West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-10-04
Forbes Ride

Mr.. Forbes of the London NetCS, gives
The following account of his ride after tho
battle of Ulandi, Zululand: "Nlany men
tried to dissuade me; my enterprise was
freely characterized as madness. Evelyn
Wood was the last man to urge an obJec-
ton, and when that had no avail, he gave
me telegram for his wife. The night was
Just falling as rode up the steep rugged
track from the laager into the bush. was
riding dark chestnut horse whose pluck
and staying power knew well, and meant
TO test both. My great effort was to ira
verse as much ground as possible before it
got quite dark, for l did not like the inter
val of pitchy darkness before the moon
should rise about eight O'Clock. So sent
the chestnut along at best pace. II was "A
gruesome ride, and l would sooner be shot
at for two hours at n stretch than to do 1t
again. There was no road, only confu-
sion of wagon tracks, through the long
grass, made by our vehicles in their ad-
vance Everywhere the bush, in detached
clumps some ten feet high, clustered thick
around and among these tracks, daren't
smoke for fear the striking of match
might bctray me. All that there was for
me was to trust to luck, see that the flap of
my revolver case was open, and keep the
down into the black gullies, where half a
regiment might have lain hidden, through
the little patches of tall thorn brake, whose
prickles tore my clothes and lacerated my
skin, stumbling over fallen trunks, wading
through long rank grass, always with cars
cooked and every sense ON its fullest ten
sion. Several fires were visible, through
the bush foliage to right and left, doubtless
the night fires of Struggling bodies of Zulus.
Behind me seethed the Gehenna of the
blazing Ulundi and the other kraals fired
that day. Their lurd blaze helped me on
after darkness fell, which they served to
mitigate. But ut length | came to n dead
halt near the region where the two columns
camped on their march, between the ridge
of Eutodgeneni and the White Umfaloosi
The multiplicity of tracks confused me.
had fairly lost my way; / could dimly see
close to me the charred relics of the great
Slipane Kraal, and / knew / must be near
bog, into which, if i strayed, my horse
at least would never emerge. There was
no recourse but to halt where / was, and
wait with what patience might, for the moon
TO rise. i dare say she kept her time but
must say / thought her shockingly slow
At length the great disc showed above the
ridge, and Illuminated the basin below. AZ
ter a few casts hit off the spoor, and in ten
minutes more was climbing the open grassy
slope that leads up TO the standing camp
on the Enlargement. Here the chestnut
was done, and right well he had done; but
Major Upchor, of the oath, who was in
command, first ordered his men a lot of
rum each in honor of the good news l had
brought, and then furnished me with a
fresh horse, and party to guide me on the
devious way. Steadily 1 rode on all
through the bitter night under the moon
light without adventure, save an occasional
missing and recovery OF the road. | had
an escort for two stages, and then went on
alone, passed within few miles of the
spot where sone days later the bodies,
pierced with assegai wounds, of poor young
Scott Douglass and Corporal Cotter of the
Lancers were found. About four in the
morning the binding fog came down, and
then it was a case of cropping for the track.
On the hill above Fort Marshall the fog was
so dense that had TO dismount and feel
in the grass for the wagon-ruts leading
down the steep slope to the fort. Once
there, dear old Colonel Collingwood gave
Inc some tea in the gray of the morning,
and set me W with a fresh horse. To
make a long story short, l rode into Land
mans Drift between two and three in the
afternoon of the 9th, having ridden about
one hundred and ten miles, usingsix horses.
1t was not much of ride for speed-one
hundred and ten miles in twenty hours :
but look at the delays in losing and finding
the road, in, getting fresh horses &c. /
know that never halted in any one place
more than half an hour, and that | made
good speed is evident from the following
fact After | had left Lord Chelmsford
changed his mind, and started off Guy
Dawnay an hour later, under escort with
his formal despatch. j am nearly three
stone heavier than Dawnay, and weight
tells fearfully on these colony ponies. Yet
Dawnay did not reach Landmarks Drift till
10 p. IN. on the 9th inst Leaving the I'm
faloosi one hour behind me, he did not
reach Landmarks until seven hours behind
me. My riding, it appeared, was not vet
over. On the morning of the 9th il occur
red to General Marshall, in command at
Landmarks Drift-Marshall Is about the
clearest- headed of our chiefs-that some
time might elapse before direct communi.
cation could be opened up between Wolse.
ley and Chelmsford, and that what wouId
be able TO tell him regarding details might
be of service TO the former if were to hur.
ry through with all possible speed TO Port
Durnford. / wasn't in the best case fol
another long ride, it was true In the
fight | had thwack on the leg with q
spent bullet. 1t had not broken the skin.
but made confusion, and the long ride
had set up not little inflammation. But il
was not bad enough TO let it beat fellow,
and of ! set for Landmarks Drift about one
IN the afternoon Of the 9th, bent on reach
ing Pietermaritzburg, distance of one
hundred and seventy miles before stopping
which did