The Story of the Zulu Campaign

by Waller Ashe; Edmund Verney Wyatt-Edgell

Arrival of Sir Garnet Wolseley—Reception at Durban—Changes made by Wolseley—His plans for the future—Attempt to land at Port Durnford and its failure—Sir Garnet at St. Paul's—Grand council of Zulu chiefs—Resignation of General Crealock—His farewell to his troops at Camp Umlalasi—Fêtes in honour of Lord Chelmsford—Wolseley at Pietermaritzburg—Disturbances in Pondoland and Transvaal—Wolseley at Rorke's Drift—McLeod and the Swazis—Their appearance and habits—Wolseley at Intanjaneni—Surrender of guns by Mbelebele—Adhesion of various chiefs.

It is now time to turn attention to the movements of the new Commander-in-chief and Governor. On the 28th of June his Excellency Sir Garnet Wolseley and his staff landed at Durban from the C.R.M.S. "Dunkeld." The whole town was that day en fête, as the Durbanites like a sensation, no matter of what nature. At daylight the whole of the military and naval authorities were astir, and various coloured bunting began to appear all over the town. Crowds of well-to-do shopkeepers and farmers went down to the point on horseback, while hundreds went by the train. All the ships in the harbour and the bluff were gaily decorated, and the men-of-war, transports, and merchant-vessels were gallantly dressed in bunting from stem to stern. Sir Garnet brought with him many of his old staff, and others joined later on. Colonel Pomeroy Colley arrived by the next Zanzibar steamer, and took up the duties of chief of the staff, and Captain Lord Gifford joined from his regiment, the 57th. Sir Garnet Wolseley was not only to be Governor, Commander-in-chief, and High Commissioner in Natal and the Transvaal, but also to exercise the functions of the latter office in the countries to the north and to the east.

The changes ordered by the new Commander-in-chief were numerous and important. In the first place all military operations against Secocoeni were to be discontinued. This order gave great dissatisfaction, as several highly successful patrols had already been made against this chieftain; and Colonel Lanyon, after great delay and difficulty having completed his arrangements for the attack, was actually on his way to the front, when instructions reached him to stop and send his men to Derby, to protect that part of the border from Zulu raids.

The troops were to be immediately consolidated and reduced, and with them the expenses of the war.

The landing of the Marines was countermanded, and they were to be sent back with all possible speed to Simon's Bay; the Natal Carabineers, the Durban Mounted Rifles, Bettington's Horse, and the Frontier Light Horse were to be forthwith disbanded: the 1st Division and the Cavalry brigade were to be broken up; while the forts along the coast were to be abandoned. The following troops were also named for immediate embarkation:—1-24th, the 3rd (Buffs), the 99th, the 88th, the 1st battalion 13th, and two batteries of artillery, to proceed to England; the 17th Lancers to go on to India; Ellaby's and Tremlett's batteries to proceed to St. Helena. Lord Chelmsford, Generals Marshall, Wood, and Crealock, Colonels Crealock, Downe, Dawney, and Buller, Captains Buller, Molyneux, Frere, Milne, Grenfell, Beresford, and Reilly were going home, either by order or at their own request. Indeed almost the only officer of high position who elected, or was selected, to remain was General Clifford, who still retained his post of Inspector-General of the lines of communication.

Sir Garnet's plan of operations for the future was as follows: a military post at Durnford with 400 men; another at St. Paul's, with a brigade; and a third at Intanjaneni with 400 men; a regiment to remain on the Umlatoosi, and a battalion of the Native Contingent to guard the line of the Tugela. Colonel Baker Russell was to start at once with a flying column from St. Paul's and co-operate with Oham in the west. Colonel George Villiers was to proceed to join Oham and organize various bodies of burghers, Natal natives, and Zulus, to hem in Cetywayo in that direction, whilst McLeod (late 74th Regiment) was to raise, equip, and command 5000 warriors of the Amaswazis, and, if necessary, lead them right into Zululand. Colonel Clarke (57th) meanwhile was to march straight on Ulundi, there to await Sir Garnet's arrival, with a force consisting of the 57th, 60th, five companies of the 80th, two troops of Lonsdale's Horse, one battalion of the Natal Native Contingent, and some mounted natives under the chiefs Jemptse and Mafionge, together with a battery of Gatlings and the Natal Pioneers. Meanwhile Sir Garnet had convened a great council of Zulu chieftains to be held at St. Paul's, July 19th, to arrive if possible at some definite arrangement for the temporary government of the country. Such were the main features of the new commander's programme, and though severe strictures were at first passed thereupon by the majority of the colonists and old soldiers experienced in Kaffir warfare, time proved that his calculations were just and well-founded.

Leaving Durban on the 2nd of July, Sir Garnet and staff embarked on board her Majesty's ship "Shah," and proceeded to Durnford, where several attempts to land were made, but without success. On the morning of the 3rd, the steam-tug "Koodoo" came alongside, and Sir Garnet and his staff, including the two Colonels Russell, Captains Buchanan, Maurice, Braithwaite, and Baynes, Dr. Russell, and Mr. Herbert (private secretary), were with great difficulty and no little risk embarked on her and subsequently transferred to a surf-boat or lighter. While towing the lighter towards the shore the hawser broke, but most fortunately a sail was hoisted at once, and the boat, getting clear of the breakers, was again taken in tow by the "Koodoo." After several ineffectual attempts to get the lighter made fast to the warp, the recall was fired from the "Shah," and Sir Garnet returned to the man-of-war. As the day wore on the surf became worse, and towards evening Captain Bradshaw, commanding the "Shah," deemed it no longer safe to remain at anchor off the bar. Sir Garnet therefore returned to Durban, and hastening on overland viâ Forts Chelmsford, Pearson, and Crealock, reached the camp of the 1st Division at Richard's Cove, Port Durnford, on July 6th.

On the 14th an advance column, consisting of Buller's Light Horse about 100, two guns, the 57th Regiment, the whole under Colonel B. Russell, C.B., left camp and marched in the direction of St. Paul's, as far as the Umlatoosi, where they entrenched themselves on the right bank, the cavalry and Dunn's scouts forming an advanced guard on the left. This position commands a path about ten miles from the mouth of the river, and the site is very picturesque, overlooking the valley to the north-west. His Excellency and headquarter staff accompanied the column, and the next morning pushed on to St. Paul's with an escort of cavalry, where were the headquarters of the 2nd Division. A parade of the troops, including the 17th Lancers and some 500 irregular cavalry—the celebrated Buller's Horse—was held, and the General, after taking leave of Lord Chelmsford, Brigadier General Wood, Colonel Buller, who with their staffs were leaving for England, returned to the camp on the Umlatoosi. It has been already said that the 19th was fixed by Sir Garnet Wolseley for the meeting or durbar of the principal chiefs, all of whom were expected to attend. By noon on that day the camp presented a curious sight. Outside the General's tent a guard of honour, with the Queen's colours, was drawn up, while a large space was railed off for the reception of Zulu visitors, who came winding in bands over the slopes of the neighbouring hills from an early hour in the morning. As each deputation from its respective tribe came into camp, preceded by its principal rulers, it was formed up in a sort of column, sixteen or eighteen feet deep, in the space set apart for the visitors. The gathering was a numerous one, upwards of 250 chiefs and their followers having attended, and evidently considering the occasion as one of great importance, as each man was attired in his most gorgeous manner. The enclosure was at the same time council-chamber and reception-hall, and although no seats were required, skins, mats, and canvas were put down for the principal chiefs to sit upon. Some of the chiefs had a covering of cow's tails and other skins round the waist, while broad rings of copper were worn round the arms and ankles of others. Plumes of feathers adorned the heads of the principal men, and hanging behind, somewhat after the fashion of a Hungarian pelisse, each warrior wore a panther or other similar skin. The array of dusky savages looked fairly imposing, although none of them were armed save with the knobkerrie of place, which as they squatted was laid methodically in front of each man. Upon the hills in the distance were a number of boys and women who had accompanied the chiefs, but who preferred to remain outside spectators of the conference. The enclosure was marked out by branches of the mimosa, cut in convenient lengths, and forming a sort of palisade, which kept the crowd from intruding. When all were reported present, Sir Garnet and his staff, accompanied by Mr. Fynny, border agent, came out of his tent, and the guard having presented arms, the proceedings commenced. The two principal chiefs were the king's brothers, Dabulamanzi and Magwendi, who both replied to Sir Garnet's speech. Dabulamanzi was a fine-looking man of large size, apparently in the full vigour of his age, and of great muscular development, presenting in this regard a striking contrast to his brother Oham, who was simply a large fat man. There was an air of considerable thought and command in his face, and, unlike the other chiefs, who wore their hair closely cropped, except with a black band round the temples, his hair was thrown back and his broad forehead was encircled with a fillet of ostrich feathers terminating with a single plume behind. Heavy rings of highly polished copper spanned the thick part of the arms of Magwendi, a much shorter and more common-looking man, and whose neck was adorned with a necklace formed of monkey's teeth and small shells. Both these chiefs held in their right hands the same kind of short stick carried by their warriors, while their left hands rested on their naked knees. Mr. Fynny, the well-known border agent, who was considered to know almost as much about Zululand and the Zulus as Mr. John Dunn, and that is saying much, performed the duties of interpreter with remarkable skill and fluency, translating Sir Garnet's speech, sentence by sentence, as it was uttered, with due emphasis and point. Sir Garnet Wolseley spoke as nearly as possible to the following effect: "I am very pleased to welcome you to my camp, because your coming in answer to my invitation shows you are as anxious for peace as I am myself, and as is the great Queen in whose name I now speak. We came to make war with Cetywayo, not with the Zulu people, and to put an end to his cruelties and his military system, which with his marriage laws made life and property unsafe in your land. We want peace with the Zulus, and that they shall be at peace with our people in Natal. We have beaten the king in open fight and burnt his kraal, so that he is now a fugitive and shall never more reign in Zululand. We might now take all Zululand, but we do not want any of it, and we wish that all of you should have your property and land. I rode to St. Paul's the other day, and found all the people on the way living quietly in their own kraals, and with their cattle in them. All may do the same, but all must first give up their arms and the king's cattle in token of their submission. The old laws of Zululand shall be restored, and you shall be ruled by your own chiefs, whom you all know. I shall divide the kingdom into four or five districts, and all men shall be free to come and go, to work, to marry, and to become rich. The great Queen, who sends me, wishes the Zulus should be happy, but those who continue to bear arms, and will not submit, must be given up. On the north the Swazis and the Amatongas are only kept by my orders from invading Zululand, while Oham and his soldiers are moving upon the west. I am going myself to Ulundi on the 10th, where I shall tell the Zulu people my arrangements for the future government of the country." This address was listened to with great attention, and with the most respectful silence, and several of the chiefs replied, one in particular making the naive and rather sarcastic remark that he and his friends could not see what fault Cetywayo had committed, but as the English chiefs had seen it they were satisfied. Dabulamanzi did not speak, except to Magwendi, who rose and complained that his cattle had been taken from him, and that some of them had been sent in as belonging to the king. Redress was at once promised by Sir Garnet. The meeting then broke up, the chieftains undertaking to meet Sir Garnet again at Ulundi on August 10th, to arrive at a final settlement of affairs.

It has been before mentioned that General Crealock had determined to resign his command of the 1st Division; it was in pursuance of this resolution that he ordered a general parade on July 21st, on which occasion he made a short but appropriate speech to his men.