Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-02-23
THE ZULU WAR.
4 Maine Tar Describes the Death of the Prince
Imperial in Africa.

when Prince Napoleon was slain. His
story OF the death of the son of the
nephew of the great warrior possesses a
fascinating interest, and is thus related:
1.-TWO of us, born within sight of the
White mountains, having gone TO sea,
were in Port Louis, Mauritius, where the
Zulu war broke out. It Is the custom Of the
English government when war breaks out
in any of her colonies to enlist in her SER
vice all persons who can be induced to
do so. The recruits are well paid, are
generally mounted where cavalry can be
used, and almost always see the hardest
service. ct the expiration of their en-
listment they are furnished transporta-
ton free to any place they may choose.
This is quite an inducement for men who
have been banging around the world for
some years; besides there is q change
from sea to a land service. The mar
ines have generally done good service
when go employed, and at the time of
the Sepoy rebellion the soldiers enlisted
from merchant vessels of their own and
other nations did their duty so well and
their aid was so valuable that to this day
a condemned vessel is always moored in
the harbor of Calcutta, where all who
have ever been thus enlisted have an op-
portunity to go on board, and may read
books or the Calcutta and foreign papers
which are provided by the British govern
ment, and free to all such as | have de-
scribed. There are also pens, ink, and
paper, so that one may write and send
letters home or elsewhere.
"Well, as | was saying, my chum and |
ENLISTED FOR THE ZULU WAR.
It was in the year 1879. There were
about one thousand of US who were sailors
at the time of enlistment at Port Durham,
South Africa, in May of that year, when
n ustered into the British army. We
were termed the irreguiars by the British
officers, but among ourselves were called
the mounted marines. We were attached
ty the 91st fusileer5 under the command
of Maj Stewart, who was afterward pro
NOTED to general. Arriving in the Zulu
country, we were put right into the hard
est and most disagreeabIe work. We
we-e not considered much, taken from
the merchant ships of all nations. Who
cared for us? Not the British officers,
surely. Where we could be used 80 save
regulars it was done. But this might, of
course, have been expected under the cir
cumstances. The savages wero good
good marksmen with their rifles and
muskets, of which they had g limited and
varied supply, the English troops would
surely have been beaten. They were
good marksmen with their spears or
assegals, as the Zulus called them, but of
course no people with such weapons alone
would stand much of a sight against the
gunnery of Europe. The main army ON
the 1st Of June was encampted at Kopple
Allen, OF. the banks of a river, with the
suggestive name of Blood, which was the
boundary between ZuIuland aud the Trans
vaal. A detachment under Maj. Stewart,
having been ordered forward to select
new camping ground, the prince imperial,
who had come out to learn warfare and
who was holding the rank of honorary
captain In the British army, asked per-
mission TO go with it, and his request was
granted. My chum and myself were of
the party, and what Is here related came
under my own observation. There are
the best reasons for believing, from what
took place afterward, that the Zulus
themselves felt no i'll toward the prince
1t was known throughout Zululand that
he was there substantially as a non-com-
Blatant. The English officers and men
were very anxious lest anything should
happen to so distinguish a person, and
we all felt
A PERSONAL INTEREST IN HIM,
not only on account of his being the heir
presumptive to the throne of France, but
also for his good qualities, his modest aud
gentlemanly bearing, and his amicable
disposition. Had any danger been sus-
pected he would not have been permitted
L.
miles travel for the army, a route was
selected which led through a ravine,
where, after few miles travel, we found
a suitable place to pitch the tents. Here
we stopped, and the prince imperial took
an escort TO go out short distance to
make a sketch. 1t consisted of small
number of the regular and an equal
number of basutos, sr black scouts, I'M
der command of Lieut.. Cary. For some
reason the blacks were not ready when
the rest of Us started. We went perhaps
a mile from camp, where we dismounted,
and the prince set no his easel and began
to make sketch. 1t was in the open
country with high hill on the east of
US, which was thickly wooded. We stood
with our backs toward it holding the
brides of our horses, Watching the
sketching, when all at once some enc
called out, ''The Zulus are coming!" and
looking round we saw large number of
the savages issuing from the woods at
the foot of the hill. A shower of assegais
fell around US, and every man except my
self and the prince sprang into his saddle
to get away, as our small number would
be no match for so many Zulus. The
prince imperial hastily thrust his sketch
into the breast of his coat, and I yielded
the reins of his horse into his hands and
leaped into the saddle of my own horse.
Had he not stopped to secure the sketch,
| think he might have been alive to-day.
He proceeded to mount, while I, already
in the saddle, turned my horses head in
the direction Lieut.. Cary and the others
had taken, supposing the prince TO be
close behind me. / shot at full speed
around the hill and was soon out of sight.
The assegais flew around me, and l didn't
think of him, but only of reaching a
place of safety. 1t was time when
common soldier would think of his own
life first. As 1 rode into camp Maj.
Stewart came to the door of his tent and
SAID: 'For Gods sake, where is the
prince?' We then saw for the first time
that he wasn't with US. Stewart was as
pale as ghost while Lieut.. Carey was re-
latin what had occurred A large party
was Immediately sent back to find him.
When we got to the place where We had
been
SURPRISED BY THE zULUs.
We found the dead horse of the prince.
full of assegais, but he was nowhere to be
seen. lt was supposed even that he had