The New York herald., 1879-03-08
THE ZULU MASSACRE.
THE DISASTER OF IsANDULA-aRAPHIc DEscRIP-
TIoN OF THE DIsAsTER-DEAD zULUs CAST
ON THE BRITISH BAYoNETs.

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TIoN OF THE DIsAsrER-DEAD zULus CAST
ON THE BRITISH BAYoNETs.
From the London Daily News.l
The following detailed account of the terrible dis
aster at Isandula is telegraphed from Madeira THE
day before the action took place Colonel Glyn.
in command OF the third column. acting
under the direct orders Of Lord Cholms-
ford sent away the advance guard under
the command of Major Dartnail composed
OF detachment of carbineers. the Natal mounted
police, Lonsdale's native contingent and others.
This advanced guard sent to say was engaged with
the zulus. Lord Chelmsford himself and Colonel
Glyn pushed forward the main force. con-
sisting of seven companies of the 2-2lth.
under Lieutenant Colonel Degacher. Ions
dales native contingent under Major Black.
2-24th and other troops. leaving behind as
rear guard five companies OF the 1-24th under Lieu
tenant Colonel Pulleine company OF the 2-2fth,
under Lieutenant Pope. and a portion of the First
Lieutenant Colonel Durnford. with the following
cayslry;lAboSs 1s thirty naval cn csr6neers the
ye ana raemsn d
ton, Colonel Durnford had Sikalis Horse
and two guns. under Captain Russell. Royal artil-
lery. There were few arllerymen. The Army
Hospital Corps the Comn,issariat, with column
Of Lord Chemsford's moved forward with the
morning Of the ad The rcar guard had finished it's
usual morning march and outspanned when
Zulu skirmishers were observed surrounding the
hills. These skirmishers advanced toward tho
was pitched in broken country in of valley.
with distant surrounding hills. colonel Pulleine
sent skirmishers who responded to the fire of the
Zulus 1t seems that the number Of Zulus was
not estimated it being considered slight denonstra-
ton of few As the enemy scouts were soon
joined by bodies OF considerable strength Colonel
Puilene's skirmishers were recalled. and tho camp
hastily put upon the defensive. The Zulu army
then came on rapidly in regular battalions, eight
deep. keeping up heavy steady fire, until well
within assegai distance. They then ceased their fre
aud hurled assegais Our men kept up very steady.
telling fire, and great numbers of the enemy dropped.
but without checking their progress The places
OF the mon who fel were constantly filled by COM
rades.'
THE AMMUNITION WAGONS CAPTURED
While this attack was going on in the rear double
flank movement executed. by which the horns
of the Zulu army surrounded the camp. The dlsad-
vantage.of the wagons not being packed in laager
was evident, and il led to the disaster. Our
men had emptied their pouches and found it impos-
sible to replenish them, the Zulus had obtained
,nsn Of sno IT The
cry. Our officers and assegaied
as they stood. They made no charges.
talions and literally crushed the small body which
could only defend itself with tho bayonct, and very
@ soon it,, IT. had not even room A.. to use. use that;
their comrades and hurled them tho bayonet
points Of our soldiers. thus simply beating down all
defence. The work of destruction complete.
Within two hours from the time the Zulu skir-
mishers were seen there was not living white man
in the camp. The ammunition, the guns, the COM
missariat supplies. the WAGONS the oxen. oil the ma
terial of the column, fell into the hands of the
enemy. Fortunately two cannons were spiked by
Captain Smith. Royal ARTILLERY, who was assegaed
while in the act of spikng all the ammunition and
some wagons, and destroyed whatever was left be-
hind. t
The Zulu army was completely organized. 1t ad-
vanced first throwing out skirmishers then. as the
battalions came down in mass used their rihos
enough to use their own more familiar weapon.
the assegai, they threw in two or three showers.
dy. .s and the % stabpnp asseaai Was soon At worR
The impression in Natal is that this engagement on
the part Of the Zulus is not attributable to general
ship. but that the army OF invasion was making for
Natal and accidentally the guard Of
Colonel Glynns column. Our troops were allowed
to cross the river at various points Colonel Gynn
main body was enticed by feint advance away
froih its material Then the main body Of
the enemy. supposed to be under Sirayo.
the baggage guard. Our native allies fought
bravely, too, and If the camp had been formed in
the ammunition with which the camp gen.
erousy supplied, It would have given different
count of the enemy. Young saw nothing of bar
barities The way in which the men were surrounded
and crushed down by weight of numbers proves that
utter annihlation took pace but it is hoped that
the horrible stories in circulation have no founda-
ton in TACT.
THE HoRRons OF THE SCENE
All that are left Of the Twentyfourth regiment are
Captain Harrisons company. stationed at st. John
River; Captain Upchers and Captain Rainforth, who
ut that time their march to join their bat
tallOn; MAJOR Mucn unu Dr dartiey, WHO were IN
vaded short time before. aud Lieutenant Mors-
head. who was doing staff duty at Pietermaritzburx.
The great wonder was that so few men--for thoro
we're only about six hundred mon in the camp,
excluding natives who ran, and not including
Colonel Durnford's mounted men, under Captain
Barton, who did fight well-were able in the open.
and with protection of cover. 10 keep off for tour
or fvo hours the large numbers of kairs that must
have attacked them. The line OF Zulus which came
down the hills to the left nearly three miles long,
and must have consisted of fifteen thousand men,
while body of over ive thousand remained on the
top reserve and took part in the action, but
simply drove off the CATTLE wagons plum
der. When these men moved they took most of their
dead bodies with them in our wagons mixed with the
debris of the commissariat wagons. the contents
which-hour sugar tea, biscuits, mealies. oats, &c.-
scattered about and wasted in pure wantonncss
On the ground there were also dead horses shot in
every position oxen mutiated. mules stabbed. while
lying thick upon the ground in clumps were the
bodies OF the white men. with only their boots and
shirts perhaps old pair of trousers part
of their coats with just enough showing to indicate
to which branch they belonged. In many thoy
lay with sixty seventy rounds Of empty cartridges
alongside them. showing they had only died after
doing their duty.