The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-15
THE R0RKE'S DRIFT FIGHT.
ONE COMPANY or BRITISH SOLDIERS
AGAINST 5000 ZULUS.

Repentod Attacks upon the Fort Repulsed
with Terrible slnughter-Fourteen War
rIors Killed from One soldiers Window.
F,pr N, Pan mn Ga,e'o
On the same day ms the fatal battle and
disast"r nj Isandlana. II Zulu army numbering
at least z. 600 mon attacked with great bravery
and persistcncy the post at Rorke's Drift. 1t
was hold by j. Company OF tho Second Battalion
Of the Tweny-fourtn Regiment, under Lieut..
Gonvillo Bromhead. The company numbered
ninety men; besides these there were forty
"casuals " present. thirty-lve OF them patients
in hospital. lot behind i'll when the column adj
vGnccd into Zululand under Lord Chelmsford.
The whole Of these were under command Of
Lieut.. Chard Royal Engineers tho senior ON
Ger, under whose able supcrintendonce and or.
dcrs Lieut.. Hrumhead and his men worked and
acted. At o'clock in the afternoon Of the 22d
Lieut.. Bromhead received hastily written de-
Epatrh rom Capt. Gardner. Fourteenth Husenrs.
informing him that the cnmn OF the Third Col
umn had been taken by the enemy. and TINT he
would hc attacked TINT night Cnpt Gardner
had boon engaged I'm the fight ut the camp. had
Tor his iifc' He escaped across the Buffalo River
10 Lieut. Bromhcad and then rode on to Help
mHkaur. another post In the line OF commune
Tho advanced guard OF the zulus appeared
ri first AZ u. VI. IL came round the south cor
ner Of the hill in body Of from 500 to, GOO
strong. led 10y chief on horseback. They
nNIffl n nltnfU anu lUfH HuNhn'fu lulttD
but quickly At run. taking advantage OF every
bit oil cover. II seemed rs II they had expected
nsurprisc he emp. Our men oprncd ilrc ~
He was shot 10y Private Dunbar and fell on his
horse headlong. Numbers of tho enemy fell Mt
once. They hrsitated. broke. and the greater
number scattered tQ their left and occupied the
garden aud orchard whore there WIS plenty OF
cover. 4 few got up close to the houses and lay
behind the field oven ana Kitchens that there
were built scarcely any of these men lad
guns OF rifles. Others. came. on in continu-
Gus stream occupied the hill above, and grad
uaily eucircod the two houses. All the men
who bad guns were stationed on the hill. and
keN up continuous and rapid fire on the
yard. II caught our men in their backs ms they
were guarding the garden side. and five men
were thus shot dend.
II now became dusk. The Zulus crcpt MP
nearer and nearer. Under cover OF the bushes
aud long grass they were able TO get within five
yards Of the hospital without being seen. From
this point. in parties of fifteen To twenty. they
repeatedly attacked the end room OF the hospi-
tai They mnde these atlacks In the most delib-
crate manner. advancing alter the manner OF
thoir dancing. with a prancing step and nigh
action. They cared nothing for slaughter. but
enduaVored. in the most persistent manner. to
get over the harricade and into the hospital.
Many times. seven or eight AT least. Lieut.. Brom-
drive them on with bayonet charge. Then
they would retire. and all Of them in chorus
shout and strike their shields. Our mon cheered
in answer md let them have IL. There was
plenty Of ammunition, Alter the first half hour
tbere was no waste.
How deliberate and telling the FIRE was may
Private Joseph Williams. "a young Welshman.
under two years service. had a small window
IN the hospital to shoot from. Next morning
fourteen dead warriors were counted outside
his window. and several more down his line Of
fire. As soon Us his ammunition was all tx
pended. he and the other men with him de-
Tended the door OF the room till the enemy. by
sheer weight OF numbers. forced 1t open, Foor
fellow. he WAS sgiz"d 10y ia" hands AMI arms,
dragged out. ana nssegnied ana mutlntrd be-
fore the, eyes 81 his comrades Another in.
stance: Private Dunbar. the same man who shot
tue chief on horseback. wis posted To watch the
hill A. the kttllrs strenmed down from their
right this man tllso "A Weshninu, and Of less
service than the above mentionedl shot eight OF
the enemy IN As many consecutive shots. Lieut.,
Chard was standing by MIN, MS he did IT, and
the bodies were found heaped one on the other
next morning.
The enemy at last effected a Judgment In the
hospital. Thirty OF the patients were got out in
time Most OF them were pushed and pulled
through a window which opened on the yard
Sergt. Maxfed a fine young soldier. was very
Ill with fever and dellrious. He could not he
moved. ana he WAS killed In his bed. They now
st fire TO the hospital. The roof was tnatch.
and II quickly blaz.d. BY its light our men were
enabled 20 their foes better. and many fell
before they retreatrd to better cover. After a
pause. encouraged by a chief who from time to
time shouted his orders from the hill side. they
came on again. The Fighting in places became
hand 10 hand over the mealie sacks, The aus
eaiants used only their assegais. These they
did not throw. but used only AS stAbbing
weapons Directly soldier showed his head
over the parRpet 10 get shot. he was thrust At.
Once or twice the Kaffirs actually seized the
hayonets and tried TO wrench them on the rifles.
One OF our men loaded while Zulu WAS tug
Ring AZ his bayonet. He pulled the trigger and
blew the plucky fellow TO atoms. They next
tried 10 set fire to the matched roof OF the store.
In face OF q hot fire they got w TO the house.
and one lne savage had his brains blown out AS
he WAS holding u brand against the caves.
And so the fight continued I'll after midnight.
from which time TIL 4 A. VI. they gradually
Withdrew. only every now and then making q
charge. They carried with them all their dead
and wounded that they could. The Inst Of them
lett lust before dawn. They left $40 dead on
the field, These were counted and buried in
heaps. Many Of them were recognized by their
shields rs belonging TO one of the crack ROYAL
regiments. The majority We're OF certain
age. IN poor condition. and vi small stature.
Our loss, counting five Of the patients. was thir-
teen Killed and ten wounded Three OF the
latter have since died Of their wounds.