The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-20 00:00:00

•
CA

Luti ; thirty five had been previoirly
ain • Parn.orti's detaeliment on board the Coitel
lac l st2.l in the pre-
vious orders the attack was changed, *tad I directed
Captain Wells with a detachment of 35 men to land on,
thn first point of the High *Bluff within the Bar, and
drive the Boors out of the thick bush, whilst the Conch,
the launch armed with a carronade, and the cargo, were
to proceed direct into the harbour, land, and take pos-
session of the port.
A fresh sea breeze fortunately set into the harbour at
the very time of our advance ; the Conch taking thus
the boats in tow crossed the bar at three o'clock, Captain
Wells landed where directed, when a brisk fire was
opened on the Conch and boats from both shores, that
from the high wooded bluff.within twenty yards of the
boats ; yet in spite of the short range and cross fire,
under which the boats had to pass, so ,quick was our
advance, aided by both wind and tide, that but little
effect was produced by their fire. When opposite the
landing place, from hence the fire still continued, I

added to

(iF 6:00-ii i*Hili_L%

GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EX-

TRAORDINARY.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, Jule. 15, 1842.
PORT NATAL.
His Excellency the. Governor has been pleased to
direct the following dispatches from the Officer com-
manding her Majesty's troops at Port Natal, to be
published for general information.
Colonial-office, Cape of Good Hope, July 16, 1842.
By command of his Excellency the Governor,

J. MOORE CRAIG,
Acting Secretary to the Government.
have the honour to lay before you the follow-
ing particulars respecting the position of the force under
any command, from the date of my last dispatch until
the period of their being relieved on the 26th of this
month by .:,the troops sent for that purpose from the
colony..,
Various reports having been brought to me on the
25th May, respecting the intention of the farmers to
make combined attack on the camp that night,
kept the troops under arms, but nothing trans-
pired until a short time previous to day break on the
following morning, when volleys of musketry, accom-
anied by the fire of large guns, was heard at the
Point, which pos', I regret to say the Boors carried,
after a deperate resistance on the part of the detachment
stationed there. By this untoward event an 18-pounder,
Which there had not been time to remove, fell into their
hands, as well as the greater portion of the Government
provisions landed from the Pilot. Fortunately all the
Powder, with the exception of a stain portion for the
18-pounder, had been brought to the camp, in which I
had caused a field magazine to be constructed. - The en-
gineer stores were also saved, but 'there being no place
ft. this post wherein the provisions cluld be protected
rourthe weather, I had been obliged to leave the greater
portion at the Point, merely bringing up a few waggon.
loads. from time to time as required.
Finding myself thus cut off from my supplies, I re-
solved to concentrate the remainder of my force in the
Camp, and there await the re-inforcement which I made
no doubt would be sent from the colony on the receipt
rofthe dispatch forwarded by me over-land on the even-
ing of the 25th of May, and intrusted to Mr. King.
The farmers having desired the captains of the Pilot
and .Mazeppa to write and express to me their willing-
ness' to enter into arrangements for the removal of the
troops, which letter reached me the day after the Point
fell into their possession, I accepted their proposal for a
truce, .being desirous of gaining time to strengthen
the , post as much as possible. During its con-
tinuance, they sent in terms so ridiculously extrava-
gant, that, although the quantity of provisions in the
camp was, extremely limited, I immediately broke Off all
communication with them, being fally determined, sooner
than submit, to endure the extremity of privation. I
thereore Placed the men upon half-allowance, destroyed
'a stMili post which I had caused to be erected between
theiamp and some buildings occupied by the English
residents, and made my position as secure as I possibly
could, with a view to holding out to the last.
Their arrangements being completed, the farmers,_
abatit.6 a.m. on the 31st instant, made a.desperate attack
on the camp, throwing into it during the course of the
day_ 122 round shot, besides keeping up an incessant
fire
~uf . musketry. On the following day (June 1),
they slackened the. fire of musketry, but threw in 124.
round shot, and on the 2d opened a fire from the
18-.pounder which they had contrived to bring from
Ille"Voint, while they still continued their discharges of
musketry. During the course of this day they sent the
Rel.. Mr. Archbell with a flag of truce, proposing to
allow the women to quit the camp, and to send back two
Wounded men but this was done merely to gain time to
repair some works thrown down by the fire from our
batteries. Here I think it right to observe, that they
'were incessantly employed every night in making ap-
nrot,clies towards the post, which were constructed with
el?lisiderable skill ; this, the nature of the ground enabled
tueni to do with much facility, and from thence a most
'galling fire was constantly kept up, particularly on the
two batteries, wherein I had placed the 18-pounder and
howitzer.

.
ordered.Alajor D'Urban to land, who immediately
jumped on shore, and we rushed to the flagstaff to pull
down the colours anel give her Majesty's frigate notice
that we were in possession,_ and to cease firing.
The Boors abandoned their strong ground the instant
we landed, yet so thick was the bush and so broken, the
ground, thut though from the smart fire kept up they
must have been in force, yet not half a dozen Of them
were ever seen; and on the southern bluff so thick was
the wooded covering that nothing but the smoke from
their firelocks was ever seen. I have since learned that
the number . of Boors who defended the Port amounted
to 350 men : their loss it has been impossible to
ascertain.

Having thus seized the Port and landed the men from
the Conch, the troops were immediately formed : Cap-
tain Durnford was ordered to enter the bush on the
right and drive the Boors before him, whilst I placed
myself on a roadway in the centre, Major D'Urban
taking the left along the harbour beach.
In this order we advanced through a bush, the cha,
racter of which it is difficult to describe, and which might
have been held by a handful of resolute men against any
assailants.

On reaching the open ground we found the direction
of Captain Smith's entrenched camp by the firing of his
heavy gun. We marched upon the point, Captain Smith
now threw out a party, and we joined him at four o'clock.
Having thus executed your Excellency's commands with
all military promptitude, by extricating the brave de-
tachment under. Captain Smith's command, I strengthened
his post by Captain Durntbrd's detachment. teid directed
Major D'Urban to hold Stellar's farm, returning myself
to the Port, to arrange a post of defence with such of the
troops as I expected would have been landed.
The gallantry with which Captain smith defended his
post for a whole month, under no ordinary circumstanced
of privation, having been reduced to horse-flesh for food,
closely hemmed in by a desperate and vigilant foe, with
no less than 26 wounded within Lis closely confined
camp; is highly creditable to him and his party.
Thus was accomplished. within the incredibly short
space of one month from the date of Captain Smith's re-
port of his position, the relief of his prty, at a distance
of 1,500 miles from Cape Town, whence the relief was
dispatched, his communiw.len having had to pass
through hostile hands and a savage country.
I have now reported to your Excellency the proceed-
ings which have placed use in possession of Port Natal ;
and I have kept them distinct from any mention of the
naval co-operation and assistance I received from her
Majesty's ship Southampton, feeling it to be duo to
Captain Ogle commanding, to Commander Hill, and the
officers and seamen of that frigate, that their services to
us should be separately noticed, whether as to their
cheerful good will displayed towards us whilst on board,
or subsequently in the more important service performed
in covering our landing by the admirable practice from
the ship's heavy battery, and spirited assistance given us
by Captain Hill, in command of the boats.
In my order of the day I have inadequately endea-
voured to express my thanks to those officers, and I
should not be doing them justice without repeating it
here in the strongest terms.
If our success be not absolutely indebted to the oppor-
tune presence of the Conch, to her protection must be
mainly ascribed the very small loss we suffered in forc-
ing the entrance.
The troops conducted thenriselves with the greatest
steadiness, and I am much indebted to Major D'Urban
for his prompt landing, and the assistance he has afforded
me throughout these operations.
I also received the best support from every officer un-
der my orders, in conducting these operations, and par-
ticularly so from Lieutenant William Napier, who acted.
as my Aide, and has been of the utmost service to me,
not only by his spirit in our active operations, but equally
so, by his attention to all details and arrangements so
essential on such occasions.

IvFinding that the few cattle remaining at the krall
1 dying either from wounds or want of sustenance,
, dh'ected that they should be killed and made into bit-
ilort Iredecing the issue to half a pound daily. I also
,ltd aiwell dug in the camp, which gave good water, there
'einil'il risk in going to the valley at night from whence
ire had hitherto procured it.
In resuming my detail of proceedings. I may state ge-
nerally that the attacks on the camp were continued
from day to day with more or less spirit by the farmers
who, having soon exhausted their iron balls, fired leaden
balls from their large guns, in some instances sending
them i,;ith much precision. Our practice from the camp
was eXeellent, a shot from the 18-pounder having dis-
mounted one of their 6-pounders on the 3d inst., besides
wounding,.several of those attached to it.
On the night of the Bth I sent out a party to destroy
some4orks in our front, which was accomplished with-
out loss. In a subsequent sortie made on the night of
the Ththitilitant we were less fortunate, although the
alutx_warliprfnimed with great gallantry, the Boors
lbeiag siiitised in the attack, and many bayonetted
atiter-a *teat resistance. In this attack, which was
hestslad )4,Lieutenant Molesworth, 37th Regiment, I
hadlo regret.the loss of Ensign Prior and two privates
of bile-Bartii!corps, who were killed, besides four others
beitir snilerely wounded.
i,..
, Ron inquiring into the state of the provisions this day
1 and'that only three days' issue of meat remained.
I t ierefore directed that such horses as were living
tnighLbe killed and made into biltong. We had hitherto
riven issuing biscuit dust, alternating with biscuit
and rice, at - half allowance. The horse-flesh, of which
'there was but little, we commenced using en the 22d, and !
by a rigid exactness in the issues, I calculated we might
certainly hold out, although without meat, for nearly a
inontlilonger, for we had eleven bags of forage corn in
`,ltcre, which I had commenced grinding into meal ; and
Li y every one contributing what remaine of private into
Ible public stock, a tolerable quantity of various articles
r,)f sustenance was procured.
On the night of the 24th, several rockets, apparently
fro, n a vessel in the bay, assured us that relief was nigh
at h and ; these we answered. On the night of the 25th,
the i nany rockets from seaward assured us that not only
w” I t vessel in the bay, but that she was communicating
with ith nntaher in the offing, a surmise corroborated on the
folio tying day by the landing of the party under Colonel
net?, and their final relief of the post in gallant style,
Letweeu three and four o'clock in the afternoon.
, To the dry detail of the proceedings I have given I
',naeg; to add a few remarks ; and first with respect to our
'w ss. Within the period embraced between the 31st
f)ltty and 25th June, 651 round shot of various sizes had
eon tired at the camp, in addition to a continued and
watchful fire of musketry, and
,yet our loss during that
peri id was but one sergeant and two privates of the 27th
killed, and three wounded, one Cape Rifleman and one
.!avili::n killed, and one wounded, exclusive of the loss I
hale previously noted as occurring during the sortie on
tthe morning of the 18th inst. The damage to the wag.
g ons and tents, and private as well as public property
Vv.; however, great, for these it was impossible to secure
in. such a manner as to preserve them from injury.
A..nong the serious disadvantages I had to contend
Wt th, . may mention that the numerous people attached
as leaders and drivers to the different waggons, many
114% ',;ng large families who required to be fed, hampered
the sadly in the trenches, whilst the vast number of
eat. 2e originally with the waggons, acre a very great in-
Lun i brance. These, however, were soon driven off, for
tart v, all the Boors (contrary to the opinion entertained
"3' i he colony) were mounted, and thence enabled to
1110 V, s from point to point with a celerity which baffled
11 `''.l% .y. every movement that the infantry could make
~
iTaiti st them. -
I In .NC thus given a detail of the chief circumstances
'e,°fltiee,ted with the command intrusted to me. That it
''''' hid 1 ave been so far unsuccessful I regret, but the
rk.s. ,
1 . u‘lanck. on the part of the farmers since my arrival
`4`; been universal, those few who professed themselves
r
*"'"ndly having carefully abstained from giving assist-
-nutt,- in must cases using that profession as a convenient
"g!ecn.for the purpose (4 hiding their disaffection from
(I
4ii,-Itlivati All the property of the English residents
V, ..Ors' pliund.srecl and sent to Pietermaritsburg. They
14i0 took out the greater part of the freight of the Ma-
ti pa (including the whole of my own property), which
ir," gent to .the same place. The prisoners taken at the
plulin (English residents as well as soldiers) have also
ltin marched thither ; and the former have, I under-
-7nd,- been:treated with great harshness. After being
blundered, the i Mazeppa escaped from the harbour on
'att.iiight of th 10th inst.
~,' in egnelll3lon, j beg to state that nothing could exceed
""b Patience and cheerfulness evinced by the troops
under the privations they suffered, and I feel satisfied,
that had it been necessary to have held out for a longer
period, they would have endured their further continu-
"n,e Without a murmur. I have the honour to be, Sir
.}'Our most obedient humble serrant,
, . J. C, SMITH, Captain, 27th Regiment.
-"la Honour Colonel Hare, C.B. and KM.,
" • Lieutenant-Governor.
L 1.5.4- I omitted to mention in its place that a round
".1t no the Bth instant broke the carriage of the 18-
Pok \der in two places, but we repaired it so as to be per-
fectly semiceable. J. C. SMITH.

I enclose a return of casualties.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your most obedient humble Servant,
A. J. CLOETE, Lieutenant-Colonel
Deputy Quartermaster-General Commanding.
His Excellency Sir George Napier, K.C.B.
Governor and Commander-in-Chief; Ric.
P.S. I also enclose a return of guns and ammunition
captured on the 26th.

(Enclosure No. 1.)
(Translation.)

The General Commandant of the Emigrants of Natal
has positively determined to allow of no correspondence
with Captain Smith's camp.
(Enclosure No. 2.)

Her Majesty's ship Southampton, June 2.6, 1842.

MEMORANDUM.

The attack on theJ;;m4,:rant Farmers' position at Natal
will be made in two divisions.

The first, under the immediate command of Lieut.-
ColonelCloete, who will cross the bar, force the entrance,
and seize the Sandy Point.
The second division, commanded by Major D'Urban,
will land, if practicable, on the sea beach, about a mile
above the Sandy Point, spread itself, take the insurgents
in flank, forming by his left a juncture with Colonel
Clcete's division, and extend his right towards Captain
Smith's camp, with whom he will open a communication.
A. J. CLOETE, Lieutenant-Colonel,
Deputy Quartermaster-General Commanding.
(Enclosure No. 3.)
Port Natal, June 27,1842.
BRIGADE ORDERS.

1. Lieut.-Colonel Cloete, commanding the troops at
Natal, has to congratulate the detachment of Royal Ar-
tillery, under Lieut. Maclean, detachment 25th Regi-
ment, under Itljor D'Urban, and detachment 27th Re-
giment, under Captain Durnford, with the success of
the expedition on which they were employed in extri-
cating a detachment of her Majesty's troops under Capt.
Smith, closely surrounded by bands of hostile insurgent
Boors, against whom they gallantly maintained their
post for a whole month, though reduced to horse-flesh
for food.
Lieut.-Colonel Cloete has to thank Major D'Urban and
the troops for their steady and spirited conduct in the
affair of yesterday.
To the able assistance and spirited co-operation of
Captain Ogle commanding, and Captain Hill, and the
officers and seamen of her Majesty's ship Southampton,
is entirely due the very trifling loss sustained in forcing
the entrance into the harbour, in which the troops re-
ceived the valuable protection of the Conch schooner,
commanded hy Mr. Bell.
2. Correct returns will be sentin immediately to hehi4
quarters of the exact strength of the several detachments
composing the forces employed at Natal, with a nominal
list of the casualties that occurred yesterday evening.
A. J. CLOETE, Lieutenant-Colonel,
Deputy-Quartermaster-General Commanding.

(Enclosure No. 4.)
• CASUALTY RETURN.
Return of casualties during the disembarkation of her
Majesty's troops, at Port Natal, on the 26th June, 1842.
Killed—One lance-corporal, 25th Regiment, one pri-
vate, 27th Regiment.
Wounded—Three privates, 25th Regiment, one pri-
vate, 27th Regiment, and two seamen of her Majesty's
ship, Southampton. Total—killed, 2, wounded, 4.

NAMES.
Lance-Corporal Arthur, 26th Regiment, Light Com=
pany, killed.
Private Richmond, 24th Regiment, Light Company,
wounded dangerously ; (in despatch of 27th of June
included among the killed.)
Ditto, Dennis, ditto, ditto, wounded.
Ditto John Cross, ditto, ditto, wounded.
Private Jennings, 27th Regiment Grenadiers, killed.
Ditto l‘PCaffry, ditto ditto, wounded.
(Signed) A. J. CLOETE, Lieut.-Col. Deputy
Quartermaster-Gen. commanding.

(Enclosure, No. 5.)
Return of the Guns, Ammunition, &c., taken at Port
Natal on the 26th June, 1842.
. ,

One iron gun (4-pounder), placed on the north side of
the harbour to command the entrance.
One ditto ditto (4-pounder), placed on the Bluff Point,'
south side of the harbour, looking seaward.
Two quarter barrels of powder, L. G.
Fourteen rounds of ammunition, 31b. each, with lead
balls, weighing 6 and 81b., 14 in number.
(Signed) I'. MACLEAN,
Lieutenant Commanding Royal Artillery.
Port Natal, July 3, 1842. '
Sir,—The immediate effect of taking Port Natal on
the afternoon of the 26th ult., as reported in my des-
patch of the 2Sth to your Excellency, was, that on the
same night the master of the Pilot brig, who had been
detained as a prisoner among the Boors, and four other
persons, made their escape from Congella during the
janic caused by our advance movement on Captain
Smith's camp, and joieed me at this place. They re-
ported to me that the Boors had abandoned Congella in
Port Natal, June 28, 1842. the greatest haste, and had taken flight.
Sir—On the 27th instant I availed myself,of a Catfre On the morning of the 28th, however, we discovered
thQ..;senger to re nort to your Excellency in a few ivords, with our spy-glaises that there Ivere a number of horses
~_.t Captain sui',l..ll was extricated, and Port Natal hi about Congella, and I immediately determined tp march
our possession. upon it, for which purpose I collected from each CA' the
It •
is now ivy drAy t 0 give the details of my pro- outposts 100 men, and with this force and a howitzer I
ctedine.s, took the road to Congella. A small party of the insur-
Herb Ma. -t •-' . ampton arrived and anchored
1. ► S th'
„ L.. jes ...) s s tip on gents' scouts were seen a little in rah mice of the place; on.
e 25th inst.
."' fort Natal on the night o, the
~,i schooner Conch, with perceiving our approach they retired under the shelter of
C•
Here was found at anchor t
rend a detachment of
". ptain Durnford, 27th Regiment, the bush, and we entered the village, consisting of about
some des- 15;or 20 houses, without any opposition. Here we found
;_i.oo men, two small howitzers, amp stores
. on 10th inst.
P ached by Colonel Hare, from Algoa Bu,":
t7ent Boors curious establishment for moulding six•pouuticr leaden
I,..l,%Alltaiit.Durnford reported that the insur shot. I resisted the burning of the place, and prevented
Smith,
7 .refased him all communication with Captain• all plundering ;as however the troops were still without
`ii‘-ict?, WicloAure No. 1,) - who was still holding his i'est ; any of the provisio is to be landed from the Southamp-
.lUt; the headlands at the entrance of the harbour w.'re I ton, and with only two days' provisions in hand, I
tirind with guns, and that the Boors had collected in I directed such articles of consumption as were necessary
If''reP to oppose our landing, signal guns and rockets 17'ir the use of the troops to be put into a waggon, which
were, fired from the frigate to intimate our arrival to we found there, and convey these supplies to the camp.
.11titain Smith, and every arrangement made for carry- Four' Persons, inhabitants of Congella, gave them.
rag the place as soon as tie tide served, and the
'could be placed so as to cover our landing-. frigate selves up to rue ; one Quintus, a German naturalist,
another &Colts, practising as a doctor, and two others ;
At two o'clock p.m. on the 26th inst., the Sonthainp- I availed I:us:4f of these people to convey to the mis •
tr`il Was iniposition, and the troops were embarked in guided Boor.; Ole merciful intentions of Government,
-14 boats, which, however, could only take eighty- placing in th3ir hocis a copy of a public notice, which 1