These first steps in Zululand have been given in considerable detail, as they afford much food for reflection on the contrast between “words” and “deeds.”
CHAPTER XIII.
ISANDHLWANA.
Having crossed into Zululand, the “difficulties ... in the way of those who are endeavouring to move forward into an enemy’s country, over tracts which have never been traversed, except by a very few traders’ waggons,”[121] began to declare themselves; and Lord Chelmsford remarks, January 16th: “No. 3 Column at Rorke’s Drift cannot possibly move forward even eight miles until two swamps, into which our waggons sank up to the body, have been made passable. This work will occupy us for at least four days, and we shall find similar obstacles in front of us in every march we are anxious to make.”
We find Lord Chelmsford, on January 27th, stating: “The country is far more difficult than I had been led to expect, and the labour of advancing with a long train of waggons is enormous. It took seven days hard work, by one half of No. 3 Column, to make the ten miles of road between Rorke’s Drift and Insalwana Hill practicable, and even then had it rained hard I feel sure that the convoy could not have gone on. The line of communication is very much exposed, and would require a party of mounted men always patrolling, and fixed intrenched posts of infantry at intervals of about ten miles.”—(P. P.—C. 2252).
Under these circumstances we can only wonder that the advance with cumbersome trains of waggons was undertaken, and the apparent want of knowledge of the invaded country is almost equally surprising. All previous experience goes to prove that a general moving in an enemy’s country with his “impedimenta” should form a defensible camp at every halt; and this Lord Chelmsford apparently recognised when he promulgated the “Regulations for Field Forces in South Africa;” but we shall find how fatally he neglected the most ordinary precautions.
A hint for the advance might well have been taken from Sir Garnet Wolseley’s campaign in Ashantee, and the various columns moved on Ulundi—about eighty miles—in the lightest possible order, and without a ponderous waggon-train. Rapid movement was the more imperatively necessary, the enemy being in force, and able to make most rapid concentrations. Guns (7-pounders) could have been moved over very difficult ground with comparative ease, and even carried along piecemeal if necessary.
The strangeness of the situation is shown plainly in Lord Chelmsford’s despatch of the 16th January, written at Rorke’s Drift—on the very borders of Zululand—at the very outset of the war. Having spoken of “difficulties” (as already quoted), he says: “Accepting the situation, therefore, it remains for me to determine what modification of the plan of campaign at first laid down will be necessary.” His idea still is to drive, “as far as possible, all the Zulus forward towards the north-east part of their country,” and “with Nos. 1, 2, and 3 Columns, to thoroughly clear or subjugate the country ... by means of expeditions made by those columns from certain fixed positions,” and this, he hopes, will “have the effect of removing any dangerously large body from the Natal borders.” Colonel Wood, with No. 4 Column, to act independently. “By these movements,” he continues, “I hope to be able to clear that portion of Zululand which is situated south of the Umhlatoosi River;” and remarks that Cetshwayo will be obliged “to keep his army mobilised, and it is certain that his troops will have difficulty in finding sufficient food. If kept inactive, they will become dangerous to himself; if ordered to attack us, they will be playing our game.”
How these plans answered, one week sufficed to show.
The first step in advance from Rorke’s Drift was to push forward four companies of the 2-24th Regiment, a battalion of Natal Native Contingent, and a detachment of Natal Native Pioneers into the Bashi Valley on the 14th January, for the purpose of repairing the road. This detachment remained encamped there until the 20th, five miles from the remainder of the column at Rorke’s Drift, and with no attempt at “laager” or other defence, Lord Chelmsford did not see the need of precaution, and his instructions to the officer in command were, “Use the bayonet” if a night attack took place.