History of the Zulu war and its origin

by Frances Ellen Colenso

The Standard and Mail of September 16th says: “It is a noticeable fact that Cetywayo declares that his men were completely disheartened by Isandula, and that as a matter of fact he was never able to get them thoroughly together again after that event. He says that a large part of the forces engaged on that occasion were actually retreating when another part made the fatal rush.... Of course these statements are of interest as showing what Cetywayo said, but they must be accepted with reservation, as he has throughout taken up the theory that he and his men had no intention of inflicting so much injury upon us as they did.”

Bishop Schreuder, on the 3rd March, says: “The Zulus’ version of the Isan’lwana story tells us some most remarkable things with respect to the battle and the effect of it on the Zulus. The Zulus, after having ransacked the camp, bolted off with the booty as fast as they could when the English army was seen returning to the camp, even at a great distance. The detachment of the Zulu army seen by Glyn’s column on its way, the 23rd January, back to Rorke’s Drift, was a part of the Undi corps and Utako (Udhloko) retreating from the unsuccessful attack on the Commissariat stores at Rorke’s Drift. Among the horsemen was Udabulamanzi, who says that they were so tired, and glad that Glyn’s column did not attack them, for if attacked they would have bolted every one. Comparatively few and inferior oxen were brought to the king, as the izinduna appropriated to themselves the best and most of the captured oxen; Udabulamanzi, for instance, took home twenty good oxen. The Zulus say that the affair at Isan’lwana commenced with a victory and ended with a flight, for, as it is the case after a defeat, the whole army did not return to the king, but the soldiers dispersed, making the best of their way with what booty they had got to their respective homes, and to this day they have not reassembled to the king, who is very much displeased with his two generals, Umnkingwayo (Tsingwayo) and Umavumengwane (Mavumengwana), and other izinduna.”—(P. P. [C. 2318] p. 37).

Some of the Zulu and native accounts of Isandhlwana are worth noticing. One says the engagement “lasted till late in the afternoon.” (P. P. [C. 2374] p. 24.) Another speaks of the fighting when the 24th retired on the tents, and of their ammunition failing. Another (Nugwende, a brother of Cetshwayo) says that the main, or front and the left flank attack of the Zulu army were beaten and fell back with great loss until the fire of the white troops slackened. The right flank entering the camp, the main body was ordered to renew the attack, which the English were unable to prevent from want of ammunition.

The following “Statement of a Zulu Deserter regarding the Isan’lwana Battle” was taken by Mr. Drummond, head-quarter staff:

The Zulu army, consisting of the Ulundi corps, about 3000 strong; the Nokenke Regiment, 2000 strong; the Ngobamakosi Regiment, including the Uve, about 5000 strong; the Umcityu, about 4000 strong; the Nodwengu, 2000 strong; the Umbonambi, 3000 strong; and the Udhloko, about 1000 strong, or a total of about 20,000 men in all, left the military kraal of Nodwengu on the afternoon of the 17th of January. It was first addressed by the King, who said:

“I am sending you out against the whites, who have invaded Zululand and driven away our cattle. You are to go against the column at Rorke’s Drift, and drive it back into Natal; and, if the state of the river will allow, follow it up through Natal, right up to the Draakensburg. You will attack by daylight, as there are enough of you to ‘eat it up,’ and you will march slowly, so as not to tire yourselves.”

We accordingly left Nodwengu late in the afternoon, and marched in column to the west bank of the White Umfolosi, about six miles distant, where we bivouacked for the night. Next day we marched to the Isipezi military kraal, about nine miles off, where we slept; and on the 19th we ascended to the tableland near the Isihlungu hills, a march of about equal duration with that of the day previous. On this day the army, which had hitherto been marching in single column, divided into two, marching parallel to and within sight of each other, that on the left consisting of the Nokenke, Umcityu, and Nodwengu Regiments, under the command of Tyingwayo, the other commanded by Mavumingwana. There were a few mounted men belonging to the chief Usirayo, who were made use of as scouts. On the 20th we moved across the open country and slept by the Isipezi hill. We saw a body of mounted white men on this day to our left (a strong reconnaissance was made on the 20th, to the west of the Isipezi hill, which was probably the force here indicated). On the 21st, keeping away to the eastward, we occupied a valley running north and south under the spurs of the Ngutu hill, which concealed the Isandlana hill, distant from us about four miles, and nearly due west of our encampment. We had been well fed during our whole march, our scouts driving in cattle and goats, and on that evening we lit our camp-fires as usual. Our scouts also reported to us that they had seen the vedettes of the English force at sunset on some hills west-south-west of us (Lord Chelmsford with some of his staff rode up in this direction, and about this time, and saw some of the mounted enemy). Our order of encampment on the 21st of January was as follows: On the extreme right were the Nodwengu, Nokenke, and Umcityu; the centre was formed by the Ngobamakosi and Mbonambi; and the left, of the Undi Corps and the Udhloko Regiment. On the morning of the 22nd of January there was no intention whatever of making any attack, on account of a superstition regarding the state of the moon, and we were sitting resting, when firing was heard on our right (the narrator was in the Nokenke Regiment), which we at first imagined was the Ngobamakosi engaged, and we armed and ran forward in the direction of the sound. We were, however, soon told it was the white troops fighting with Matyana’s people some ten miles away to our left front, and returned to our original position. Just after we had sat down again, a small herd of cattle came past our line from our right, being driven down by some of our scouts, and just when they were opposite to the Umcityu Regiment, a body of mounted men, on the hill to the west, were seen galloping, evidently trying to cut them off. When several hundred yards off, they perceived the Umcityu, and, dismounting, fired one volley at them and then retired. The Umcityu at once jumped up and charged, an example which was taken up by the Nokenke and Nodwengu on their right, and the Ngobamakosi and Mbonambi on the left, while the Undi Corps and the Udhloko formed a circle (as is customary in Zulu warfare when a force is about to be engaged) and remained where they were. With the latter were the two commanding officers, Mavumingwana and Tyingwayo, and several of the king’s brothers, who with these two corps bore away to the north-west, after a short pause, and keeping on the northern side of the Isandlana, performed a turning movement on the right without any opposition from the whites, who, from the nature of the ground, could not see them. Thus the original Zulu left became their extreme right, while their right became their centre, and the centre the left. The two regiments which formed the latter, the Ngobamakosi and Mbonambi, made a turning along the front of the camp towards the English right, but became engaged long before they could accomplish it; and the Uve Regiment, a battalion of the Ngobamakosi, was repulsed and had to retire until reinforced by the other battalion, while the Mbonambi suffered very severely from the artillery fire. Meanwhile, the centre, consisting of the Umcityu on the left centre, and the Nokenke and Nodwengu higher up on the right, under the hill, were making a direct attack on the left of the camp. The Umcityu suffered very severely, both from artillery and musketry fire; the Nokenke from musketry fire alone; while the Nodwengu lost least. When we at last carried the camp, our regiments became mixed up; a portion pursued the fugitives down to the Buffalo River, and the remainder plundered the camp; while the Undi and Udhloko Regiments made the best of their way to Rorke’s Drift to plunder the post there—in which they failed, and lost very heavily, after fighting all the afternoon and night. We stripped the dead of all their clothes. To my knowledge no one was made prisoner, and I saw no dead body carried away or mutilated. If the doctors carried away any dead bodies for the purpose of afterwards doctoring the army, it was done without my knowing of it; nor did I see any prisoner taken and afterwards killed. I was, however, one of the men who followed the refugees down to the Buffalo River, and only returned to the English camp late in the afternoon. (This portion of the prisoner’s statement was made very reluctantly.) The portion of the army which had remained to plunder the camp did so thoroughly, carrying off the maize, breadstuffs (sic), and stores of all kinds, and drinking such spirits as were in camp. Many were drunk, and all laden with their booty; and towards sunset the whole force moved back to the encampment of the previous night, hastened by having seen another English force approaching from the south. Next morning the greater part of the men dispersed to their homes with their plunder, a few accompanying the principal officers to the king, and they have not reassembled since.—The Times, March 22nd, 1879.

Another account, taken by the interpreter of one of the column commanding officers (a version of which has appeared in the columns of The Army and Navy Gazette, of 11th October 1879, and is described as a “full and accurate account”), is selected as being corroborated in all main points by survivors of the British force, and by the battle-field itself. It is the story of Uguku, a Zulu belonging to the Kandampenvu (or Umcityu) Regiment, who says: “We arrived at Ingqutu eight regiments strong (20,000 to 25,000 men) and slept in the valley of a small stream which runs into the Nondweni river to the eastward of Sandhlwana. The regiments were Kandampenvu (or Umcityu), Ngobamakosi, Uve, Nokenke, Umbonambi, Udhloko, Nodwengu (name of military kraal of the Inkulutyane Regiment), and Undi (which comprises the Tulwana, Ndhlondhlo, and Indhluyengwe): The army was under the joint command of Mavumengwana, Tsingwayo, and Sihayo. It was intended that Matshana ka Mondisa was to be in chief command, but he having been a Natal Kafir, the other three were jealous of him, and did not like him to be put over them; they therefore devised a plan of getting him out of the way on the day of the battle. They accomplished this plan by getting him to go forward with Undwandwe to the Upindo to reconnoitre, and promised to follow. As soon as he had gone they took another road, viz. north of Babanango, while Matshana and Undwandwe went south of it, being accompanied by six mavigo (companies). It was our intention to have rested for a day in the valley where we arrived the night before the battle, but having on the morning of the battle heard firing of the English advance guard who had engaged Matshana’s men, and it being reported that the Ngobamakosi were engaged, we went up from the valley to the top of Ingqutu, which was between us and the camp; we then found that the Ngobamakosi were not engaged, but were quietly encamped lower down the valley. We saw a body of horse coming up the hill towards us from the Sandhlwana side. We opened fire on them, and then the whole of our army rose and came up the hill. The enemy returned our fire, but retired down the hill, leaving one dead man (a black) and a horse on the field. The Uve and Ngobamakosi then became engaged on our left with the enemy’s skirmishers, and soon afterwards we were all engaged with the skirmishers of the enemy. We were not checked by them” (i.e. stopped), “but continued our march on the camp until the artillery opened upon us. The first shell took effect in the ranks of my regiment, just above the kraal of Baza. The Nokenke then ran out in the shape of a horn towards the kraal of Nyenzani on the road between Isandhlwana and Rorke’s Drift (the continuation of the road, to the eastward of the camp). The engagement now became very hot between the Mangwane (mounted natives) and us, the Mangwane being supported by the infantry, who were some distance in their rear. We were now falling very fast. The Mangwane had put their horses in a donga, and were firing away at us on foot. We shouted ‘Izulu!’ (‘The heavens!’)[171] and made for the donga, driving out the Mangwane towards the camp. The infantry then opened fire on us, and their fire was so hot, that those of us who were not in the donga retired back over the hill. It was then that the Nokenke and Nodwengu regiments ran out towards Nyenzani’s kraal. We then shouted ‘Izulu!’ again, and got up out of the dongas. The soldiers opened fire on us again, and we laid down. We then got up again, and the whole of my regiment charged the infantry, who formed into two separate parties—one party standing four deep with their backs towards Sandhlwana, the other standing about fifty yards from the camp in like formation. We were checked by the fire of the soldiers standing near Sandhlwana, but charged on towards those standing in front of the camp, in spite of a very heavy fire on our right flank from those by Sandhlwana. As we got nearer we saw the soldiers were beginning to fall from the effects of our fire. On our left we were supported by the Umbonambi, half the Undi, Ngobamakosi, and Uve. Behind us were the other half of the Undi and Udhloko, who never came into action at Sandhlwana, but formed the reserve (which passed on and attacked Rorke’s Drift). As we rushed on the soldiers retired on the camp, fighting all the way, and as they got into the camp we were intermingled with them. It was a disputed point as to which of the following regiments was the first in the English camp, viz.: Undi, Kandampenvu, Ngobamakosi, and Umbonambi; but it was eventually decided that the Umbonambi was the first, followed by Undi.

“One party of soldiers came out from among the tents and formed up a little above the ammunition-waggons. They held their ground there until their ammunition failed them, when they were nearly all assegaied. Those that were not killed at this place formed again in a solid square in the neck of Sandhlwana. They were completely surrounded on all sides, and stood back to back, and surrounding some men who were in the centre. Their ammunition was now done, except that they had some revolvers which they fired at us at close quarters. We were quite unable to break their square until we had killed a great many of them, by throwing our assegais at short distances. We eventually overcame them in this way.”[172]