CHAPTER VII.
Lord Chelmsford with Wood at Kambula—Patrol by Buller—Capture of cattle—Scene from Kambula Kop—Zulu attack on patrol—Removal of Wood's camp to Mayegwhana—Wood's force—Scarcity of drivers and voorlopers—Newdigate at Conference Hill—Fort and depôt at Conference Hill—Work of No. 1 column—Exciting incident with a convoy—Distribution of troops—Forts on the Tugela, Inyezani, and at Ginghilovo—System of guards and precautions against surprises—All ready for the advance—Recapitulation of military situation—Newdigate's forts at Landsman's Drift—Arrangements for garrisons in rear of advance—The Lower Tugela command—Patrol by Wood and Buller in direction of Isandhlwana—Second patrol by Buller—Zulu attack—The Prince Imperial on patrol—Reconnaissance in force to Isandhlwana and burial of the dead.
On the morning of May 3rd, Lord Chelmsford, with Prince Louis Napoleon, Colonel Crealock, and Captain Molyneux, arrived at Wood's camp at Kambula. His lordship went round the camp soon after his arrival, and expressed himself uncommonly pleased with all the arrangements for the discipline and internal economy of the laager, being particularly struck with the quiet and easy way in which all the duties were carried on, without noise, excitement, or delay of any kind. The whole force was paraded in the afternoon for the General's inspection, and his lordship took the opportunity of saying a few well-chosen and appropriate words to each corps.
On the following morning (Sunday), after divine service was over, Lord Chelmsford suggested to General Wood that it would be advisable to make a reconnaissance in the direction of the White Umvolosi valley in view of choosing a suitable position for an entrenched camp within easy communication of Durnberg and Conference Hill. The day was fine and pleasant, and Buller, who had proceeded in advance with a number of his scouts, soon signalled back that the patrol were watched by a number of Zulus, who now and then exchanged shots with his men from the neighbouring hills. After riding about three miles towards the south-east in the direction of the Zinguin Neck and Tonguin mountain, the party entered a rugged part of the country near where the White Umvolosi takes its rise, passing along by a winding road, flanked on either side by the usual mimosa thorns, when suddenly was heard the "whirr! whirr!" of a couple of leaden messengers, though as yet nothing in the shape of an enemy could be seen. In a short time, however, Wood, who had cantered on in front, saw with his practised eye sundry copper-coloured bodies creeping along in the bushes below about half a mile off. They were so intent upon watching Wood and his group of horsemen that they did not at first see that about a score of Buller's men had gained their flank, and almost cut them off. It was a most exciting scene as the mounted scouts were observed looking about for something in the shape of a path by which to descend the cliff which formed at this part almost a sheer precipice of some 300 feet. They, however, managed the descent by a rough cattle-path, sending down showers of loose stones and débris before them as their horses half slid, half scrambled to the base. All this time the main body were crossing a wide plateau dominating the White Umvolosi valley and the river, which wound away at the base of the cliff. Looking over the precipitous sides, they could perceive a small herd of cattle penned up in a kraal in the centre of a little bush-covered flat adjoining the stream. As it was thought just possible that they might capture some prisoners, and obtain information of what Zulu forces were in the neighbourhood, and as cattle-hunting is one of the great ends of Zulu warfare, half a dozen of the General's escort were detached to see what they could effect. Getting down the cliff as well as they could, and then winding through the dense thorns in the valley, they soon found the kraal, and, having collected the cattle, began to return. But this was certainly a puzzle upon which they had not calculated. To ascend the cliff by the way they had come was impossible, whilst on the other side ran the river, wide, and apparently very deep. Undoubtedly the only way out of the difficulty was to find a ford. They were, therefore, busily occupied in searching for one, when they perceived a mounted scout, sent by Buller, on the other side of the stream, who was gesticulating very excitedly, and trying to warn them of some danger. As it was impossible at the distance to hear what he said, one of the mounted men was sent down to the bank, and he came back with the news that the bush behind was full of Zulus. The warning did not come a moment too soon, for within fifty yards of them came a crowd of naked savages, yelling and flourishing their assegais and rifles, in evident triumph at the success of their stratagem. Shouting, therefore, to the men who were staying behind with the cattle, the rest put spurs to their horses and galloped along the banks of the river, looking out all the time for any sign of a ford by which they might cross. Fortunately this situation was seen by that portion of the party who had gone round by the opposite bank, and they had come down to meet their comrades, having hit upon a ford higher up the stream. It was, however, a close shave, so close indeed that by the time they had reached the other side of the river by the ford, which was up to the horses' girths, and which they splashed through at a gallop, the Zulus had actually reached the bank, and were only prevented from capturing the two men left behind with the cattle by some well-directed shots. The yells of baffled rage from the disappointed Zulus were answered by a ringing cheer of triumph from the little party as they rode up the steep which led to the column. The enemy, however, still continued to appear at various points along the sides of the hills, and in some places appeared to be dropping like monkeys from crag to crag, and it was easy to see that had not these scouts been mounted they would have been greatly at a disadvantage on such difficult ground. In fact, part of the line of scouts was in a valley surrounded by mountains, and from which egress, in case of a struggle setting in, would be difficult. They, therefore, hurried to get upon ground more favourable for cavalry movements. As they did so the rear sections had twice to turn and drive off the enemy, who began to come closer to their rear. Facing about, one of the sergeants charged right at them with half a dozen men, and silenced their fire on the right. Several more galloped to the left rear, where the fire was as close as fifty and sixty yards, and on this occasion all had some narrow escapes. However, in about a quarter of an hour they rejoined the main body, having driven off the Zulus. Their horses' heads, however, had hardly cleared the bushes when shriller yells than before arose along the mountains in front, and they had only commenced riding into the plain when another sharp rifle fire began crackling along the ridges of the Zinguin Neck. As they steadily advanced this firing ceased, and the scene along the hills, which seemed to terminate to the west in a stupendous cliff, became more varied and interesting. Signal fire after signal fire of grass was lighted, and broad columns of smoke rolled into the air, and these being repeated from summit to summit, evidently showed that their movements were carefully watched. A party of horsemen was now despatched to scour the valley on the left front, and all along the woods, which fringed the sides of the steep hills in front, jets of smoke marked their downward progress. As the crackling and flashing approached the bush where the hills met the plain, individual forms of Zulus could be seen, and then coming swiftly towards the main body there broke out from the dust and smoke a small mob of cattle, quickly followed by the skirmishers galloping in. Three small kraals were found to be in flames, fired by the Zulus as they retired with their cattle before the advance of the English horsemen. Two mobs of oxen could be seen, numbering some hundreds, which were being hurried away to inaccessible places. The ground in front of the English force was of a loose and calcareous nature, and, occupying as it did the space between mountain and river, was torn and cut up in every direction by deep white gullies, by which the Zulus were retiring sheltered from attack. The ridges between these gullies afforded the enemy additional shelter, being grown over with scrubby brush. Half the cavalry were now sent on to secure the approaches to the river, and guard against any surprise in that direction, and in a quarter of an hour, protected by the horsemen in rear, the whole body had passed over in safety.
The General, with his escort, had during the morning's march passed two of his old camps on the Kambula, and about twelve miles further on came to a piece of elevated rock or hillock, whence they had a capital view of White Umvolosi valley, while to the south-west they looked down upon the Blood river, Conference Hill, and the dark shadow of the Durnberg range beyond. The Zinguin Neck, where the White Umvolosi has its source, stretched away at their feet, and farther behind they looked upon the southern slopes of Zlobani, rising in ledges or bastions in the distance. Just underneath the shoulder of Conference Hill could be seen, in the bright sunlight, the white tents of Newdigate's division, and in the opposite direction was a magnificent view of the precipitous terraced ledges of the Zlobani, down which our brave fellows had been driven on the fatal 28th of March. As soon as they reached the top of the Zinguin they were met by Buller, whose people were actively engaged in harassing a number of Zulus who were keeping up a desultory and harmless fire from the krantz in front. The breeze now cleared away the mists which hung over the valley, and away to the west could be made out what seemed to be a village perched upon a terrace half way up the berg. The face of this terrace presented a wild and singular appearance. What at a distance had appeared level and almost unbroken was in reality a sort of amphitheatre not less than 1000 feet high, crescent shaped, and with a terrace fortified by low stone walls springing from rock to rock, and intersected by enormous fissures or caves connected with each other, and from which cover a dropping fire was kept up. Leaving their horses in charge of some few of the men, some twenty riflemen dashed into these rocks, where the cover would equally shelter them with the enemy. From this moment the ringing of shots was incessant, and it soon became evident that the Zulus were in force in a favourable position to annoy the column until they were expelled. The face of the crescent seemed as if some powerful eruption had flung from the top of the hill on to its sides tons of black and jagged rocks and stones, which, piled in wild confusion and irregularity on top of each other up the face of the position, presented innumerable caves and crannies, from which, as well as from stone walls, jets of smoke and bullets were continually issuing. The dismounted men, meanwhile, began to swarm up the right and left hand ridges, potting away as they advanced, while a few moved up the centre, firing when necessary and taking advantage of what cover was afforded. Several exciting incidents now occurred. As these sharpshooters gained a better and more commanding position for their concerted attack, the Zulus, finding the situation rather too hot, one by one began to escape, and the moment a dusky form was seen gliding through the thorns half a dozen rifles rang out, sometimes succeeded by the crashing sound of the body of a huge savage rolling from a high rock to the stones below. It was simply wonderful to see in what small crevices these big Zulus had squeezed themselves. Sometimes three or four would get together in one spot, generally a small cave almost inaccessible from above or below, and which could only be approached by working along the sides, under the fire of dozens of other caves and loopholes, every one of which seemed scooped out for the purpose of creating a cross-fire. As, therefore, to force home an attack on such positions was not the present object of Lord Chelmsford, whose purpose and that of General Wood had already been achieved in the survey they had made, the further retreat of the savages was not molested, and the order was given to remount and prepare to return to camp. As the mounted men extended to cover the rear of the column they were greeted by yells from the few Zulus they had not dislodged, and a few parting shots were sent after them as they descended the slope.
On the following morning Wood's entire force paraded at daybreak, tents were struck, waggons packed, and they bade farewell to Kambula range, upon which they had been so long encamped in various positions, and set out for Mayegwhana, where a fresh camp was pitched. Mayegwhana, or Queen's Kraal, is as nearly as possible three miles north of Bemba's Kop, on which some months ago, and before he went on to Kambula, General Wood was encamped. In this new camp Wood had with him the following troops:—The 13th Light Infantry, under Major England [their colonel, Gilbert, having gone into Utrecht on a few days' well-earned sick-leave. Of this fine corps Captains Cox and Persse, both rather badly wounded at Kambula, were rapidly progressing towards convalescence. Poor Leet, the other major, still suffered from his crushed foot, which was caused as far back as February, but which accident did not prevent his saving a comrade during Zlobani's fatal day, and for which General Wood recommended him for the honour of a Victoria Cross]; the 90th Light Infantry, under their own commanding officer, Colonel Cherry; the two corps making up a compact and admirably homogeneous brigade of 1200. One thousand men of Buller's and Russell's Horse, now in better condition than ever, and excellently mounted, with a body of Royal Engineers and Major Tremlett's battery of mounted guns; a total of 2000 Europeans, and about 1200 Native Contingent, or in all about 3200 men. With this force, and supported actively from its base, there could be no difficulty or danger in pushing on, and it was no secret that the inactivity they were forced to endure did not lie at General Wood's door, for he on more than one occasion suggested substitutes for waggon transport—the cause of the prevailing inaction. Drivers and foreloopers were what could not be obtained. One of such is required for each span of oxen, the driver, who stands on the front seat of the waggon and wields an enormously long whip, and the voorloper, who leads in front. Ever since the day of Isandhlwana, and on account of the panic which prevailed from that date, due to the massacre of the natives then employed, it was found impossible to obtain their services in adequate numbers; and even of those still in employ numbers were continually deserting, for the purpose of returning to their respective homes within the border. Meanwhile Wood was not idle, but, day by day, was making the best use of the scanty material at his disposal. The few drivers and foreloopers he had been able to retain were sent for and paraded before the General, who briefly explained to them that in future they should be armed, fully organized, receive regular rates of daily and liberal pay, while their personal safety should be looked after by the employment of strong guards and convoys wherever they had to march. This, it must be allowed, was much wanted, and gave some grounds for complaint, as in the earlier stages of the campaign the waggons on too many occasions were not only allowed to straggle, but were left to shift for themselves. Behind General Wood's new camp, about ten miles off, and at right angles to Bemba's Kop, was Conference Hill, at which place General Newdigate was concentrating the bulk of his command. He had with him at this time the King's Dragoon Guards, the left wing of the 17th Lancers, part of the 21st Fusiliers and 58th Regiments, with N Battery 6th Brigade Royal Artillery. Seven miles away from Conference Hill was Doornkop, and here were the 94th Regiment, three companies of the 21st, and four of the 80th. Conference Hill was within a very short time rendered practically impregnable by works constructed by the 94th Regiment, who, under Colonel Malthus, encamped at this spot; it also became one of the chief depôts for the supplies of Newdigate's division. This depôt was formed upon a kop, or rising ground, to the east of the larger hill, and was protected by three exceedingly well-built forts, constructed en échelon, so as to afford a mutual and most effectively-planned flanking defence. The largest of these forts was a regularly traced bastion of polygonal form, with the length of its lines of defence in due proportion to the range of the weapons likely to be employed. The exterior sides of this work were 150 yards in length, and the parapet was sufficiently thick to resist anything but artillery fire. The flanks were drawn at right angles to the faces, so as to give a fire which could sweep the ditches and ground in front of the bastions. A couple of ramps were cut in the prolongation of the ditch of the face, whose surface passed through the crests of the flanks and lines drawn parallel to the bottom of the counterscarp of the opposite flank, and about two feet and a half above them. This fort was garrisoned by the headquarters of the 94th, and the other two, of somewhat smaller dimensions, by a company each of the Royal Engineers and the 94th. Considerable pains were expended in the construction of these works, which did the Engineers and the 94th the greatest credit for the workmanlike line and scientific character of their tracing and position. The plan of these works somewhat resembled that adopted by General Newdigate at Landsman's Drift. The cattle laager was composed of waggons formed into square, while at each salient angle were small forts—one of which had artillery—and the whole were joined corner to corner, so that a straight line drawn between their extreme points would pass through the centre of each square. By this means a perfect flanking defence was obtained, as each fort commanded two faces of the laager. Meanwhile the First Division had been by no means idle, in spite of their difficulties as to transport and the attacks of camp fever, which had been so much more frequent with them than with No. 2 column. From their base at Fort Tenedos a convoy was started every eight days to Fort Chelmsford, on the Inyezani, and its regular departure did much to expedite the forward movement of that force. On the 5th May, however, a somewhat more exciting episode took place. A convoy of the usual description was paraded on that day for the conveyance of stores and ammunition to the Inyezani. Fifty waggons, not too heavily laden, with 3000 barrels on each, were detailed under the protection of a convoy, composed of C Troop of Lonsdale's Horse, commanded by Captain Hampden Whalley. From the foot of the fort whence the convoy started stretches a sandy plain, dotted with trees, and containing about 3000 acres. This, as it gets narrowed into a gorge between the river and the mountains, becomes broken, being intruded upon in every direction by foot-hills and watercourses. The fort cattle were grazing upon this plain under the charge of some of De Burgh's horsemen, when, as the convoy was passing across the first drift over the river, about two miles from the fort, but out of sight of the sentries, suddenly there sprang out from gully and kloof hundreds of swarthy warriors, who set to work, some shouting and firing, to try and drive the cattle away through the pass, whilst others, by far the larger portion, made a combined onslaught upon the leading and rear waggons of the train. The convoy had, therefore, a double duty to perform—to assist De Burgh's men in recovering the grazing cattle, and also to beat off the Zulus who were attacking the waggons. Their object was to intercept the cattle now being run off at a rapid pace, and to secure the waggons in front and rear, which had been partly surrounded by the enemy. Whalley at once despatched a messenger to the fort for assistance, and remaining himself, as in duty bound, to repulse the waggon attack, detached about twenty of his best men, under his subaltern, to overtake and bring back the absconding oxen. The waggons were soon out of danger; for the men dashed at the Zulus in such a determined manner that the attacking party, not very numerous, soon bolted into the bush, but the other portion of the skirmishes deserves description. After a gallop of a mile the leading troopers in pursuit came up with the enemy and the cattle, which were now all in confusion and involved in the broken waterworn hills at the foot of the pass, and, on looking back, they were astonished and considerably mortified to find that they did not appear to be followed by the rest of their party! Undauntedly, however, the sergeant in command pushed on, firing steadily and with fatal effect from the saddle, and, with his gaze fixed firmly upon the leading cattle, worked his way through the frightened oxen to the front. He was well and gallantly followed by half a dozen men, who had managed to keep up with him in his rapid ride in pursuit, and these fine fellows, nothing daunted by the numbers of the enemy, kept potting away at every Zulu that showed his head from behind the rocks, to which most of them had now retreated. Suddenly the low banks of the ravine, up which they were now rushing, swarmed on both sides with the enemy, and it was evident that the driving of cattle into this position was one of the usual Zulu artifices by which they were so often successful. The Zulus kept up a feeble and ill-directed fire from the crevices of rock where they had taken cover, and all this time the troopers were employed in heading and turning back the cattle, a task which would have been far beyond their best energies had not an episode occurred which materially changed the aspect of affairs. Alone, in the midst of a score of enemies, the sergeant fought steadily on, loading, firing, advancing, and driving back the cattle as if he bore a charmed life. The Zulus seemed paralyzed, and shunned his vicinity, for when he trotted to where a shield or assegai was seen, it immediately disappeared. He had, however, great need of help, for he had come to his last cartridge; but at that moment he felt a chance of life, as he heard the welcome shout of an English cheer, and, looking in the direction whence the sound seemed to come, he saw rapidly descending the steep krantz above the remaining horsemen of his party, who had chosen another and easier path up the ravine, which enabled them to take the Zulus in flank. The affair was now over; and although no prisoners were taken, the blood-stains on the rocks and boulders around proved that there must have been many wounded. The cattle were all recovered, and Whalley's convoy reached its destination without further molestation.
Great changes for the better had also been made in the distribution of the First Division. The 88th had been shifted from their former position on the extreme left front of Fort Tenedos to the commanding hill in its immediate front. In like manner they had been advanced en échelon to the extreme left front, and the Buffs had been moved in laager to the right rear of the 88th; while Lonsdale's Horse held the hill formerly occupied by the 99th. The Naval Brigade were in camp behind the fort, with Cook's Horse posted in their immediate vicinity, and the Mounted Infantry upon a hill immediately below Lonsdale's Horse, and a portion of the Artillery were on the old ground of the Engineers, with the Native Contingent in their front. The forts also belonging to this division on the Tugela, Inyezani, and at Ginghilovo were by this time completed, and admirably manned. To guard against any surprise pickets were posted in advance and on the flanks of these works, to watch every line of approach, and especially those where the country afforded cover and concealment. Sentries were placed at the salients of all entrenched works, and double sentries at the entrances, while whenever a drawbridge had been made it was carefully drawn up at sunset. Occasional patrols during the day, and frequent patrols during the night and in thick weather were not relaxed, and the result was that the Zulus, seeing such activity, scarcely ever molested the working parties. In the ditches of the four coast-line forts were placed at intervals quantities of dry straw and brushwood, with oil and tar poured on in profusion, to fire in case of attack, and trustworthy soldiers were told off to fire these on the approach of the enemy. Sandbag loopholes were constructed on the tops of each parapet, while large beams, supported at intervals by sods of earth, were used for the same purpose. Fire-shells were placed in readiness to be rolled into the ditch. The distances from each parapet of all conspicuous objects was carefully measured and communicated to the garrison, and rods with whitewashed tops, so as to be visible at night, were erected, to mark the various ranges.
Port Durnford also had been reported practicable, and a fort and depôt was being established there.