The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-08-28 00:00:00

THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD AT
ISANDULA.

A further batch of correspondence respecting the
affairs of South Africa, has been issued, and contains
an appendix relating to the burial of the dead at
Isandula. In February last, in consequence of a
question asked in the House of Commons, Sir M.
Hicks-Beach obtained copies of despatches which had
been forwarded by Sir Garnet Wolseley to the War
Office, on the subject, including a report from Major
Bromhead, which stated that in September last year
he encamped at Isandula with two companies of the
2-24th Regiment. The battle-field was thoroughly
cleaned, and all debris removed and buried or burned.
The remains still unburied were decently interred, as
well as such as were found only partly covered. Being
unable to obtain the necessary information to identify
individual graves, Major Brorahead caused three
cairns to be erected at points where the largest num-
ber had been buried, and sixteen young eucalyptus
trees were planted in a circle round the lower cairn.
During the halt at Isandula part of a broken colour-
pole, 2-24th Regiment, was found on the battle-field,
and one of the colour cases was found in the bed of the
first stream that crosses the fugitive track.
In April last Sir Garnet Wolseley reported that, it
having been brought to his notice that the action of
the weather had exposed the bodies of some of the
dead who had been buried at Isandula he had directed
a party, under the command of Lieutenant O'Connell,
60th Rifles, to proceed to the spot to examine carefully
the ground and to rebury any exposed remains. Lieu-
tenant O'Connell reported that on arriving at the
battlefield he extended the men in a line across the
place where Lord Chelmsford's camp had been, and
moved them slowly backwards and forwards. They
removed all the uncovered bones they could find and
buried them in two large deep graves, and renewed the
stones and earth over the graves that required it. A
trench was dug on the upper side of the place where
the Carabineers were buried, and a small wall made
along the side of the trench to prevent the earth
falling into it and filling it up again. This
will prevent the water running down the hill
and washing the earth off these graves. He
found skeletons of Zulus along the line of their
attack; these he caused to be buried where they lay.
There were no traces of the remains of the two Euro-
peans which had been seen last October where the road
crosses the spruit. There were many bodies of Euro-
peans and Zulus, including some Natal Zulus, lying
exposed throughout the first half-mile of the "fugi-
tives' track." These were deposited in a large grave
and a cairn of stones erected over it. Near where the
guns were lost there were many bodies which had once
been buried, but had become exposed by the action of
water flowing in the spruits and dongas. These
remains were re-interred in some instances and better
covered in others. There were very few between
the point where the "fugitives' track " crosses the
second spruit and the cliffs over the Buffalo, and those
found were, with the exception of one or two, unburied.
There were several bones in the bed of the second
spruit, which is crossed by the "fugitives' track."
It appeared to Lieutenant O'Connell that all men
of the infantry who had escaped so far were killed here.
All the bodies that were lying in the watercourses he
caused to be reburied on the banks and above flood
water level, and well covered with bits of rock and
stone. There were but few bones close to the "fugi-
tives' drift," as all those who had fallen there seemed
to have been carefully buried. Several of the graves,
however, required re-covering. He believed that a
few stray bones would be found from time to time at
Isandula for many years to come owing to the water-
courses. He made inquiries of natives respecting the
kraal where it was said two companies of the 24th
Regiment had fallen, but they knew nothing about it.
Mr. Johnson, the missionary, residing near the field,
had also made inquiries about this kraal, but the
natives had never heard of it. He believed the story
to have no foundation. Chaplain Ritchie reported to
the Chief of the Staff that he celebrated the funeral
service over the remains which had been buried by
Lieutenant O'Connell's party; and, speaking both as
a clergyman, and as one who lost a very near connec-
tion and many intimate friends in the engagement, he
expressed the opinion that all had now been done
that the most sensitive relative of any of the deceased
could desire.