“The pioneers have been raised, officered, and equipped under the orders of the Natal Government, and are now placed at my disposal. The remainder of the Contingent have been raised at the cost and under the orders of the Imperial authorities” (p. 40).
In none of his despatches is there mention of any special officer in connection with this native force, but the following officers were responsible for the organisation of the various regiments: No. 1 Regiment and mounted contingent, Lieut.-Colonel Durnford, R.E.; No. 2 Regiment, Major Graves; No. 3 Regiment, Commandant Lonsdale. Great difficulties appear to have been thrown in the way of the proper equipment, etc. of the native levies; but by untiring effort and personal determination, better arrangements for pay, clothing, and discipline were made for (at all events, a portion of) the levy than had been known amongst South African troops. The indiscriminate appointment of officers caused considerable trouble, illustrative of which we may mention an anecdote. Men were repeatedly sent to Lieut.-Colonel Durnford with orders from the military secretary that they were to receive commissions, some of these unfitted by disposition and education for the duties required of them. A friend has lately furnished an instance very much to the point. “A young fellow came one day to Colonel Durnford from Colonel Crealock, who said he had served in the old colony, and boasted that he knew how to make Kafirs fight. ‘How is that?’ was the inquiry made. ‘Oh!’ replied the youth, ‘just to get behind them with a sjambok (i.e. whip)—that’s the way to do it!’ ‘All right,’ replied the Colonel quietly; ‘I have just one piece of advice to give you though—make your will before you start! If you’re not stabbed by your own men, you will deserve it.’”
How successful was the training of the men of the 2nd Column may be judged by the behaviour of the “Natal Native Horse,” a body of mounted men (Basuto, Edendale, and Zikali natives) who fought at Isandhlwana; and did right good service throughout the campaign.[118] He also raised, equipped, and trained the three companies of Native Pioneers, organising two field-parks, and providing complete bridge equipment for crossing the Tugela; besides preparing, mainly from his own personal observations (having been at Ulundi in 1873, and in Zululand on many occasions), the map of Zululand in universal use during the campaign, and mentioned in despatches as “Durnford’s map.”
In reply to Sir Bartle Frere’s inquiries as to proposed movements of troops up to Natal, Sir H. Bulwer writes, July 18th, 1878, that in his opinion “it is desirable under the present circumstances, and pending the final decision in the matter of the boundary dispute, to avoid as much as possible any military demonstration, as liable to be misunderstood and to be interpreted as showing our intention to settle the question by force. The delay, too, that has occurred since the sitting of the Commission might be attributed by the Zulu king to our desire to make preparations, and it might be thought that we were playing false.”—(P. P. [C. 2220] p. 395).
And here we may appropriately refer to the opinion expressed by the Home Government at a later date.
Sir M. Hicks-Beach writes to Sir B. Frere, 21st November, 1878: “I trust that ... Cetywayo may have been informed that a decision regarding the disputed boundary would speedily be communicated to him. His complaint that the Lieut.-Governor of Natal ‘is hiding from him the answer that has come from across the sea, about the land boundary question, and is only making an excuse for taking time, so as to surprise him,’ is not altogether an unnatural one for a native chief situated in his circumstances, who is necessarily ignorant of much that has passed on this subject, and of many of the causes to which the delay is attributable. But it is a misunderstanding which it should be the earnest endeavour of the Government to remove, and I am confident that there is no need to impress upon you the importance of losing no time in dealing with this question or the beneficial effect which its satisfactory settlement may be expected to have upon the strained relations which you describe as now existing between the colony of Natal and the Zulu nation.”—(P. P. [C. 2220] p. 322).
We must now briefly run through the principal points in despatches bearing on the question of increasing the military strength in Natal.
Sir B. Frere, writing from Cape Town on September 10th, says: “I have consulted General Thesiger on the subject. He is very unwilling to ask for reinforcements on the Natal border without the full concurrence of the Government of that colony, and I understand that His Excellency Sir H. Bulwer is specially anxious that nothing should be done in Natal which could possibly justify to the Zulu chief the belief that we were preparing for active hostilities against him. I confess that, as at present informed, I very imperfectly comprehend the grounds on which the objections of His Excellency the Lieut.-Governor, as I understand them, to strengthening the Natal frontier are based.[119] They will doubtless be more fully explained when I have the advantage of personal communication with him. In the meantime I feel quite certain that the preservation or speedy restoration of peace will be rendered much more certain if General Thesiger had two more battalions of Her Majesty’s Army within his reach.”—(P. P. [C. 2220] pp. 282, 283).
On September 14th, referring to the above despatch, Sir B. Frere says he has “since received a telegraphic communication from General Thesiger, in which he expresses his views in regard to his military requirements in the event of hostilities breaking out with the Zulus.” The General asks for six more special duty officers, and fifteen captains or subalterns for transport duties. “General Thesiger considers that an addition of two regiments would be essential, and that the presence of a cavalry regiment would be of enormous advantage” (ibid. p. 254).
From Durban, Sir B. Frere telegraphs on September 23rd to Sir M. Hicks-Beach: “I find that the urgency of supporting General Thesiger’s request is much greater even than I supposed. I trust there will be no delay in complying with his request to its fullest extent” (ibid. p. 255).