History of the Zulu war and its origin

by Frances Ellen Colenso

On the 31st of May the Prince went to Colonel Harrison’s tent with a report which he had written, and, as usual, asked for some more work. He was told that the army was to march next day, and that he might go out and report on the roads and camps for the day following; with which instructions the Prince was greatly pleased. Next day the 2nd Division (with which were Lord Chelmsford and the head-quarters’ staff) were ordered to march towards Ulundi; Wood’s column being in advance some miles, on the other side of the Blood River, on a road which would take it out eventually on the line of march of the head-quarters’ column. Lieutenant Carey, whilst conversing on duty matters with Colonel Harrison, expressed a wish to go out with the Prince, as he desired to verify a sketch he had made on the previous day; and, although Colonel Harrison had intended to ask one of the General’s personal staff to accompany the Prince, he said, when Lieutenant Carey volunteered to go: “All right; you can look after the Prince!” At the same time he told Lieutenant Carey to let the Prince do the work for which he was going out, namely, a detailed report on the road and the selection of a site for the camp. Lieutenant Carey was known to Colonel Harrison as a cautious and experienced officer, who had been frequently out on patrol duties with Colonel Buller and others, who was acquainted with the nature of the work he had to do, the precautions to be taken, and the actual ground to be gone over; and there was every reason to believe that he thoroughly understood his position, and would make, as he had done before, the proper arrangements for an escort.

On the morning of the 1st, Colonel Harrison, hearing that no escort had arrived at the hour fixed for the departure of the reconnoitring party, went over to General Marshall’s tent, and obtained from him the order for the number of men he thought sufficient—“six Europeans and six Basutos;” and, having informed Lieutenant Carey of this, he rode off to attend to his own duties—superintending the march of the army, inspecting the fords, and moving on in advance (in company with Major Grenfell) to select the site for watering-places and the next camp. On a ridge in front of the column Colonel Harrison and his companion presently found the Prince and Lieutenant Carey halted with the European troopers only, and heard from them that they were waiting for the Basutos, who had not joined them in camp; but some were now in sight on the hillside flanking the line of march, and moving in a direction which would bring them upon it a little in advance of the spot where the party was waiting.

As Lieutenant Carey had been already over the country, he was asked by Colonel Harrison to point out the place where the water supply for the next camp was, and the whole party rode slowly along a donga towards the supposed stream or ponds. Colonel Harrison did not think the water sufficient for their purpose, and rode back to the high ground, where he was rejoined by Major Grenfell, who told him that the Prince’s party had just discovered a better supply a little farther on. There was a ridge in front of them which they considered marked the end of the day’s march, and the officers dispersed to attend to their own duties, not imagining for an instant that the reconnoitring party would go on without the Basutos, who, from their wonderful power of sight and hearing, and quickness at detecting the approach of danger, were always regarded as essential to an escort.

Unhappily, however, such was the case. The party rode on until they came to a deserted kraal, situated some 200 yards from the river, and consisting of five huts, one with the usual small cattle enclosure. Between the kraal and the river stretched a luxuriant growth of tambookie grass, five or six feet in height, with mealies and Kafir corn interspersed. This dense covert, however, did not completely surround the kraal, for in front there was an open space, apparently used by the Zulus, judging from the ashes and broken earthenware strewn about, as a common cooking-ground.

Here the party halted, and the Prince, having first sent a native guide to make sure that the huts were all uninhabited, gave the order that the horses should be off-saddled and turned out to graze. Some of them lit a fire and made coffee, while the Prince and Lieutenant Carey, after the latter had taken a look round with his glass, proceeded to make sketches of the surrounding country. It is said that the Prince’s talent with pen and pencil, combined with his remarkable proficiency in military surveying—that great gift of recognising at once the strategic capabilities of any spot which distinguished the First Napoleon—made his contributions to our knowledge of the country to be traversed of great value; and he never lost an opportunity of making himself of use in this and every other way.

It was about 3 P.M. when the party halted at this deserted kraal, the Prince deciding that they should leave again in an hour’s time. That the Zulus had been upon the spot not long before was apparent from signs of freshly-chewed imfi (native sugar-cane) upon the ground, while a few dogs lingering about might have suggested that their masters were not far off. Before the hour was over, however, the native guide came in to report that he had seen a Zulu coming over the hill, and it was now thought prudent to retire, the Prince giving directions to collect and up-saddle the horses, followed by the order to “Mount.”

Some of the men were already in the saddle, others in the act of mounting, when a sudden volley fired upon them from amongst the tall stalks of the mealies (Indian corn) which grew on every side, betrayed the presence of a numerous armed foe, who had returned unseen to those who were in temporary occupation of their kraals. The distance was not twenty yards, and the long grass swayed to the sudden rush of the Zulus, as with a tremendous shout, they charged towards the Prince and his companions. The horses all swerved at the suddenness of the tumult, and one broke away, its rider being shot before he could recover it and mount. The young Prince was riding a fine gray charger, a gray of sixteen hands, always difficult to mount, and on this occasion, frightened by the firing, it became restive and could not be controlled. Lieutenant Carey, apparently, had at this moment been carried by his horse in a direction which brought one of the huts between him and the Prince, of whose difficulties he was therefore unaware. From the moment of the attack no man seems to have known much of what the rest were doing; to gallop away was the only chance for life, and all hurried off, the Prince in vain endeavouring to mount his restive steed unaided. He was passed by Trooper Letocq: “Dépêchez vous, s’il vous plait, Monsieur!” he cried, as he dashed past, himself only lying across his saddle, but the Prince made no answer; he was already doing his utmost, and in another minute he was alone. He was seen endeavouring to mount his rearing charger, as it followed the retreat, while he ran beside it, the enemy close at hand. He made one desperate attempt to leap into the saddle by the help of the holster-flap; that gave way, and then he fell. The charger dashed riderless past some of the mounted men, who, looking back, saw the Prince running after them on foot, with the Zulus but a few paces behind him. Alas! not a man turned back, they galloped wildly on, and carried back to camp the news that the gallant young Prince, for or with whom each of them should have died that day, lay slain upon the hillside where he had made his last brave stand alone. Two troopers fell besides—one was struck down by a bullet as he rode away; the other was the man who had lost his horse, Trooper Rogers, and who was last seen in the act of levelling his carbine at the enemy. The native guide was killed as well, after a hard fight with the foe, witnessed to by the blood-stained and broken weapons found by his side next day. The fugitives rode on for some distance, when they met General Wood and Colonel Buller, to whom they made their report. From the brow of an adjacent hill these officers, looking through their glasses, could see the Zulus leading away the horses they had taken—the trophies of their successful attack.

That evening Colonel Harrison was in his tent, engaged in writing orders for the next day’s march, when Lord Chelmsford came in to tell him “The Prince is killed!” and Lieutenant Carey soon after confirmed the dreadful, well-nigh incredible news. He said they were off-saddled at a kraal, when they were surrounded and fired into, and that the Prince must have been killed, for no one had seen him afterwards.

Colonel Harrison asked the General to let him take a few men to the kraal, and see if, by any chance, the Prince were only wounded, or were hidden near at hand, but his request was not granted, and the testimony of the survivors extinguished all hope.

Next day General Marshall, with a cavalry patrol, went out to search for the Prince, being assisted by scouts of the Flying Column. The bodies of the troopers were soon found, and shortly afterwards that of His Imperial Highness was found by Captain Cochrane, lying in a donga about 200 yards from the kraal where the party had halted. The body was stripped with the exception of a gold chain with medallions attached, which was still round his neck. Sword, revolver, helmet, and clothes were gone; but in the grass were found the Prince’s spurs and one sock.