The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-11 00:00:00

COL. EYRE'S REPORT.

Camp, Fort White, April 17,1661.
Sir,—l have the honour to report that, agreeably to my
instructions, I proceeded with the force, as per t..rgin, at
2 a.m. on the 16th inst., to patrol in the .1.. ctidn of
Stock's kraal, and thence down the valley of th.• I trmibigha
unto its junction with the Keiskamma. At daw a of day L
sent forward Capt. Robertson with a portion of A r.u.teong's
horse, to surprise some kraals that were in our 1. .at, and to
reconnoitre for cattle. This duty that officer niciently
performed, causing a general dispersion of the s iamy, an
capturing several head of cattle. I then deta..l.4 Capt.
Davies, with the Rivenidale levy, down a V.,111 y on my
right, communicating with the loquibigha, %fele l.pro-
ended to the left, burning the kraals, and for
cattle down to the Keiskamma. In the ja.rforiii..tee of this
duty Capt. Davies was attacked by the enemy, last he suc-
ceeded in capturing cattle and escorting then. ,he main
column, notwithstanding the resistance opposed him and
the natural difficulties of the ground.
Having halted and refreshed the men at the
_portion of
the Keiskamma and Itiquibigha, I proceeded t•• join Col.
Mackinnon's camp on the Igguibigha, at the i ....denary
atation. En route, we were sharply and at-
tacked on all sides, but particularly on our rear .mil hanks,
the ground being especially favourable to th. • Itnny. I
was several times obliged to halt the column, as I repulsed
the enemy at the charging puce. On the L. 'cession,
when he made his most vigorous attaca,
kraals that lay near the road, tho light c0mp...., of the
73rd, headed by Lieut. Dewier, and supported ..• Meth..
'sachem,. gallantly dashed upon the enemy in th, hada; and
drove him rapidly across We valley, and then 4, I lire to hie
kraals in his face, and in spite of his I.IOUE sad
spirited resistance.
After this, the ardour of the enemy abated, ..•+ he con-
tinued to molest our rear until NC &haat ..ched the
camp. I regret to say that the casualties have a a greater
than usual, and amongst them I have to lament time death
of my adjutant, Ensign Fletcher, au officer who. trouduct
-Ms We !Feld I have hail occasion befon: to brine 1.. the no-
tice of the Colonel-Commandant. Ile hail been ..d by his
ardour to follow the beaten enemy too fur In ethane(' is
company with Captain Robertson, and a portion of Ann-
strong's horse, when a fresh party of the Kaffir- suddenly
attacked them. Three were kill d iu this affer, and the
rest narrowly escaped with their live., leaving I I horses,
either killed, wounded, or missing, in this lies e.ls of the
enemy. His loss to me, as ass adjutant, I shall el much
Our total loss was five killed, one missing, and I: wounded
most of them severely, of whom one coffin r (Ensign
Fletcher) was killed, and one (Lieut. Morris. wounded.
'The general result of the patrol in a most difficea country,
abounding in kloofs, and thickly covend with will, L
trust, be satisfactory to the Colonel-Commauil .rat. We
captured 145 head, includiug 10 horses; these %e *acme-
fully conveyed through the bush, in spite of the ....ntiMied
and vigorous efforts of the enemy to re-capture them, and
we burnt ia his presence, and while exposed to his tire, which
was better directed than usual, every krael that lay m our rout
I beg particularly to bring to the no•iee of the coionel.com-
manditig, the conduct of Captain Robertson, c..rantanding
Armstrong's horse. Notwithstanding the unforton ate affair
to which I have alluded, the general conduct of this promis-
ing yuund officer was as judicious as it was alit. rprising,
' and he rendered me every assistance. To Caroni Bowes,
who steadily and efficiently commanded the 731.1 on this
occasion, I was greatly indebted. I would also express my
thanks to Commander Davis, for the manner in which ho
co-operated with and assisted mo during the day. 'ro
Field-
Adjutant Croker, I am again, as on former oteas..ns, under
much obligation, his zeal and activity, and In. gallantry
whenever an opportunity offered were very cou.incamia.
I have the honour to be &c.,
Wm. Evan,
Lieut.-Colonel 73rd 1t..a.. Corn.
To Colonel Mackinnon, Commanding 2nd Divi...en.
GENERAL ORDER.
-

Head-quarters, King William's Town, April 19.
The commander-in-chief desires most cordially :at congra-
tulate Colonel Mackinnon, Lieut.-Col. Napier, t..e officers
and troops composing the patrol which marchall on. the
15th instant, and this day returned to head-guarta ro, upon
the SUCCe4II which has attended their extended aaperations
in Stock's and Seyolo's country.
A sharp conflict ensued with the two columt, upon, the
,16th inst.—these basing made a night marela upon the
' Kieskamma. Upwards of 150 Kaffirs were kill d, a great
number wounded, 250 head of cattle and l- hot ..as taken,
villages and corn fields devastated, the Kaffir, driven in
every direction, and so beaten after this rout, t at though
the troops bivouacked in the heart of Stock's co, dry, not
a shot was fired, nor did they venture to approa. u the co-
lumn on the march to Fort White.
On the following day a supply of cattle was ta .own into
Fort Cox, and the troops had orders to return t ough the
A.matulas, to induce the enemy to descend from dopeoctra-
We fastnesses, and to assail them at the many ivousable
passes which present themselves; but not the slightest oppo-
sition was offered, and the troops returned in hatch spirits
to head-quarters this day.
Colonel .lackinnon's marches and operations have been
judiciously sad actively carried on, and most only has he
been supported by Lieut.-Col. Eyre, the second in a outman&
Every wounded mar has been brought off, as w.atl as those
who have been killed. Among the latter, the eammander-
in-chief deeply regrets the loss of Adjutant Fh.,cher, 73rd
regiment, who accompanied a detachment of Armstrong's
Horse, under that enterprising aline Ensign aulwrtson,
C.h1.1t., who pursued the enemy most gallant's, though
rashly, and had four of his men cut off', and Lieatt. Morris,
of Armstrong's horse, severely wounded. Officees in com-
mand are desired to pay especial attention to their supporta
—enterprise is desirable in Kaffir warfare, but unlitory
prudence demands support.
Colonel Mackinnon reports the detachment of C. M. Rifle-
men to have well done their duty, and to have gallantly
contributed to redeem the honour of a corps which was
ever conspicuous in the field, but recently tarnished by de-
sertion.

This continued harrassing of tho enemy is the only war-
faro to la, adopted against a foe who will never concentrate
or encounter his opponent in fair and open fight.
A. J. CLostr, Lieut.-Col. D.-(1.-M.-Gen.
The Cape Town Mail of May 2 has the following
on the state of affairs :

From the parliamentary debates, and from the comments
of the journals, it is evident enough that all patties in
England have made up their minds to endure a lung, vexa-
tious, and costly Kaffir war. We heartily wish that there were
anything in the intelligence which the mail packet of this
day will take home, that might cause an agreeable surprise,
as indicating en approaching close of the war. We have,
however, so often flattered ourselves, after the publication
of a flaming general order, that something derisive was
really about to take place, and have been so often disap-
pointed, that we will not venture to offer an opinion
as to the probable result of the operations now in pro-
gym. Much, of course, may be hoped from the rein-
forcements which have arrived, and thew which are ex-
pected from England. The Kaffirs, who aro a quick-
witted people, must by this time have been made to un-
derstand something of the greatness of that power against
which they aro contending. The news of the arrival of a
fire-ship, filled with the indomitable red-coats, from that
sovereign and mysterious country of which they have heard
so much, will fly in a few hours through Katiirland, from
, the Keiskamma to the Orange River. The reports of other
reinforcements, on their way or expected, will accompany
that intelligence; and the effect may perhaps be to induce
the hostile chiefs to seise the first favourable mo-
ment for submission. Everything will, of course, de-
pend on the resolution of the chiefs; for it is well
understood that the war origin ited with them,
and has never keen popular with their followers.
Indeed, there is good reason to believe that nothing but'the
determined opposition to war of the sehordikate head-men
of Kreli, Umhnla, and other veneering elects, withheld
them so long from joining the lailta chieftains in the con-
test which the latter are now waging mainly Mr the preser-
vation of their own supremacy over their tnhcs. The people
of the mother country cannot be more heartily wearyof the
war than are the inhabitants of this colony; and they
cannot feel themselves more utterly powerless for securing
the adoption of prOper means for bringing it to a conclu-
sion. On this point, however, we need say nothing, as it
aeons now to be UlliTillany admitted in Great Brenda,
that the colony is henceforward to govern itself, and to pro-
tect itself.

The same journal says :
The attempt to form a mounted form of three bundeedl
burghers (farmer, or, more properly sacking, landed pro-
=of the most , respectable clam m, from the "mown
of the colony, Ilea proved a tai ure. This recut; is
to be ascribed to various causes. Thu is the commence-
ment of the ploughing seuea, when the presence of the
farmers at home is especially required, ono mom papicn-