New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-04
THE CAPTAINS CHARGE.
BY nEUTENANT-coLoNEL MAHoNEY, c. NJ @
Extract from District Orders,

Pletermarltzburs, May 10, 1873
aCaptain Ellicott, oath Regiment, will report
himself without delay to Major Manley Chiei ray
master, in order TO receive INSTRUCTIONS lnaC WAL
be conveyed to him by that officer :.
In obedience to the foregoing, presented mysSidi
at the head Office Of the Army Pay rcn anu
requested to be shown to Major Nancy rUo'i,
Good morning, sir" said on being aolii''eu'
" l am directed to report myself 10 you. o,ic,
Yes Elicott' answered tne of alvice and en-.
couragement to offer those VINO sen' co d;Gicnit
orders II am about to detail yen 10 u,n.cI c
and somewhat dangerous duty money nu .,,'l;e 80
cnnvevcd TO Newcastle for the payment oil snpples,
"a the Beers refuse to receive our paper anu ~ s1
If the drafts were accepted there IS not suiGie en-,
srccic in the small country banks to meet all inc
Spmands that would be made upon them. 30 L
want to send you up with fifty thousand pounas
in gold to be banded over 10 MI rS,n hi" a II,
count to me direct for all payments made"
Am not to have the u usual escYIt detailed Id
the Treasury Instructions? l asked
No: there's the pinch. Our losses were so
great at Isandhlwana that we have not single
man to spare. All clerks and employed men mus,
take their turn OF duty BESIDES WISH 10 aVora
necessarily advertising the matter. In the present
state Of the country, with shoals OF doubtful char
acters about, this would be inludlclous ana aihoso
invite attack SO the General has fallen in with
INV suggestion as to the manner of conveyance, L
taking tho responsibility of its safe delivery NO."
Estcrt1 And he proceeded to unfuld lis plan
The position appeared to be this: After. our
losses on tic I'D Of January, and while waiting
Tor relnfcrcemcnts there were barely enough men
to enable us 10 hold our own in case OF descent
upon the Colony by Cetewnyo. Pieternaritzburs
had beer. put IA n state "i defence by crectil.s
loopholed barbados in the streets. Tho court
house was fortified and laagerS formed at various
strategic points TO which all the inhabitants were
TO repair upon given signal-thc firing OF three
guns in quick succession from Fort Napier. All
The outlying posts and towns were also strongly
fortified This prohibited the withdrawal 0l any
men employed in the duties of defence;
Ordinarily guard Of one officer and twcnty,hv ,
for tb. RI NJ IRON III.
as has been explained, the present CIRCUMSTANCES
were unfavorablc To this course, and prompt pay
ment for supplies being Imperative, Tie lono"ihe
was decided on
THE money was to be packed in empty. ammu-
milton boxes with the usual descriptive iaDel OF
contents remaining on them men IT. TaS ro
ness and strength and placed under charge OF an
officer who. he was pleased to say, should De a
man Of courage and resource; passing III on 10 the
front. rs was frequently done at the time. as am,
munition. There great scarcity OF stores Oh
all kinds after our losses at lSlnGhIwana, WhcIe
immense quantities of supplies had 10 DC aoan-
Now he went on to say. =" the greatest risk
Won will run is from the swarm OF men VINO, una, |
The guise Of somebody's Horse or somcpohiy
clse's Rangers ct hoe genus omnc, are spread az
over the country at the present time doh -,
nilUdc to the gallant men under urea iehueis W." az
have done such good and loyal service, Dut 10
those smaller bands under unknown mon, TO Which
are attracted the usual lawless spirits mat AWAY
crop I'D under pressure of times like the present;
Shnuld Won come across any of these, they would
make nothing OF taking your life II they got an
inkling of what you have in charge
This was true enough.
the risk ?" continued Major Manley. My Splits
rose At the prospect. The task was no doupt =
difirult one but reflected that this was chancc
that might never come in nv way again and fcit
a not objectionable pride in the hope OF obtann I
little distinction should successfully c''rf' Out
the duty now entrusted To- me a,,,, 49,,
" I an your man, Major rcriieu. "H'i ON
1 to START" ,, ayor,
ready acceptance of what, to bc PLAN With you
is hazardous undertaking, snail not go uhIePrc-
scnted in Che proper quartrr. Co.. o,,,,.,. or thc
La order to throw the lcaief c!em"nd OH .ilI
scent n paragraph was inserted IN INC Sa'ai
Witness" stating that CAPTAIN E'hcoft OF INC
gtth Regiment was in orders 10 loln the heai-
quarters Of his corps. ami take with HIM supply
OF reserve ammunition. the Transport Department
being directed TO provide CONVEYANCE. ,o,.,
The date Of leaving was given rs Some uhyh
affrr thar intended for my actual departure con-
seorent,v / should be well on the way before IL
WAS known that had started. .
Two days after the interview mSh'i one! aDorc,
the cart containing my valuable cGnslghihe n,
wound slowly upward along ton me- % s,r ,i.
leading to nowicil The o;tcn9i HfitSr ir
now and then at the weight Oh the ahmuiI.lpl'
saving il ought to be sent on az oN-"agoh HSlV9'
OF a muie-cart lie VIA, afraid the spiihsS Wouiu
not nc orr dyauah Of Rocr brandy with which
had provide, myseif-that fiery llquld 50 hsnlt
prizcd by his class, upon who's hcad IT. apl'1ir1
nt 70 ma k, the ii chit 81 impression. Alitr ION
i,u thr comnaratively level road which term
ngted al the hotel. ., .. c.,
was disagreeably surprised on arrival ~ INC
hera n body of volunteers, about forty IN nunloer
co,oposcd principally. rs il appeared to me, o.
that dubious class known as the cinteei ioairr,
product peculiar to some parts OF aouth Alr'. -
They wcr, under the leadership OF a snlo9'h
tongned individual named OsicttGn' whom ha '
frequently met at iIetermailt InufS' anu Wilo ~
e,ii to DO very well cOnnectcds-a rect,Ss gih'icr
rpgdy TO he, on anything or everything IA III
the additional reputation OF being an utterly uii
/ scrupnlous scoundrel. ,,, ,,,I
! como rliian named Mondrum who had Deeh lOr
hidden the cntrce to any decent hotel where ne wa
known, and was strongly suspected oil pins o",,
corned in robbery committed at larih nous, 1'
! the Mooi River some months previously. III
knowledge Of the Zulu language he having i't ,G
among the natives Tor sste En SFTrS' WIS VIZ
on my requesting Mrs. Padey, the landlndy' %
| oblige ne with separate room In whicn 10 uc
/ posit the ammunition, she became alarmed anu re
! fused TO allow il to enter the mousse
! "No sir" She said have h,d trouble enough
already with these men. They have been hanglnl
about thc place for nearly week, ana am aIr','
! If I DIDN'T yonr ammunition they VIII SET ilIe Z
eomothinp and blow us all to pieces. IL had bette
Il,iS \yas an UNEXPECTED rebuff. and all coult
urgc would not make her alter her decision. $
with many misgivingS ! piled the boxes in IRON
Of a little turret at the end OF the Vcrahoai
fiat Ind bcen allotted TO me rs n sleeping place
This hand of volunteers. or what many persons
would he inclined 20 style bandits, kept up thri
rcyels to a late hour and then dropped on, one pl
one. 70 seek some place inside or outside the nous
| to sleep away the effects Of their orgie.
/ 7 tried to ascertain from Osierton where he wa
bound to. and when he intended to march, oeIns
DESTROYS Of giving him and his men vide perm
lie smiled furtveiy, and replied In his smooth
almost musical voice Really, Captain, ! am no
quite sure yet detailed by General Cii ,Sr
TO proceed TO Ilarrismth but understand ana tnr
/ that has now been changed and am waiting hcI'
for orders Where might you be going p
| thought it well to conceal my destination ah'
said:
oh I'm for the Bushman's River, at Weston
The Bushman's River? Why the MOUNTED
police are there They have plenty OF ammll
milton | know Major DartDeu, their command
ant told me So"
Yes of course" 7 replied. Rnt this that
have Is intended for distribution to any detache.
post that may he in need Of it; and Weston /
centrally situated"
This conversation took place in the vcranda
| outside my room, III the vicinity OF the boxes
Mondrum coming out Of the hotel at the momen