The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-23
SURROUNDED M zULUG
The story OF n Young EngIish Ohces's Escape
~ the Battle OF IssndulR.


RoRKE's DRIFT, Buffalo River, Jan; 25-
since wrote the first part Of my letter drend-
ful disnster hns happrned to US; II seems to
I mo pure mirecie that ! an alive to tel you
ing Of The 22i. The General sent Tor me and told
me to convey n d'spntch to Col. Durnford. who
was Mt Rorkes Drift. with about 900 mounted
black fellows. as u battle was expected. When
] arrived In camp / found tho greater part OF
s n p zone out I'M WIN h ,ne General 10 eG n
the camp flvc companies Of tho First Battnl-
ion OF the Twenty fourth. two guns. about 600
after the tents the Army Hospital Corps rs
mrnl, and the sick In the hospital tents. Tho
first Zulu force appeared about O'Clock in the
morning. Two companies OF the Twcniy-fourth
were sent out after them. The Xulua seemed
to retire. and there was firing kept up at long
At about y the Zulus were seen coming over
the hills in thousands, They were in most per-
rows OF skirmishers one behind the other.
two TANKS and o. IL front Of u; and a
ground. Nobody knows how. many there
OF Them but the general idsa Is Pt le east
an hour they were right up to the camp. was
out with the front companies OF tho twenty
fourth handing them spare ammunltloni Bull
seemed to notice them. The Zulus nearly all
Ind firearms of some kind and lots of ammuni-
came right into the camp. assegnng everybody
right and leit. Everybody then who had q
lOrAo turned 10 Nv. Inc enemy WtTt going ul
kind Of very FIST hnlf-walk and half-run.
On looking round we saw that we wore COM
petoly surrounded and the roadto Rorke's Drlit
was cut on The place. whore they scemed thin
nest wns where we all made for. Everybody
went pell-mcll over ground covered with huge
boulders and rocks until we got to a deep sprint
or gully. How the horses got over have no
Ion. was riding broken-kneed old crock
pected 10 20 on its head every minutS We had
to 40 bang through them at tho sprint Lots Of
our men were Killed thcre. had lots OF mar
Ill, unI nrtV ut hon
with my revolver rs ] Ralloped along. The
ground there down TO the river was 80 broken
that the Iulus went as fast ns the horses. and
kept killing all the way. There were very few
white men they Were nearly all mounted Mig
Gers Of ours flying This listed till we came to
n kind Of precipice down to the River Buffalo.
jumped of and led my horse down.
There was Il poor follow OF the mounted in
fantry ta privntel struck through tho arm. who
said as passed that IL / could bind up his arm
and stop the bleeding he would be all right !
accordingly took ont my handkerchief and tied
up his arm just rs | had done H. Major Smith
Of the artillery. came down by me. wounded.
saving: For Gods sake, get on, man; the
could Tor the wounded man. and so turned to
| jump on my horse. just ms was doing
| So tho horse went with bound TO the bottom
| Of the precpicc. being struck with an nsscgai;
| gave up all hope. as the Iulus were all round
a 9sn n6 n , Sb nmonS ,be nnmbcT
| However. with the strong hope that everybody
| clings to that some accident would turn up.
which was little better tian n roaring torrent.
| | was being carried down the stream Mt a tre-
mendous pace. when n loose horse came by me.
| and | got hold OF his tail. and he landed me
! safely on the other bank; but was too tired to
stick to him md get on his back. ! Eot up
| again md rushed on. and WAS several times
| knocked over by our mounted niggers. who
would not get out OF my way. then up Q tre-
mendous HILL with my wet clothes and boots
| full Of water.
| About twenty Zulus got over the wnter and
| followed us up the hill. but, | am thankful to
say. they had not their firearms. Crossing the
| river. however. the Zulus on the opposite side
| kept firing at us we went up tho hill and
| killed several OF the niggers round me. was
| the only white man 70 be seen until came 70
! ons who had been kicked by his horse and could
not mount. | put him on his horse and lent
| him my knife. He said he would catch me a
| horse. Directly he was up he went clean away.
| A few Zulus followed us for about three miles
| across the river. but they had no guns. and
| had revolver. which kept letting them know
| Also the mounted niggers stopped "a little and
kept firing at them. They did not come IN
| close and finally stopped altogether. Well. C
cut it short, struggled into Hepmakaar. abou
| twenty miles OIL at nightfall to ind few mel
who had escaped. about ten or twenty. will
others who had been intrenched in Wagon