Judge-Advocate Brander prosecuted, and Captain Crookenden, R.A., was for the defence.
When the Court opened the plan of the ground was proved.
Corporal Grubb said the prince gave the order "Off saddle" at the kraal, and "Prepare to mount." The prince mounted. After the volley, he saw Carey putting spurs to his horse, and he did the same. He saw Abel fall, and Rogers trying to get a shot at the Zulus. Le Tocq passed him, and said, "Put spurs to your horse, boy; the prince is down!" He looked round and saw the prince under his horse. A short time after the prince's horse came up, and he (Grubb) caught it. No orders were given to rally.
Le Tocq was called, and said: The prince told the natives to search the kraals, and finding no one there they off saddled. At the volley, he mounted, but, dropping his carbine, stopped to pick it up. In remounting he could not get his leg over the saddle. He passed the prince, and said in French, "Hasten to mount your horse." The prince did not answer. He saw the prince's horse treading on his leg. The prince was in command of the party. He believed Carey and the prince would have passed on different sides of a hut in fast flight, and it was possible that Carey might have failed to see that the prince was in difficulty. It was 250 yards from where he saw the prince down to the spot where he died.
Trooper Cochrane was called, and said: The prince was not in the saddle at the time of mounting. He saw, about fifty yards off, the prince running down the donga with fourteen Zulus in close pursuit. Nothing was done to help him. He heard no orders given, and did not tell Carey what he had seen until some time after. He was an old soldier. He did not think any rally could have been made.
Examination of witnesses.
The Court then adjourned to the next day. On reassembling, the first witness called was—
Sergeant Willis, who stated that he had seen Trooper Rogers lying on the ground by the side of his horse, close to the kraal, as he left the spot. He thought he saw the prince wounded at the same time that Trooper Abel threw up his arms. He thought the prince might have been dragged to the place where he was found after death, and that a rally might have been made twenty yards beyond the donga.
Colonel Harrison being called, stated that Carey was senior combatant officer, and must therefore have been in command of the party. Carey volunteered to go on the reconnaissance to verify certain points of his sketch. The prince was ordered to go to report more fully on the ground. He had given the prince into Carey's charge.