Immediately Oham's Zulu had made his report, the bugle sounded, and the
garrison quietly and quickly took up the places assigned to them.
Messengers went out to order a fatigue-party, which had gone out
wood-cutting, to return at once. These men reported that they had seen
the Zulus scouting, about five miles to the west. The tents were
struck, the men lined the shelter-trenches, and ammunition was served
out by fatigue-parties told off for this duty. The white conductors and
commissariat men, most of whom were old settlers and good shots, were
told off to the different faces of the laager. A small party were
provided with stretchers, in order to carry the wounded to the hospital
in the centre.
Dick and Tom, having no duty and being without arms, thought that they
might as well make themselves useful at this work, and therefore, taking
a stretcher, they proceeded to one of the outer shelter-trenches.
It was nearly eleven o'clock when the Zulus were seen approaching, and
halted just out of musket-range. Here apparently a council of war was
held, and it was more than an hour before any forward movement was made.
Then a body of them, about 7000 strong, ran at a tremendous pace along
a ledge situated at the edge of the cultivated land. The troops were
ordered not to fire, as it was thought better to wait until the Zulus
came on in earnest. At half-past one a cloud of skirmishers advanced
from the Zulu army, and fed by supports began to scale the north front
of the English position. Here, behind the outermost line of
intrenchments, some of Buller and Russell's dismounted men, and a
portion of the band of the gallant Piet-Uys were stationed, and these
opened fire upon the Zulus. Scarcely one of them but was a dead-shot,
and no sooner did a head or a shield appear above rock or boulder or
tuft of grass than the deadly rifle rang out, and in most cases there
was an enemy the less to encounter.
The Boers particularly distinguished themselves at this work. Most of
these men are certain shots, being trained from childhood in the use of
their large single-barrelled guns, carrying an enormous bullet, and
suited for the destruction of big game. Animated by a hatred of the
Zulus, and a longing for vengeance for the death of their late leader,
the Boers picked off their foes with unerring aim. The enemy's
skirmishers now retired, and a more solid line took their place,
supported by a dense column in its rear. The cavalry remounted and fell
slowly back, and Major Russell, with twenty of his men, made a brilliant
charge on a party of Zulus who were running to take possession of a
sheltering ledge of rocks, and, after cutting down a great many,
retreated without the loss of a man.
Buller and Russell now retired slowly within the laager, their retreat
being covered by Colonel Gilbert and four companies of the 13th, who
were posted at this face of the works. One company of the 13th, under
Captain Cox, held the cattle-laager, which was situated outside the
line, and so were able to take the enemy in flank, as they attacked the
main work. This little garrison and Colonel Gilbert's men poured a
tremendous fire upon the Zulus, who still, however, pushed forward.
Major Hackett was now ordered to take a couple of companies of the 90th,
and to advance up the slope, round the rear of the cattle-laager.
Taking post here, they opened a deliberate and deadly fire upon the
enemy, and then advancing drove back the Zulus with great loss. The
Zulu general, however, led a party of his best marksmen round to his
right, and opened a heavy fire upon the 90th, as they fell back upon
their intrenchments. Lieutenant Bright fell mortally wounded, and in
running forward to pick him up Major Hackett was struck by a ball
sideways, which passed through both eyes and destroyed his sight for
ever. Meanwhile, from the works on the heights, Captain Nicholson was
doing great execution with his two 7-pounders. The Zulu main body had
now come within range, and grape and canister were poured into their
heavy masses. As Nicholson was standing on the parapet, field-glass in
hand, directing the pointing of two guns, a bullet struck him on the
temple and he fell dead. He was seen from the laager to fall, and Major
Vaughan was sent to take his place. Major Tremlett, R.A., now took the
four guns, hitherto held in reserve, to a small piece of rising ground
outside the laager, and opened fire upon the masses of the enemy with
immense execution. From time to time Buller and Russell, as they saw
openings for a charge, swept down and drove the enemy's skirmishers back
on to their main body; the Zulus, altogether unaccustomed to cavalry,
always falling back precipitately at these assaults.
At three o'clock a hot cross-fire was opened upon a company commanded by
Captain Woodgate, which was stationed half-way between the laager and
the upper fort, keeping open a communication between them, the enemy's
fire from a height commanding this line being particularly galling. Two
of Tremlett's guns were brought to bear on the point, and the enemy's
fire speedily slackened. For another hour and a half the troops
continued to be hotly engaged, for the enemy, when driven back from one
flank, swept round in most perfect order and attacked another.
At half-past four the Zulus, concentrating again, attacked the northern
side, and made some desperate rushes up to the muzzles of the English
rifles, and the fighting for a time was almost hand to hand.
The boys had worked round with their stretchers, wherever the fire was
hardest, and had carried many wounded men into hospital. They were at
the north face when the Zulus swarmed up towards it, and Woodgate's men
fell back into the shelter of the laager. As they came in, a young
lieutenant, who was commanding the rear, fell, apparently dead. Being
in the rear of the company his fall was unnoticed by the men. Dick, who
was peering over the intrenchment, saw him fall, and saw too that he
moved slightly.
"Quick, Tom!" he exclaimed; and, carrying the stretcher, the boys
scrambled over the breastwork and ran towards the officer. He had
fallen some twenty yards outside, and the Zulus, rushing on, were but
eighty yards away.
On reaching the side of the young officer, the boys laid their stretcher
on the ground, rolled him upon it, and, lifting it, turned towards the
camp. A ringing cheer from the men had greeted this action, mingled
with shouts of "Run! run!" for by this time the Zulus were but twenty
yards behind.
A stream of fire broke out from the top of the breastworks; an assegai
whizzed over Dick's shoulder, and another grazed Tom's arm, but they
hurried on until they reached the ditch, and then threw themselves and
their burden down. There for five or six minutes they lay, while the
fight raged above them. Then the British cheer rose, and the boys knew
that the Zulus had fallen back.
A minute later a dozen men leapt from the intrenchment into the ditch
outside, and lifted the wounded lieutenant over it into the arms of
those behind.
"Bravo! boys, bravo!" a hundred voices shouted, as the boys scrambled
back into the works, while the men crowded round to pat them on the
shoulder and shake their hands.
It was evident now that the Zulu fire was slackening, and three
companies of the 13th went out, and, taking posts by the edge of the
slope of the cattle-laager, opened fire upon them, as they retired.
Every gun was brought to bear upon them, and as, disheartened and
beaten, they fell back, Buller and Russell, with every mounted man in
camp, sallied out and fell upon them, and, burning with the desire to
wipe out their misfortune of the preceding day, chased them for seven
miles, like a flock of sheep, cutting down immense numbers.
It was ascertained afterwards from prisoners that the Zulu force which
attacked was composed of 25,000 men. It was commanded by Tyangwaiyo,
with Umbelleni as his second. Many of the leading chiefs of Zululand
and 3000 of the king's bravest and best troops fell in the attack on
Kambula, and this battle was by far the hottest and best-contested which
took place during the war.
Upon our side two officers and twenty-one men were killed. The
difference between the result of the action at Kambula and that at
Isandula was due entirely to the fact that in one case every precaution
was taken, every means of defence utilised; while in the other no more
attention was paid to any of these points than if the troops had been
encamped at Aldershot.
Upon the day following the battle Colonel Wood set his men to work to
erect further defences at the points which the recent action had shown
to be weak, and never ceased work until the place had been made almost
impregnable against an assault of savages, however brave.
The messenger who carried to Natal the news of the victory of Kambula
also took letters from the boys to their parents, acquainting them of
their safety; and with the first convoy of wounded on the following day
the boys started for home, Colonel Wood having given to each a
flattering testimonial as to their gallant conduct in the action, and
having presented them with two horses belonging to men of Buller's corps
who had fallen in the action, ordering that the horses should be entered
as bought for the Queen's service, and the value paid to the relatives
of their late owners.
Three days' march took the convoy to Utrecht, and the next morning the
boys rode home, the distance from there to Newcastle being about forty
miles. They were received as if they had risen from the dead, for their
letters had not arrived before them, and their parents had of course
assumed that they had been killed at Isandula. Both the mothers were in
mourning, and their joy at the restoration of their sons was unbounded.
Mrs Jackson fainted from surprise and delight, as Tom rode up; but
Dick, remembering the effect which the news of his being alive in the
snow had produced upon his mother, was careful to save her the shock.
Accordingly, instead of riding direct to the house, he made a devour and
rode across the farm until he met Bill Harrison. The man was delighted
at the sight of his young master, and could hardly believe his eyes, as
he saw him riding towards him.
After the first warm greeting was over, Dick learned that his mother had
been seriously ill, and was now recovering, and that his father had been
much shaken. Dick told Harrison to go to the house, and, under the
excuse of some question about his work, to call Mr Humphreys out, and
to tell him of his return, leaving it to him to break the news to his
wife.
This Mr Humphreys, after recovering from his own emotion at the joyful
intelligence, did so gradually and quietly, that the tale produced no
injurious effect upon the mother.
He began by saying that he had heard that a rumour was afloat that some
of those that were supposed to have been killed at Isandula had been
kept captives by the Zulus.
Mrs Humphreys for a time doubted the news, but, upon her husband's
assurance that the intelligence was well founded, a faint feeling of
hope began to spring up; then gradually, step by step, he told her that
it was reported that these captives consisted chiefly of non-combatants,
men who had taken refuge among the rocks and bushes when the fight was
seen to be going against the troops. This still further raised Mrs
Humphreys' hopes; for, from the presence of mind and shrewdness which
Dick had shown on the occasion of the snow-storm, it seemed probable
that he would be quick to avail himself of any chance of escape there
might be. Then Mr Humphreys said that the report affirmed that among
the prisoners were two or three quite young lads, and so step by step he
went on, until the delighted mother learned that her son was already
upon the farm, and was only waiting until he knew she would be strong
enough to see him.
Mr Humphreys now went to the door and gave a loud shout, and Dick, who
had been waiting the signal agreed on at a short distance from the
house, ran up and was soon in his parents' arms. A minute or two later
his younger brother ran in, having just heard the news from Harrison,
and it was indeed a happy party which that night assembled in the
sitting-room of the farmhouse, and listened to Dick's account of the
adventures he had gone through. Not a little proud were the father and
mother, as they read Colonel Wood's testimony to the gallant conduct of
their son.
The next day Mr and Mrs Jackson drove over with Tom, and the warmest
congratulations were exchanged.
"Have you been paid for the waggons, father?" Dick asked.
"Yes, my boy, for there was a notice that the owners of all waggons and
teams destroyed at Isandula would be paid at once. As there was a
record kept of the ownership of those which accompanied the column,
there was of course no difficulty in proving the loss, and both Mr
Jackson and myself received orders on the public treasury for their
value last week. You see more transports were required, and there was
such a panic after Isandula, that if government had not promptly paid
for their losses there, they would have got no more waggons from farmers
for their work. We have already four more building for us at
Newcastle."
"I suppose there was a great fright in the colony after the defeat?"
"Terrible!" Mr Humphreys answered. "Everyone imagined that the Zulus
would at once cross the frontier, and carry fire and sword throughout
the colony. The rest of the 4th Regiment instantly went forward to
Colonel Glyn's column, and this restored it to something like its
strength before the fight. The rivers were high, which may have
accounted partly for the Zulus not taking the offensive. Probably too
the great loss which they themselves must have suffered had some effect;
while they might not have liked to have advanced in force across the
frontier, being, as they were, threatened on the one side by the column
of Colonel Wood at Kambula, and on the other by that of Colonel Pearson
at Ekowe."
"I have not heard about that column, father. What are they doing?"
"I will tell you about it this evening, Dick, as it is rather a long
story."
After the Jacksons had driven off in the evening, Dick again asked his
father about the doings of Colonel Pearson's column.
"Well, my boy, they have neither suffered a great defeat, like that
under Lord Chelmsford, nor obtained a decisive victory, like the column
of Colonel Wood; they have beaten the enemy in a fight, and are at
present besieged in a place called Ekowe, or, as it is sometimes spelt,
Etckowi. The column consisted of eight companies of the 3rd Buffs under
Colonel Parnell; six companies of the 99th, under Colonel Welman; one
company of Royal Engineers and two 7-pounder guns; they had, besides a
naval brigade consisting of 270 bluejackets and marines of her Majesty's
ships _Active_ and _Tenedos_, with three gatling-guns, 200 mounted
infantry; 200 colonial mounted riflemen also formed part of the column,
with about 2000 men of the native contingent. They had great difficulty
in crossing the Tugela, which was nearly 400 yards wide. But, thanks to
the exertions of the sailors, a flying bridge was constructed--that is,
a boat with ropes attached to both shores, so that it can be pulled
backwards and forwards, or, as is sometimes done, taken backwards and
forwards by the force of the stream itself.
"It was the 13th before the crossing was effected. The enemy were in
considerable force near the river. A small earthwork, called Fort
Tenedos, was thrown up on the Zulu bank of the river. On the 18th the
leading division started on its march into the enemy's country, followed
the next day by the second division, a small detachment being left to
garrison the fort. Every precaution was taken in the advance, and the
cavalry scouted the country in front of the column. At the end of the
first day's march the Inyoni, a small stream ten miles north of the
Tugela, was reached.
"The second day they encamped on the Umsindusi. The third day's march
brought the column to the Amatikulu; beyond this the country became
covered with bush, and great care was then taken, as it was known that a
large force was marching from Ulundi to oppose their farther advance.
Early on the morning of the 22nd, the day which proved so fatal to
Colonel Glyn's column, the first division had just crossed the Inyezane
River and was halted for breakfast, when they were attacked by a large
force of the enemy, who, having chosen this position, were lying in wait
for them. The ground chosen for the halt was not a favourable one, as
it was surrounded by bush. But as no other place could be found by
Major Barrow, who commanded the horse, near water, the halt had been
made here. Scarcely had they begun their preparations for breakfast,
when Captain Hart, who was out scouting in front with the advance
company of the native contingent, discovered the enemy advancing rapidly
over the ridge in his front and attempting to gain the bush on both
flanks of the halting-place. The Zulus at once opened a heavy fire upon
the native contingent, and of these one officer and four
non-commissioned officers and three men fell almost immediately.
"The native contingent was called in, and the naval brigade and two
guns, under Lieutenant Lloyd, and two companies of the Buffs were
ordered to take up a position upon a knoll close to the road, on which
they were halted. The sailors at once opened fire on the enemy with two
7-pounders and two 24-pounder rocket-tubes, while the Buffs poured a
heavy fire with their rifles upon them. The waggons were still coming
up, and these were parked as they reached the ground; and two companies
of the Buffs, who were guarding them on the march, being now free to
act, were ordered to move out in skirmishing order, and draw the enemy
out of the bush, when, as they retired, they were exposed to the fire
from the knoll.
"The engineers and mounted troops moved forward, with the infantry
skirmishers, supported by a half-company of the Buffs and a half-company
of the 99th. The enemy tried to outflank their left, and Captain
Campbell with a portion of the naval brigade and some of the native
contingent went out and drove them from a kraal of which they had taken
possession. A still farther advance was now made, and the Zulus took to
flight, leaving 300 dead upon the ground. The attacking party were 5000
strong, and against these some 500 or 600 of our troops were engaged.
We had only eight Europeans killed and four natives, and about twenty
wounded. The next day Colonel Pearson reached Ekowe. The position was
a strong one, as the place stood upon rising ground; it had been a
missionary station, and there was a church which could at the worst be
converted into a citadel.
"Colonel Pearson at once set to work to fortify the position. The same
evening the news arrived of the disaster at Isandula. After a
consultation with his officers Colonel Pearson decided to hold the spot
at which he now was, convinced that, without further supplies of
reinforcements, he could hold the place for two months. In order to
economise food, the mounted men and most of the natives were sent back,
and there remained 1200 British troops.
"Colonel Pearson at once commenced his preparations for a siege. Three
moderate-sized brick erections were turned into store-houses, and the
church into a hospital, the tower making a capital look-out; from this a
splendid view was obtained, the hill by the Tugela being clearly
visible. The men set to work to fortify the place. The intrenchments
were of a six-sided form, about sixty yards across, with a ditch outside
them eighteen feet deep and twelve feet wide. Assegais were planted in
the bottom. Added to the south side was a kraal for cattle and horses,
also defended by a small wall. Outside the fort were entanglements of
rows of felled trees and bushes. The supply of water was obtained from
a good well, outside the walls, but covered by the fire of the fort.
The guns were placed in position, and the garrison was ready for any
attack that might be made upon them. All these details we learned in
the early days of the siege by occasional messengers, who managed to
find their way through, but these had been few and far between; of
twelve messengers sent out the first week of February, only one got
through. The garrison had made several sorties, and had destroyed
Dabulamanzi's kraal. They also went out and cut off a large convoy of
cattle on its way to Ulundi."
"But how have they found out what is being done at Ekowe, if the first
week only one messenger got through out of twelve?" Dick said.
"By a very ingenious plan, Dick. For three weeks we knew nothing of
what was going on, and then it struck an engineer that communication
might be established by flashing signals."
"What are flashing signals, father?"
"Well, my boy, as a general rule they are made by showing a light either
for a long or short period. Thus, one long and one short might be A;
one short and one long, B; two short and one long, C; and so on all
through the Alphabet. The distance was so great that ordinary lights
would not have answered, but it struck one of the engineers that with a
looking-glass the sunlight might be reflected. You know at what a
distance the sun's reflection on a window can be made out. Well, it was
tried in vain for a whole week by Lieutenant Haynes, of the Royal
Engineers, but at the end of that time he was delighted at seeing
answering flashes from the hill on which Ekowe stands. Since that time
news has been regularly received every day by this means of what is
passing in the fort.
"In the meantime preparations were being made for the relief of the
garrison. The news of the defeat at Isandula was sent home by a swift
ship, by which the particulars were telegraphed from Saint Vincent. The
people at home did not lose an hour. The _Shah_, which was on her way
home, heard the news at Saint Helena, and Captain Bradshaw, who
commanded her, at once, on his own responsibility, turned his ship's
head south, and steered for Durban, bringing with him the garrison of
the island. Some draughts from the 4th, 88th, and 99th Regiments were
brought down from the Cape; the _Boadicea_ also arrived, and every man
who could be spared from her and the _Shah_ was landed and sent up to
the Tugela.
"In the second week in March the 57th and 91st Regiments arrived from
England. One hundred and sixty men were brought over from the garrison
of Mauritius, and a few days later the 3rd battalion of the 60th
Regiment also arrived. These assembled on the Tugela on the 27th, and
that day set out. The vanguard was composed of the seamen and marines
of the _Shah_ and _Tenedos_--640 men and two gatlings, the 91st regiment
of 900 men, 400 men of the 99th, 180 men of the 3rd Buffs, 150 mounted
infantry, 200 of the mounted native contingent, and 1600 men of the
native infantry contingent. The second division consisted of 200 men of
the _Boadicea_ with gatlings, the 37th Regiment, and the 3rd battalion
of the 60th, 900 men, and two troops of mounted natives. That is all I
can tell you, my boy. The news only arrived here yesterday that they
had started. In the course of three or four more days I hope that we
shall hear that they have given the Zulus a thorough licking. It is a
strong force, and as there are about 3300 white troops among them, and
there is no fear of their being taken by surprise this time, we need not
have any anxiety about the result. I understand that, in accordance
with the advice which Colonel Pearson has flashed from Ekowe, they are
not going to follow the road he took, but to keep along on the lower
ground near the sea."
"And do you think, father, that they will push on for Ulundi when they
have rescued the garrison of Ekowe?"
"No, Dick; I think they are quite strong enough to do so, but as there
are at least half a dozen more regiments on their way out from England,
including some regiments of cavalry, it will be more prudent to stop
until our whole fighting force is here, when we ought to be enabled to
make short work of them, and to do the work completely and effectually.
And now, Dick, I am thoroughly sleepy--the sooner we are in bed the
better."