The Story of the Zulu Campaign

by Waller Ashe; Edmund Verney Wyatt-Edgell

On the following day, the 57th, 60th, and 91st were formed into a flying column, taking with them nothing but some light Scotch carts and three days' rations, together with the mounted men and some of the Naval Brigade, and started en route by way of the coast road for Ekowe. The portions of the Buffs, 99th, and a detachment of the "Shah's" men were left behind to garrison Ginghilovo, under the command of Major Walker. The heliograph was set to work, and Pearson replied that he should certainly come out to meet Lord Chelmsford and his party. At daybreak, therefore, Barrow went on with his horsemen to reconnoitre, and to see if any remnant or fresh portion of the Zulu army lay between Ekowe and its relievers. The line of country to be traversed was known to be more difficult than that passed, and it was thought that the Zulus might have had sufficient tenacity of purpose to make one more effort to stay the general's purpose. The first part of the journey was anything but pleasant; swamps, morasses, bogs, watercourses, nullahs, spruits, boulders, and all the disagreeable features of South Africa were in abundance; progress, consequently, was very much impeded, and at one time it was thought the troops would have to encamp on the way, and make a two days' march of the journey. Several small but awkward streams had to be crossed, and the General very wisely served out an extra ration of grog after the passage of these places.

After travelling about five miles, a halt for breakfast was called, and here Barrow rode back to report that all was clear in front, and that not a single Zulu could be seen, although the plains and bush had been most diligently scoured. Barrow reported that in the direction he had been, assegais, shields, feathers, ear and head ornaments, skins, furs, blankets, and even guns were lying about in profusion, evidently cast away in the hurried and headlong flight of the Zulus to their kraals, but that no bodies, however, had as yet been seen by the scouts.

The shrill notes of the bugles sounded the halt, and soon after the "Prepare to dismount," and "Off-saddle." Although no precaution was neglected to guard against surprise, a certain amount of latitude was now allowed, which on the previous three days' marches had not been sanctioned. Piquets, as usual, were thrown out on the neighbouring heights, and a chain of vedettes posted, which commanded ten miles of country in every direction. This being effected, the infantry formed up and piled arms, the cavalry off-saddled, and the horses, having first been allowed their usual roll in the dusty veldt, were turned out, under the protection of a guard, to enjoy a short graze, having, of course, been previously knee-haltered. This knee-haltering process is universal throughout all the Cape Colonies, and is effected in the following manner: by simply taking a couple of half-hitches round the horse's fore-leg with a strong rein or reim attached to the neck-strap, which brings the animal's head towards the ground, and effectually prevents his running away. This is the simple precaution adopted by all travellers in South Africa. The men now were told off in sections to draw water and collect wood to make fires for their morning or midday coffee. The officers collected in groups, and compared notes and exchanged anecdote and repartee.

After an hour's rest, which men and horses required after their severe four days' work, the bugles again summoned all to the ranks, and they started anew to complete the journey.

From this halting-place the road had a rather dangerous appearance, and every precaution was taken, lest Dabulamanzi should have received any reinforcements, which would enable him to attack the somewhat weak column at a disadvantage. The road over which they were passing was in itself open and fairly easy of transit, but not far to the left, and running parallel to the waggon-track, there were patches of bush so dense that horsemen could not enter, and they had to be examined with the aid of an infantry contingent, a few of whom had fortunately been brought in case of an emergency of this sort. Not far from the foot of one of the ascents to Ekowe on the left of the column lay the spot where Pearson was attacked on the 22nd January, and which, although called the battle of Inyazani, is some distance from the banks of that river. Some cavalry were taken over by Barrow to explore, but nothing marked the locality of the action except a large mound and a roughly carved cross where the dead were laid. On this cross were roughly cut the names of those who lay at rest below. Leaving at length the bushy country, the column now came to some steep and broken ground, and here were seen the remains of some of the waggons which had to be abandoned from Ely's convoy. Strange to say, some of the contents, tins of provisions and other stores, were still intact; but no arms nor ammunition had been left behind. Seven miles from Ekowe the troops came to a plain from which they were divided by a broad and well-worn watercourse. Here they faced the steep and scarped sides of a mountain, and in the distance could see a long unbroken range over which the sun was beginning to set. At this spot the Zulus had evidently attempted to impede the advance, as part of the road had been cut away. Engineers, however, soon remedied the damage, and they were enabled to push on; although it was fortunate that they had no waggons, as it was not without considerable effort they managed to get the two-wheeled carts across. As soon as this spot had been passed, the whole character of the landscape changed as if by magic; and as the wind freshened and carried away some misty clouds, the remnants of the late rains, a splendid prospect was seen, as the column wound its slow trail along a steep and rugged kloof leading into a fair and fertile valley beyond. Here, however, was a position that might have been held for some considerable time had the enemy chosen this spot to oppose the march. A sheer precipitous rock frowned on the right, and the only possible track lay exactly under its base, where with a few resolute savages above, huge boulders and masses of rock could have been hurled upon the column as it passed. On the left was a spongy swamp perfectly impassable to wheels, and not particularly easy to troops or human feet. Here a short way up the mountain farther on were seen the remains of a ruined kraal, and of some huts apparently not long vacated. These dwellings were formed, as usual, of rudely twined canes wattled and filled in with clay, and they had somewhat the appearance of a cluster of huge beehives.

As the leading files quitted the low ground, signals were made by the advanced patrols that cavalry were in sight, and the General and several of his staff at once galloped past the column to the front. All anxieties were briefly at an end, for, mounted upon an exceedingly handsome charger, and attended by a numerous cavalcade, coming towards the column at a smart canter was the gallant soldier who had held his inhospitable guard at Ekowe for more than seventy days.

Lord Chelmsford at once spurred forward, and warmly grasped Colonel Pearson by the hand, whilst discipline for once gave way, and the respectful silence of the General's escort was broken by a cheer such as only English throats can give, waking up every echo of the Zulu caves and valleys.

Colonel Pearson brought with him, according to his promise, about 500 men, and his staff, consisting of Colonel Walker and Captains M'Gregor and Knight. A long conversation at once took place, and the General informed Colonel Pearson that, anticipating the evacuation of the fort, he had left part of his force to entrench Ginghilovo, and make it a permanent station. The reasons for this were manifold. In the first place the approaches to Ekowe were easy to the Zulus, unencumbered with baggage or other impedimenta, but most difficult and trying to a European force. Ginghilovo or its neighbourhood answered every purpose as a link in the line of communications, while a site could be chosen equally as formidable in a defensive point of view. The column did not reach Ekowe fort till nearly eleven p.m. Here the welcome of comrades, fellow-messmates, and men of the same ships and corps, was a happy and fitting sequel to the rencontre of the reliever and the relieved.

It was a pleasant surprise to the General on arriving at Ekowe to find that matters had been made much worse by report than they were in reality. No gaunt and famine-stricken faces greeted him, but, on the contrary, there was a look of plumpness about most of the privates that savoured more of want of exercise than want of beef. In fact, the medical officer stated that the meat ration had never been diminished, as it was considered just as advisable to kill and consume the trek oxen as to see them die for want of forage. Now a trek ox in the best condition is not particularly tender, or even when fed upon the best of food, but when kept short of fodder, and without proper shelter from the sun and rain, he cuts up anything but well for beef. Tobacco was the article most wanted by both soldiers and sailors, and the most agreeable gift that could be made by the relievers to their lately besieged comrades was this luxury in any form or shape. The health of the garrison at first was good, but gradually the want of vegetables and useful medicines filled the hospitals, and made the cemetery more full. Anxiety, doubtless, had much to do with the sick-roll, and until communications with St. Andrew's Mission had been established a certain amount of uneasiness was felt as to how the war was going. Thirty deaths occurred during the seventy days the garrison were shut up, but several of these, it must be remembered, were cases of wounded men from the fighting at the Inyezani. At Fort Ekowe the hero of the scouting parties was undoubtedly young Rowden, of the 99th, who was detailed by Colonel Pearson to form a mounted infantry corps similar to Barrow's, from volunteers from the Buffs and his own corps. It is no secret that one of the great advantages we possess in our service is that we are never at a loss, when we can get horses, to find riders. Most of our youngsters in the service would rather have a stigma on their morals than on their knowledge of horseflesh and of horsemanship, and herein lies the secret of our bearing up against our first reverses in Zululand. Every officer, serving in South Africa, whether cavalry, infantry, artillery, engineers, medical staff, or commissariat, gets rations or allowances for horse or horses, according to his rank. This is one of the secrets, combined with the sport and shooting, why South African service is so popular. Now both the 99th and the Buffs vied with the 13th and 90th in their equestrian proclivities, and, in default of regular cavalry, a large body of mounted infantry was raised, and in a great measure mounted from the horses belonging to the officers of their respective regiments, lent or sold to Government for the purpose. Rowden's patrols were literally the "eyes and ears" of the garrison, and ably fulfilled all the onerous duties of light cavalry. In short the great value of their services may be gathered from the frequently and openly stated opinions of Colonel Wood and of Colonel Pearson, that all infantry regiments serving at the Cape should have at least one Gatling and one mounted company.

The great event of the camp life in Ekowe was the discovery of certain queer flashes of light on the white walls of the church tower. These, after puzzling many of the officers and soldiers, were at length brought under the notice of an officer of the naval brigade, whose education in the use of the heliograph enabled him at once to explain the apparent mystery. Three days of unpleasant suspense, however, elapsed before the first message could be clearly made out, and then three more before an apparatus could be rendered workable to reply. Fortunately an old mirror was found, and this, with an empty wooden cartridge case, sufficed. Within the week, therefore, conversation was opened, and its effect on the imprisoned garrison was seen by all to be more beneficial than all the tonics the hospital could afford. The next great event was, perhaps, the construction of the road from the fort to the lower coast trek, and the consequent excitement of having to work with the chance of feeling an assegai or Zulu bullet whizzing into the party. But the long days and longer nights were not at all devoid of recreation. Lawn tennis, bowls, ninepins, and quoits were devised. Concerts were organized, and dramatic recitals on a modest scale were improvised.