The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-05-10 00:00:00

Hold the fort, a convoy's coming;
Work lads with a will.
Flash the signal back to Hopton,
We are Jolly still.

The advance division, consisting of the 60th Rifles
under Colonel Pemberton, having pushed on with the
General ahead, all at once Lord Cnelmsford shouted,
"Here's Pearson "as that gallant officer on a grey
charger, and looking very gratified—as welt he might
—dashed round the corner of a hill from the camp,
and hastened to meet the General. " How are
you?" asked his lordship, as he grasped the hand
of the colonel and hurried on with him to the long-
beleaguered encampment at Ekowe. The general
reached the fort at half-past five, but the 60th Rifles
did not arrive until six o'clock, whilst it was near mid-
night when the rear guard came in. The shouts, cheers,
and congratulations thatsounded and resoundedthrough
the camp as the relieving forces entereo were deafen-
kg, the pipers ef the gallant 91st bringing up the rear
with their bagpipes playing. The condition of the
camp was happily not so bad as had been ex-
pected. The stook of provisions was not exhausted,
having been helped out by frequent additions of maize
and pumpkins gathered from the gardens of Zulu
kraals in the surrounding country. There was no lack
of meat, but the fare, although it suited men in robust
health, was not of the kind to sustain the less strong
and the sick. The Naval Brigade of the Active and the
Tenedos were especially cheeriul. Jack being a handy
man at everything, he had soup, meat, and vegetables
ready for any "chums" that may turn up in
the relief column. He had even saved his last ration
of sugar, which he had long used very sparingly.
During the occupation of Eicowe many excursions
were made by small detachments into the neighbour-
ho ,d, and shots were often exchanged with Zulu
scoots, who appeared by two and threes, and sometimes
in parties of 50 and 100. Every Zulu kraal was
burnt within a radius of ten miles, but no opera-
tion of importance were undertaken. The Zulus,
on the other hand, now and then captured some
of the cattle belonging to the garrison, especially
on one occasion a large herd of eleven hundred, which
had left for the Lower Tugela, it being impossible to
" kraal " them, that is to keep them in an enclosed
place at night in Ekowe. The next day (Friday) was
spent in making preparations for the return journey,
as the t eneral had determined to abandon the place.
On Saturday, at one p.m., Ekowe was evacuated, and
all were on the way southward. After travelling five
or six miles a halt was made for the night and a camp
formed.

A correspondent of the Cape Argue, writing of the relief
of Ekowe, says :
There was no marching out in the sense in which
the words are wont to be understood. Bayonets
there were, but they glittered not in the noonday sun.
Bands there were, but they discoursed no music.
Banners there were, but they were not unfolded to the
breeze. There was neither flattering speech from the
General nor congratulatory address in the order
of the day from the Colonel-Commandant. In
fact, as a sturdy tar from her Majesty's ship
Active had it, it looked "like sneaking out of it."
We were not two miles on the march before a serious
panic was but narrowly averted, a report being brought
in that the "whole Zulu army" could be descried
' coming down the hills in front of Ekowe. Colonel
Pearson very wisely discredited the report, and still
more wisely resolved, supposing it to be true, steadily
to pursue his retreat, and leave the "whole Zulu
army" to be dealt with by the General and his 3,000
men, who were just then returning from their recon•
naissance in the direction of Entumeni.