces are now,
so to speak, sucked out of every garrison in South Africa
and drawn towards this scene of immediate danger. The
gaps they leave have to be filled by the volunteer forces, and
in many instances the individuals of the latter have for-
saken business, families, and homes to do garrison duty
for several months where it may be required. More
than that, every male civilian between the ages of 18
and 50 is now enrolled 'as a member of a burgher
force to defend, if need be, the towns and villages which may
be denuded of volunteers, by the latter being sent to the
front. In this way, by money subscriptions and by sym-
pathetic language, substantial interest is shown in the mis-
fortunes of the sister colony. Doubtless a community of
danger may account for some of this action, but it will not
explain it all. It may, however, affect the relations of the
white and black races, and we may possibly see, dependent
on circumstances, a new departure in policy date from the
Isandula reverse.'. . .

A despatch from Lord Chelmsford was published
in a supplement to the London Gazette on Saturday.
Accompanying it is a report of the proceedings of the
court of inquiry held upon the disaster at Isandula.
Lord Chelmsford expresses his regret that more evi-
dence has not been taken, and states that he has
given instructions that all those who escaped
and who are able to throw any light upon the occur-
rences of the day should be at once called upon for a
statement of what they saw. Lord Chelmsford says
that the court has very properly abstained from
giving any opinion upon the evidence obtained, and he
himself draws no conclusion from it.—A list of officers
and men killed in action at the Camp, Isandlana Hill,
Zululand, on the 22nd January, is given.