A VOLUNTEER AT RORKE’S DRIFT.

Kumara Times, Issue 888, 5 August 1879, Page 4

A VOLUNTEER AT RORKE’S DRIFT.

A native of Okehampton, who volunteered with the British forces in Zululand, and who took part in the defence of Rorke’s Drift, has just written home to his friends a remarkably graphic account of the feeling with which the forces met and repelled the Zulus’ attack. In the course.of his letter he says ;—1 shall not profess to give you an exact account of the fight, but will give you just the heads. It must have been about 2.40 p.m. when a Carabiner rode into the little yard without boots, tunic, or arms, and leading a spare horse. All we could gleam from his excited remarks was, “Everyone killed in camp, and 4,000 on their way to take the mission station” (or rather hospital)— not pleasant tidings|for 100 men, you may be sure. When he came to himself a bit, he said, “You will all be murdered and cut to pieces,” and the only answer he received was, “ We will fight, and if we have to die, we will die like Britishers.” All. who were able began to throw up sacks and knock loopholes out with pickaxes, and otherwise make preparations to receive them. We had some 2,000 Native Contingent there on a mountain, and occupying the Krantzes and caves. Noble savages! As soon as they heard the Zulus were to attack us, they made a great noise, had a big dance, clashed their assegias against their shields, and otherwise showed their warlike spirit. Now I must describe the fort. The said fort consisted of two small houses—one used as a store, and the other as an hospital and mission station. These houses were about 40 yards apart, and our ramparts were composed of mealies, three sacks high, and running from the corners of one house toJ,be corners of the other, but the one greß danger being thatch roofs to both. There were two missionaries (Swedes) living in the hospital. They were absent some twenty minutes out for a ride, and no one could help laughing at their gesticulations when they came back, on seeing the best parlor paper being pulled down, and loopholes knocked out, and splendid furniture scattered about the rooms. His first question was in broken English, “ Vat is dish ?” Some one replied, “ The Zulus are almost upon us,” upon which he bolted, saying, “ Mein Got! Meins vife and mine childrens at ze Umsinga. Oh, mein Got! mein Got!” In the meantime a mounted infantry man and two of our men (Shannon and Doig) came in excited and breathless. Upon my saying, “ What is it ? Is it true 1” and so on, Doig replied, “ You will all be murdered,” and rode ofi with his comrade—consolatory, certainly, but nothing remains but to fight, and that we will do to the bitter end. A man named Hall, of R.M.8., rode out to see if he could see anything of them, and on going about 1,000 yards he could see them just a mile off, as he described it, “ as black as hell and thick as grass ” —“ Stay operations and fall in !” My carbine was broken, or rather the stock bent ; I found a piece of rein, tied it up, and fell in with the soldiers. I thought, “If I can get somewhere where I can sit down and pop away, I shall be all right; ” because my knees were much swollen. I was told off in my turn to take a loophole and defend the roof from fire. At about halfpast three o’clock they came on, the first in sections of fours, then opened out in skirmishing order. Up came their reserve. Then they were on us. The place seemed alive with them. No orders were given—every man to act as he thought proper. I had the satisfaction of seeing the first I fired. at roll over at 350, and then my nerves were as steady as a rock. I made sure almost before I pulled the trigger. There was some of the beat shooting at 450 yards I have ever seen. Just before dark we had beaten them off with g reat losses, and only a few casualties on our side. Before it got dark the fiends lit the hospital thatch, which, being very closely packed, did not burn well. At about ten they came on in tremendous force, sweeping the fellows before them, and causing them to retreat to the store, but Providence favored us. The thatch roof burst out in fames and made it as light as day, and before they had time to retreat we were pouring bullets into them like hail. We could see them falling in scores. Then you could hear suppressed British cheers. They kept up the attack all night with no better luck. We knocked them down as fast as they came. At five a.m. (23rd) the last shot was fired and the last nigger killed. He had a torch tied on to his assegai, and was in the act of throwing it into the thatch, but he was “ sold,” The column came to our relief at about 5.30 and real British cheers went up, I can tell you. When the major saw me he said, “I never thought of seeing y« u alive again, my boy.” The tears were standing in Ips eyes. He said, “We saw the fire last night, and thought you were all murdered—thank God it is not so !” I have sustained no damage beyond the loss of everything (except letters), and a little weakness of the eyes, I suppose from peering out of the loophole all nightconstant straining of the eyesight.