The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-02-22 00:00:00

EXCITEMENT IN CAPE TOWN.

CAPE TowN, January 29 (via Madeira).
On January 24th Colonel Wood's column
was attacked by a body of 4.000 Zulus.
The engagement resulted in a victory for
the British troops, the enemy beino• com-
pletly scattered. The British sustained only
trifling loss. The force under Colonel Wood
is now falling back to cover Utrecht.
Several attacks on Colonel Pearson's and
on the other columns have been repulsed.
A grand attack is expected daily from the
Zulus, who are concentrating their forces in
the direction of Ekowe, where Colonel Pear-
son's force occupies entrenched positions.
The gravity of the position of affairs is not
exaggerated. It is expected that military
operations will be confined to maintaining
the status Tv), and guarding the strategical
position on the border until the troops are
strongly reinforced from England.
A body of 200 Volunteers from port Eliza-
beth will relieve the 88th Regiment at King
William's Town,

Fuller details of the attack at Rorke's
Drift confirmed the extraordinary bravery
displayed by the British troops.

CAPE TOWN, January 27 (via Plymonth).
Particulars are published here of the
severe disaster sustained by the British
force on the Tugela River on the 21st inst.,
the main facts connected with which have
already been telegraphed to London from St.
Vincent.

On the 21st inst. the main body of the
British advance, under Lord Chelmsford,
having advanced beyond Rorke's Drift, on
the Tugela River, left a small force, consist-
ing of five companies of the Ist Battalion
24th Regiment and about 600 natives, in
charge of a valuable convoy, consisting of
102 wagons, 1,400 oxen, two pieces of artil-
lery, 400 shot and shell, 1,200 rifles, 250,000
rounds of ammunition, 1 rocket trough, and
£60,000 worth of commissariat stores, all of
which, with the colours of the 24th Regiment
fell into the hands of the enemy. The con-
voy guard under Col. Pulheine, which was
left some ten miles beyond Rorke's Drift to
await the arrival of the column under Col.
Durnford, was attacked by the main body of
the Zulu army—ieported to be 20,000 strong
—who simply overwhelmed the British
force by numbers. Our men fought like
lions, and the Zulu dead may be counted by
thousands, but scarcely a man of the British
force, so far as at present known, escaped.
Some are believed to have cut their way
through to join the main br,dy. Captain
Stafford and Lieutenant Davies escaped, and
brought the intelligence to Marilzburg.
Lord Chelmsford, on hearing of the battle,
retreated and occupied the ground, bivouack-
ing among the dead. He is now entrenched
there, and has repulsed with loss several
subsequent Kaffir attacks. The General
himself proceeded to Maritzburg, where he
held a conference with Sir Bartle Frere, in
consequence of which a steamer was des-
patched to Mauritius for more troops.
The nominal roll of the rank and file,
killed and wounded, has not yet been re-
ceived from Natal. The companies of the
24th engaged. were numbers 1,3, 5,6, and
8.

Both the guns captured by the Zulus were
spiked before falling into their hands. The
attacking body of Zulus, supposed to have
been over 20,000 men, consisting of the
flower of Cetywayo's army, swarmed like
bees round the British position, upon which
they advanced under a heavy fire, regardless
of consequences, and came at once to hand-
to-hand fighting with their short assegais.
Latest reports say that confidence is being
restored, and that not a hostile Zulu is on
Natal soil.

CAPE TOWN, January 27th, noon._

An official notification of the disaster on the
Togola River has been published here by com-
mand of the High Commissioner. It states
thiit the High Commissioner has received a
despatch from General Lord Chelmsford that
No 3 Column has sustained very serious loss
Lord Chelmsford was in advance with the main
body of the column. Major Dartnell, in com-
mand of the mounted troops, found it necessary
to bivouac, on the night of the 21st, about
sixteen miles from Isandala Camp, and on the
following morning Lord Chelmsford proceeded
to strengthen the troops there, the whole being
under Colonel Glyn's command. The General
on hearing tho camp had been attacked moved
back and found it had been in complete
possession of the Zulus. The tents and wag,z, ns
were loosed nod destroyed, and the oxen carried
off. The General further stated that the a imp
had been defended with the utmost gallantry,
but our forces were overwhelmed by numbers.
His excellency did not arrive in the camp until
nightfall, when he bivbocked. The following
morning the General reached Rorke's Drift A
determined attack had been made during the
night on the Commissariat station where Lieu-
tenants Chard and Bromhead made a most gal-
lant and effectual resistance. Hi t 3 Excellency
states that it is reckoned the attack on the
Isandala company was made by fifteen to
twenty thousand Zulus. No details can yet be
given of our severe losses. Latest accounts from
Authentic sources report that Major Dartnell
and Commandant Lonsdale's forces at Rorke's
Drift have had a victorious engagement. The
Argus bas published a telegram received by the
Colonial Secretary. It says that the camp at
Rorke's Drift was not taken nor the forts des
troyed, as at first stated. The enemy made a
night attack, which was gallantly repulsed.

PLYMOUTH, Thursday Evening
The vessel which was the first to bring the news to
St. Vincent of the British defoat in Zululand, the
report of which in s caused so nitioh exciteancnt in
the country, arrived off Portsmouth this wornin,g,
fta a very etormy pimp frai *Woks, whit%
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