THE COLORS OF THE 24th REGIMENT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 119, 20 May 1879, Page 4

THE COLORS OF THE 24th REGIMENT.

HEROISM OP A BRITISH OFFICER. "By the last mail," the Bendigo Adverliset says, "a lady residing in Sandhurst, who is a relative by marriage of Captain Melville, the gallant young officer who sacrificed his life while protecting the colors of his regiment in the disastrous engagement which took place between a small force of British troops and an overwhelming number of ths Zulus a ehort time back, received a letter in which reference is made to the death of the hero of the occasion. We have been furnished with the following extract: — " I am dreadfully grieved about poor young Melville, the adjutant of the 24th Regiment. He married just three years ago, at the Cape, E.s favorite sister, and came home lust year 10 the Staff College at AUershott, with his wife end a little boy a year old. He had not been in England a week when he was ordered to rejoin hie regiment at the Cape, as this dreadful war broke out; co he left his wife and child at home with his family in Cornwall, wh^re she has been ever since, and now, poor girl, ahe is left a widow, and has another little son oely two moathß old. She is not yet 21. Ooe consolation to her will be the noble way in which he died, os he was fortunate enough to escape the battle of Isandula, but was last seen cutting his way through over 100 natives, cutting them down like grass with his sword, as he was determined to gave the colors of legiment, which had fallen into the hands of the enemy. Afier being mortally wounded in seven places he rescued the colors, which he had tied around him, and swam the river in time to lie dowo and die, knowing, as the papers say, that he had saved the honor of his country and regiment. A more uoble or glorious death, of course, no soldier c<old jossibly die. He is quite the hero of the day; the papers are full of his wonderful bravery, and he was mentioned in Parliament. The Queen is to present his two Hitle boys with the Victoria Cross in admiration of their father's singular bravery in saving her colors at the cost of his own life, and ia also going to give them a commission in the army when they grow up.-'