The strength of the Zulu army at Kambula exceeded 20,000, and their plan of battle was evidently to advance the right horn of their army so as to entice our troops to come out and attack it. The left horn would then have advanced up the ravine, and gaining the summit of the hill, charge and take possession of the waggons, thus completely surrounding our position. In fact, the Isandhlwana tactics were to be repeated. Fortunately, however, the lesson we learned there was not in vain, and Kambula proved this to demonstration. The Native Contingent ran away before the fight, but the Basutos stood steadily at their posts and fought well. The flower of Cetywayo's army, consisting of young unmarried men, was engaged in this attack, and more than 1200 were slain. No fewer than 785 bodies of Zulus were buried in the immediate vicinity of the camp. It is noteworthy that they had many kinds of breechloaders—Martini, Snider, and Mitford's patterns being all represented. It was a grand sight to see the great moving mass of more than 20,000 Zulu warriors advancing straight amidst a withering fire. They shouted out when near the camp, "We are the boys from Isandhlwana," and retreated under circumstances where no European forces in the world could have advanced. The victory was specially one of artillery. The first shot was fired at 1.25 p.m., and the last at 5.25 p.m. Three hundred and sixty-two shells and eighty-six charges of canister were expended. Many acts of gallantry were performed. Colonel Wood, as usual, was pre-eminent. The bravery and coolness of Captain Woodgate was the subject of admiration, while Colonel Buller greatly added to the laurels he had so deservedly earned in the retreat from the Zlobane mountain. It was on the latter occasion that he six times risked his life in carrying out of danger and saving six men who, being unhorsed, must otherwise have fallen into the hands of a remorseless and savage foe. Thirty killed and fifty wounded was the loss on our side at the battle of Kambula.
Intombe.
A description of the repulse of the Zulus from Kambula camp has been written by Commandant Schermbrucker, and this is what he says:—"As soon as we saw them turning their backs, I got all my Kaffrarians rapidly to mount the horses already saddled, and shortly afterwards all the mounted forces in camp were ready, and we raced helter-skelter after the flying Zulus. I took the extreme right, Colonel Buller led the centre, and Colonel Russell, with mounted infantry, took the left. For fully seven miles I chased two columns of the enemy, who tried to escape over the Umvolozi, but I came beforehand and pushed them off the road. They fairly ran like bucks; but I was after them like the whirlwind, and shooting incessantly into the thick column, which could not have been less than 5000 strong. They became exhausted, and shooting them down would have taken too much time; so we took the assegais from the dead men, and rushed among the living ones, stabbing them right and left, with fearful revenge for the misfortunes of the 28th inst. No quarter was given."
On the 12th of March a very serious disaster occurred at the Intombe river, where an escort of the 80th Regiment, under Captain Moriarty, was laagered. That officer commanded a party of 104 men convoying a train of eighteen waggons variously loaded, en route from Derby to Luneberg. The flooded state of the river caused detention for several days. A small party under Lieutenant Harward was stationed on the other side. That officer heard a shot fired at 4 a.m., and shortly afterwards was roused by an alarm, and saw, when the fog lifted, a dense mass of Zulus, about 4000 in number, extending across the valley and on the point of surprising the camp on the other side of the river. He immediately put his men, thirty-five in number, under arms, and directed their fire on the flanks of the enemy. With tremendous celerity, Captain Moriarty's force was surprised and the camp taken. An immediate retreat was made by Harward, but not before the awful sight was witnessed of the enemy slaughtering our men on the banks of the river and in the water. The Zulus crossed and came on in dense masses. A hand-to-hand fight ensued, and a vain attempt to rally was made; then, finding re-formation impossible, Lieutenant Harward put spurs to his horse and galloped into Luneberg. Forty-four men were killed.
Losses of the English.
An eye-witness, Mr. Josiah Sussons, says:—"I was in the waggon, sleeping, and early in the morning I got up to see if it was daylight, and saw the Kafirs swarming around within twenty yards of me. The alarm was given, and Captain Moriarty called out, 'Guards out.' I ran back to my waggon to get my rifle (which belonged to No. 1 Company, Transvaal Rifle Volunteers, of which corps I am a member), but in the confusion of the bullets flying about me, I could not get it out. I now found it so dangerous that I determined to try to bolt, if I could, without remaining to take my clothes. As I emerged from the waggon for the last time, I heard Captain Moriarty cry out, 'Fire away, men; I am done.' I then went to the adjoining waggon to call Whittington (also a Pretoria man), and I told him the niggers were around. He immediately came out and jumped down, but was caught almost as soon as he got to the ground, and assegaied. The poor fellow shrieked out, but without avail, as no assistance was at hand. Seeing that I was powerless to do anything, having no arms of any kind, I ran down between the oxen, and made for the river, which was about sixty yards off. I found the Zulus shooting and stabbing the people in all directions. The sight was a most horrifying one, and never to be forgotten. I had to dodge about to save myself, and am surprised that I managed to get through at all. As soon as I got to the river, I jumped in and made a dive, as swimming was too dangerous, the Zulus standing on the banks, and at the edge of the river, as thick as thieves, throwing assegais and aiming their guns wherever they saw a head. I came up about the middle of the river, but the moment my head was out, I saw several Zulus pointing their guns, and ready to fire. I therefore dived again, and came out on the other side. The river was very full at the time, and a strong current running. In crossing I had torn off my shirt, the only garment I possessed, and therefore when I landed I was entirely in a state of nudity. I now found that fighting was still going on on all sides of me, and that it was almost impossible I could get any further, and in my desperation I contemplated throwing myself in the water, to be drowned peaceably, rather than suffer the death by torture of many of those I saw around me. I, however, got into a courageous spirit again, and dashed off, keeping as much out of the way of the enemy as I could. Several shots were fired at me, and assegais were flying in all directions, but somehow I happened to be fortunate and got clear of the encampment. I made for Meyer's station as fast as I could, and overtook one soldier on the road, who was shot dead just as I got up to him. I overtook two others shortly after, who were also shot. Getting further on, I fell in with Sergeant Booth and about a dozen men, who were keeping up a retreating fire, and fighting very pluckily. I rested for a few minutes with them, during which time I espied the Zulus coming round the hill to intercept us. I informed Sergeant Booth of this, and he kept up a steady fire upon them, and made the enemy retire back into the hills. I cannot speak too highly of the conduct of Sergeant Booth on this occasion; he fought most pluckily, and lost four of his small band here. It was entirely owing to their doing so well that any of us managed to get through at all. The Zulus would have entirely surrounded us, and not a soul could have escaped. Seventeen leaders and drivers were killed altogether, amongst them being Whittington, Campbell, and Goss. As I got in camp, I met Major Tucker going out with his men to the relief."
Hair-breadth escape.
One of the most sensational events which occurred during April at the head-quarters camp of the fourth (Colonel Wood's) column, was the arrival there of a man whose hairbreadth escapes enable us to realize that truth is stranger than fiction. Captain Mayne Reid could scarcely venture on imagining what our readers will find stated below as sober fact. There may be exaggeration or colouring, but in the main the narrative is correct. Mr. Rudolph, landrost of Utrecht, when out scouting on the Zunguin Neck with five men, encountered a party of forty Zulus, of whom he killed four. He picked up about the same time a Frenchman named Grandier, who had belonged to Colonel Weatherley's troop of Border Horse, and was made prisoner by the enemy when so many of his comrades fell at the Zlobane mountain. The story was told to Colonel Wood and the staff—Captain Maude taking notes, the substance of which is as follows:—He (Grandier) was one of the very few who succeeded in charging through the mass of Zulus by whom they were beset in front and rear. He had got on to fairly good ground, and had set a comrade on his horse, he running by the side, when a Kafir caught him by the leg, and he was immediately overpowered by numbers and made prisoner. His captors took him to Umbellini's kraal, on the south side of the Zlobane, about half-way up. He saw that chief, who asked him where Shepstone was, and who was the commander of the commando to which he belonged. He was kept prisoner that night in a kraal, and sent out the next morning to work in the mealie fields. Soon after he was taken by two or three mounted men to the middle of a big commando, all of whom threatened him with death, while the chief, Manymane, ordered him to be sent prisoner to Cetywayo. He stopped one day after that at the Zlobane, starting the next day for Ulundi in charge of four men riding, while he was made to walk and carry their provisions. He was quite naked, all his clothes having been taken from him. They took four days to make the journey, arriving in the evening, when a messenger was sent forward to announce their coming to the king. He remained all that night and next day tied in a field. On the following day, at noon, he was taken to Cetywayo, where a half-caste Dutchman, with long hair, translated. Cetywayo asked what the English wanted coming in that way to his country. He asked after Oham, where he was stopping, and said he would kill him and Shepstone and everyone else, as he had plenty of men to do the work. He was very particular to learn the name of the commander of the Kambula column. After replying to these questions, Grandier was removed in custody to a kraal, where he was threatened and beaten with very little respite, and for four days had nothing but mealies to eat. Some messengers then came and reported to Cetywayo that Umbellini and his brother had been killed in the attack on Colonel Wood's camp. On this Cetywayo ordered Grandier to be sent back to Umbellini's Kafirs, that they might sacrifice him to the manes of their deceased chief. He was sent back next day with a guard of two Zulus, only one of whom had a gun, though plentifully supplied with assegais. On the 13th, about noon, they were resting, after a long tramp, and the Zulus being sleepy, Grandier watched his opportunity, snatched an assegai, and pinned one man to the earth; the other woke up in a fright and ran for his life. Grandier then made off in the direction of the camp, walking all night and steering a course by the stars, when this morning he was seen by Mr. Rudolph's party and brought in, so crippled in the feet that he is at present in hospital. He saw at Ulundi a Portuguese, who makes guns for Cetywayo, and on the morning of the 14th so large a force of Kafirs, driving cattle, passed him that he was obliged to remain hid all the morning to let them pass.
Relief of Ekowe.
About the beginning of April, everything was at last ready for the relief of Ekowe. Nearly six thousand troops of all arms started from Fort Tenedos, representing almost every branch of the service. The relieving column consisted as follows:—