George Pomeroy Colley Major - General Sir George Pomeroy Colley KCSI CB CMG ( 1 November 1835 – 27 February 1881 ) was a British Army officer who became Governor and Commander - in - Chief of Natal and High Commissioner for South Eastern Africa . Early years . He was third and youngest son of the Hon . George Francis Colley of Ferney , co . Dublin , by his wife , Frances , third daughter of Thomas Trench , dean of Kildare , and was grandson of the fourth Viscount Harberton . He was born in November 1835 , and educated at the Royal Military College , Sandhurst , where he was first in general merit and good conduct at the examinations in May 1852 , and was appointed at the age of sixteen to an ensigncy without purchase in the 2nd or Queen ' s foot . After two years ' service with the depot , he was promoted to a lieutenancy without purchase , and joined the headquarters of his regiment , then on the eastern frontier of Cape Colony . In 1857 - 8 he held a border magistracy at the Cape , and showed great energy . On one occasion he received notice from the governor , Sir George Grey , of an insurrection which he had already suppressed . He was also employed to execute a survey of the Trans - kei country , a dangerous service in the then disturbed state of Kaffirland . When the Queen ' s were ordered to China , Colley rejoined his regiment , in which he obtained his company on 12 June 1860 , and was present with it at the capture of the Taku forts , the actions of 12 – 14 August and 18 – 21 September 1860 , and the advance on Peking . Staff College . His regiment went home , and he returned for a brief period to the Cape to complete his work there , and then entered the Staff College , Sandhurst . He came out at the head of the list the same year , having passed with great distinction in ten months instead of the ordinary two years . Colley was an accomplished artist in water - colours , and spent much of his leave in sketching tours on Dartmoor , in Normandy , Spain , and other places . His literary attainments were considerable . He was in the habit of rising early , and securing always two hours before breakfast time for some special study . He thus acquired the Russian language , and studied chemistry , political economy , and other subjects not directly connected with his profession . In recognition of his services he was promoted to a brevet - majority on 6 March 1863 . After serving for some years as major of brigade at Plymouth , the headquarters of the western district , he was appointed professor of military administration and law at the Staff College . While there he wrote the article ' Army , ' extending over sixty pages , for the ninth edition of the ' Encyclopædia Britannica . ' He was engaged on this work from June to November 1873 . The last portion of the manuscript was sent in a few days before the author , now a lieutenant - colonel , started for the at the Gold Coast to join the Ashanti expedition under Sir Garnet Wolseley . Arriving at a time when the failure of the transport was causing serious apprehension , Colley infused new life into that service ; and the administrative skill and energy which he displayed contributed largely to the success of the expedition . He became part of the Wolseley ring . Early in 1875 Colley , who had been made a colonel for his services in Ashanti , accompanied Sir Garnet Wolseley on a special mission to Natal , where he temporarily undertook the duties of colonial treasurer , in which capacity he was instrumental in introducing many reforms into the administration of the colony . But the chief feature of this visit to South Africa was a journey that he made into the Transvaal , and thence through Swaziland to the Portuguese settlement at Delagoa Bay , which bore fruit in a valuable report , and a map , which is entered in the ' British Museum Map Catalogue , ' 67075 . When Lord Lytton was appointed viceroy of India , early in 1876 , he took Colley as his military secretary . This appointment was subsequently exchanged for the higher one of private secretary to the viceroy . It is no secret that in this capacity Colley exercised great influence in the events which led to the occupation of Kabul and the Treaty of Gandamak . He was still holding the office of private secretary to the viceroy when Sir Garnet Wolseley , on being ordered from Cyprus to Natal , after the disasters in Zululand , asked that Colley might join him , to which Lord Lytton consented . Colley accordingly served as chief of the staff to Wolseley in Zululand and the Transvaal , until the murder of Sir Louis Cavagnari at Kabul , and the outbreak of the second Afghan war caused his recall to India , when he resumed his post of private secretary to the viceroy . Colley , who had received the distinctions of C . B . and C . M . G . , was created K . C . S . I . in recognition of his official services in India . First Boer War . On 24 April 1880 , he was appointed to the Natal command , with the rank of major - general , succeeding Sir Garnet Wolseley as governor and commander - in - chief in Natal , and high commissioner for South - eastern Africa . The close of that year found affairs in the Transvaal , which had been annexed since 1877 , in a very critical state . On 16 December 1880 , a Boer republic was proclaimed at Heidelberg , Transvaal , and with the new year Colley found himself compelled to take immediate measures for the relief of the small garrisons of British troops scattered throughout that territory , and already besieged . With the small force available about fifteen hundred men he at once proceeded to the extreme northern border of Natal , and in the course of January had several conflicts with the Boer forces , the principal being at Battle of Laing ' s Nek and Ingogo , the former of which was unsuccessful . On 17 February 1881 , Sir Evelyn Wood , who had been appointed second in command , arrived at Newcastle with some additional troops , afterwards returning to Pietermaritzburg , and on 26 February , by a night march , Colley , with part of the troops , occupied , after an arduous climb of eight hours , a height known as Majuba , commanding the Boer camp . Next morning , after a comparatively harmless fusillade , the hill was suddenly and quite unexpectedly carried by a rush of the Boers , Colley being shot dead by a rifle bullet through the forehead . He is buried at Mount Prospect Cemetery , Natal . Family . Colley married , in 1878 , Edith , daughter of Major - general H . Meade Hamilton , C . B .