In the afternoon, Mackay's, Woolls-Sampson's and Leuchars' columns proceeded to high ground on the road, about 1,000 yards from Gaillard's Drift (left side), and close to the spot where, two days before, Veal had been caught. Here the combined forces bivouacked for the night.
The total number of rebels killed by the columns during the day was 444, and about 400 cattle were captured.
On the following day (4th July), McKenzie decided to remain in Umvoti valley and to continue the sweeping operations generally in a northerly direction. Leuchars operated on the left, Mackay in the centre and Woolls-Sampson on Mackay's right. Each column traversed exceedingly rugged country during the day, but practically none of the enemy were met with in any force. All the rebels had apparently dispersed. Mackay proceeded viâ Misi hill into Swaimana's ward where, owing to not having vacated their kraals as instructed to do, two brothers of Swaimana—loyalists—were unfortunately shot in the belief that they were rebels.
Nineteen rebels were killed and a large quantity of stock captured during the day.
The columns—searching the country as they went—returned to Thring's Post on the 5th.
Attached to the Natal Carbineers was Lance-Corporal V.J.W. Christopher. When in the neighbourhood of Hlonono Mission Station, he went to a kraal to make investigations. As he entered the place, a rebel, who had armed and concealed himself behind a fence, immediately pounced upon and stabbed him and his horse to death. The body was removed and buried at Ladysmith.
Although the combined operations in Umvoti valley, on account of Barker having been opposed at Ponjwana and Leuchars having to bring his guns and ambulance along rough and roadless country, did not achieve McKenzie's principal object, viz. establishing a cordon round Meseni's entire force, they were nevertheless successful in stamping out rebellion in that part. As late as the evening of the 2nd, all reports had gone to show that some 6,000 to 7,000 Natives were under arms in Umvoti valley. But, as the result of the vigorous operations of the 3rd, 4th and 5th, the rebel forces, defeated in action at two points, had entirely vanished. And, with their kraals destroyed and stock captured, no opportunity was allowed them to reorganize with any prospect of success.
The terrain here, though difficult to operate in, differed greatly from that at Nkandhla in having no strongholds of any importance. Had the valley been dealt with piece-meal, it is more than probable hostilities would have been kept up longer than they were, and been accompanied with far greater loss of life to the rebels than actually took place. Although the punishment was not as severe as it might have been, it was heavy enough to show Natives the futility of taking up arms against organized European troops. The swoop on Meseni's valley from four widely-separated points was a fine conception, and, although not as effective as it might have been, and was intended by McKenzie to be, the rebels saw enough to realize that an octopus had come down upon them from the surrounding heights, against whose powerful and far-reaching tentacles their own efforts were puny and feeble in the extreme. The reader may remember that a Zulu dreads nothing so much as being surrounded or hemmed in. The very effort to do this on the 3rd no doubt caused many of them to be afflicted with nightmare, for that was the day on which, as they say, "every hill was covered with European troops, which, moving closer and closer, threatened and meted out destruction on every side."
On intelligence being brought in at 2 p.m. on the 6th that Meseni was in hiding a short distance off, three squadrons hurriedly left Thring's Post, only, however, to find, after proceeding a couple of miles, that the place was at least nine miles from camp, and required a much larger force to deal with. The troops accordingly returned to camp. Orders were issued the same night that all mounted troops of Leuchars', Woolls-Sampson's and Mackay's columns were to move out at 3.30 a.m. on the 7th in the direction of Glendale. Fortunately there was a bright moon.
Woolls-Sampson's men took the right. After making a long detour, they, approaching on the west, reached the appointed rendezvous, Mzonono gorge, shortly after daybreak, and got into touch with Mackay, who had moved to the east side from the north. Leuchars was to have closed the bottom end from the south-east, but he arrived late, owing to having been conducted along the wrong road. McKenzie, who was with Mackay's column, caused the bush in the gorge to be driven, but without result. Woolls-Sampson's and Mackay's men subsequently went to the top of hills overlooking the Kearsney sugar plantations and searched some caves near there. Leuchars, in the meantime, drove a valley on the east. During the day, thirteen prisoners were taken and six rebels killed. Tpr. Reed, N.C., accidentally shot himself through one of his lungs, but the injury luckily did not prove fatal.