There was not much work for these “carriers” after all; they were assembled at the Lower Tugela, and marched up to Fort Chelmsford, each man with a fifty-pound mealie-bag on his head.[176] Their commander, Major Schwabe, left the loads there, and took the men on to Port Durnford, where they were employed as required. Having, after some time, received their pay, the “carriers” quietly walked off to their homes.
The Commander-in-Chief remained but two days in Pietermaritzburg, returning to Durban on the 1st of July. The same evening he embarked on board H.M.S. Shah, intending to land at Port Durnford, and thus reach the scene of action. For once in his life Sir Garnet’s good fortune deserted him; the heavy surf on the beach prevented his landing, and the Shah brought him back to Durban. Here he received the news of the battle of Ulundi, telegraphed to him by Mr. Archibald Forbes.
No one quite knew what Lord Chelmsford was about, but everyone understood that he would try and end the war before he was superseded; and the general feeling in the colony was certainly one of hope that “poor Lord Chelmsford” might get a chance, win a battle, and have his bonfire in the enemy’s city of straw. Some few, indeed, argued that as Lord Chelmsford could not possibly, in the time left him, settle the Zulu question by the sword, it might occur to him at last to pay some attention to the hard-pressed Zulu monarch’s repeated messages imploring peace, and propose some conditions possible for Cetshwayo to accept and fulfil. Without further bloodshed an honourable peace might thus have been concluded before Sir Garnet Wolseley could step upon the scene.
We left the 1st Division at the Umlalazi River, close to the landing-place, Port Durnford. There the force remained, General Crealock occupied in receiving the submission of the neighbouring Zulus, who were flocking in from every direction.
But whilst Lord Chelmsford, on his approach to Ulundi, was inquiring, “Where is Crealock?” Crealock was quietly established near the coast, his military activity being displayed in the burning of Empangeni and other kraals north of the Umlatuzi River. As the Zulus all round were coming in, and no “impi” was even heard of, the object of this exhibition of force seems a little doubtful. As was remarked by The Cape Times: “Why the British soldier was ordered to destroy the shelter, and, with the shelter, the store of grain food of some thousands of poor women and children whose husbands and fathers were making their submission, we can no more understand than we can comprehend the strategy by which a large British force was held back for months at the edge of the enemy’s country, while commissariat supplies were accumulating sufficient to support a long campaign, the whole work before them being to march a hundred miles, and with one fight close up the war. If they were beaten they could fall back on the base; but with caution and generalship defeat was out of the question.” However, Major-General Crealock must have the credit of quieting the eastern portion of Zululand before the termination of the war. From his despatches of the 5th July we gather that the “district people are all wanting to come in,” that he was “sending back the people to their districts; difficulty of feeding them would be great.” His division paraded under arms to receive the “official submission” of “Mabilwana, Manyingo, and other chiefs,” who, with some 250 men, double that number of women and children, and their cattle, etc., had come in—these people belonging to the coast district, but were not strictly speaking warriors, or necessarily belonging to the Zulu army; nor could their submission be looked upon as any desertion of their king by the fighting-men of the nation. They were told that the General accepted their submission, and should look to them in future to keep peace in that district. If any Zulus were found in arms, their chief or headman would suffer; but, if they behaved themselves well, he would give them back their cattle and his protection. The men then received passes (or tickets) and were permitted to return to their districts.[177]
Sir Garnet Wolseley crossed the Tugela with his staff and escort on July 6th, and proceeded to the head-quarters of the 1st Division, near Port Durnford, which he reached on the 7th. He at once set to work “to reduce the excessive rate of expenditure which has so far been maintained in connection with this war,” and “arranged with the Commodore to embark the Naval Brigade at the earliest opportunity,” and also “dispensed with the services of some of the colonial troops.” Reinforcements of all kinds were stopped, including a fine battalion of Marine Infantry and strong detachment of Marine Artillery, just arrived at the Cape in H.M.S. Jumna.
On July 10th, Sir Garnet also put on one side “the plan of a Swazi invasion.” (P. P. [C. 2454] p. 163.) All the chiefs up to St. Lucia Bay tendered their submission, and sent in their arms.
Sir Garnet Wolseley and Lord Chelmsford met at St. Paul’s on the 15th July, the latter arriving with Brigadier-General Wood’s Flying Column. This Sir Garnet inspected on the following day, taking the opportunity of decorating Major Chard, R.E., with the Victoria Cross, awarded him for his gallantry at Rorke’s Drift.
Lord Chelmsford left St. Paul’s on the 17th, on his way home. His “brilliant victory” had turned the tide of popular favour somewhat in his direction, and he found that (as he said) “nothing succeeds like success.”
In Durban he was accorded a reception which must have been highly gratifying to his feelings. One of his last remarks in Natal, in reply to a speech made as he was about to embark, was to the following effect: “I think I may say confidently that we have now seen the beginning of the end of this campaign, and any success which has attended my efforts, I feel, is due to the prayers of the people, and the kindly ordinations of Divine Providence; for I am one of those who believe firmly and implicitly in the efficacy of prayer and in the intervention of Providence.”