THE ZULU WAR. The Fight at Insandusana.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3176, 24 April 1879, Page 2

THE ZULU WAR.

The Fight at Insandusana.

Details of the Engagement.

Struggle for the Regimental

Colors.

We extract, as under, from a late English paper:—

The following detailed despatch of the disaster at Insandusana on the 22nd of January, has been received, aud is dated Pietermaritzburg, Feb. 3rd :— The day before the action took place, Col. Glyn, in command of the 3d Column, acting under the direct orders of Lord Chelmsford, sent away the advance guard, under the command of Major Dartnall, composed of a detachment of Carabineers, the Natal Mounted Police, Lonsdale's Native Contingent, and others. This advance guard sent to say it was engaged by the Zulus. Lord Chelmsford himself and Colonel Glyn pushed forward the main force, consisting of seven.companies of the 2-24 th, under Lieut-Col. Degacher, Lonsdale's Native Contingent, under Major Black, 2-24 th and other troops, leaving behind as rear guard five companies of the l-24th, under Lieut.-Col. Pulleine, one company of the 2-24 th under Lieut. Pope, and a portion of the Ist Regiment of the Natal Native Contingent, under Lieut.-Col. Durnford, with the following cavalry:—About thirty Naval Carbineers, the Buffalo Border Guard, and about twenty-five Newcastle Mounted Riflemen. In addition, Col. Durnford had Sikali's Horse and two j guns, under Capt. Russell, R.A. There were a few artillerymen. The Army Hospital Corps, the Commissariat, with a column of Lord Chelmsford's moved forward with the main body either on the evening of the 21st or the morning of the 22nd. ■

The rear guard had finished its morning march and outspanned, when Zulu skirmishers were observed surrounding the hills. These skirmishers advanced towards the camp, keeping up a desultory fire. The camp was pitched in a broken country, in a sort of valley, with distant surrounding hills. Colonel Pulleine sent skirmishers, who responded to the fire of the Zulus. It seems that the number of Zulus was not estimated, it being considered a slight demonstration' of a few men. As the enemy's scouts were soon joined by bodies of considerable strength' Colonel Pulleine's , skirmishers were recalled and the camp hastily put upon the defensive. The Zulu army came on rapidly in regular battalions of eight deep, keeping up a heavy steady fire until within assegai distance. They then ceased their fire and hurled their assegais. Our men kept up a steady, telling fire, and great numbers of the enemy dropped, but without checking their progress. While this attack was going on in the rear a double flank movement was executed, by which the horns of the Zulu army surrounded the camp. The disadvantage of the wagons not being"packed in Laager was: now evident, and it led to the disaster. Our men had emptied their pouches and found it impossible to replenish them, as the Zulus had possession of the ammunition wagons. The affair then became one of absolute butchery. Oar officers and men Were ansetjaied as they stood. They made no charges. The Zulu host came down with the weight of its battalions, and literally crushed the small body, which could only defend itself with the bayonet, and very soon it had not even room to use that. 'The Zulus picked up the bodies of their dead comrades and hurled them on the bayonet points of bur soldiers, -thus simply beating down all defence. The work of destruction Was complete; within two hours irom the time the Zulu skirmishers were seen there was not a living white man in the camp. The ammunition, the . guns, the commissariat supplies; the wagons, the oxen,; all the material of the column, fell into the hands of the enemy. Fortunately the two cannons were spiked by Captain Smith, £.A,, who was assegaied whilst in the aot of spiking. As far as could be ascertained, the Zulus carried away all. the ammunition and some wagons, and destroyed whatever was left behind. Young, an officer belonging to Lonsdale's contingent, who had been wounded in the skirmish with Sirayo's men some days previously, happened to be at the camp of Isandula, where his brother was superintending the return of the 23rd to Pietermaritzburg. Being invalided, and not being connected with any regiment, he fired a rifle from the corner of a waggon until he had exhausted hit ammunition. Being unable to obtain a farther supply, and having no weapon whatever, he saw it was useless for him to remain any longer. Happily for him he had a good horse, and a desperate dash carried him through a weak point in the enemy's cordon just in time. Hewas chased by the Zu|us, who are swift runners, but they could not get up with him. Looking back, he saw our, men completely r sur. rounded, firm as a rock, falling rapidly,' but fighting to the last. The loud yells of the Zulus filled the air. There was no other noise except their demoniac shrieks, as the awful work wasfdone with the short Btabbing assegai. He saw Lieut. Coghill trying to fight his way through, as al«o Adjutant Melville, who had seized' the colors and was vainly trying to carry, them through. It is probable that Lieut. Coghill was despatched for assistance, as he was acting that day as staff officer to Col. Pulleine. Both Coghill and Melville were splendid horsemen, and were; well mounted. They were not, however, so fortunate as Young. The place he escaped through was immediately after completely blocked. ; ;•; 7 ;;.. :;KT He saw it was impossible to pierce the dense mass of Zulus between him and the Drift, so he made for a point on the river; lower down, where found no Zulus. He had, however, to jump the cliff, happily only ten feet.high. If it had been a hundred he must have jumped it, as his pursuers.were not far behind. / His horse, having swum a few yards, was able to : ford the rest of the river. He; then rode to Helpmakaar.. A few of the Natal native contingent and others were drowned in attempting to swim, but some, were saved. . ' It may be seen from this short narrative that the Zulu army was completely organised. It advanced, first throwing out skirmishers; then, as the battalions came down in mass, used their rifles; whilst at long range with considerable effect.;* When near enough,to use,their own more familiar weapon, the!, assegai,' they threw in two or three sKowerli 7' Alii this time they were advancing steadily, and rapidly, and the stabbing assegai wai

Boon at work. The impression in Nata is that this engagement on the part of the Zulus is not attributable to geueralsbip, but that the army of invasion was making for Natal and accidentally came aoioss the rear guard at Colonel Glyn's column. Our troops were allowed to cross the river at various poiuts. Colonel Glyn's main body was enticed by a feint advance away from its material. Then the main body of the enemy, supposed to be under Sirayo, the favourite Induna of Cetewayo, swept down on the baggage guard. Young and another who were saved speak in the highest terms of the way in which the gallant force sustained the assault of the overwhelming hordes .of the enemy. Our native a lies fought bravely too, and if the camp had been formed in Laager, and our men could have been furnished with the ammunition with which the camp was so generously supplied; it would have given a different account of the enemy. Young saw nothing of barbarities. The way in which the men were surrounded and crushed down by, weight of numbers proves that utter annihilation tcok place, but it is hoped that the horrible stories in circulation have no foundation in fact. _ s All that are left of the 24th Regiment are Captain Harrison's company, stationed at St. John's River; Captain IJpoherf and Captain Kainforth, who were at that lime on their^march to join "their battalion; Major Much and Dr. Hartley, who wen invalided a short time before; and Lieutenant Morshead, who was doing staff duty at Pietermaritzburg. r / rr-> s n' ""?*- The great wonder was Ihaiiib'few mm —for there were only about 600 mm in the camp, excluding native's who ran,, and not including Colonel Durnford's mounted men, under Captain Barton, who did right well-r-were able in the open, and with no protection or cover, to keep off i(or; Jfottf or five hours the large numbers of Kaffirs that must have attacked them.

The line of the Zulus which came down the hills to the left was nearly three milei longhand must.hare consisted of, over 15,000 men; while a body of l :6ve'rA|,ooo remained on the top as a reserve and'took nq.part in. the action, but simply drove, off the captured wagons; cattle, and plunder/ When these men moved they took most of their dead bodies with them in our wagons, mixed with the debris of the commissariat wagons, th;e 'conie^ts 's W whiph-rflpur, sugar, tea, biscuits, mealies, oats,. &c—were scattered and waited in pure wantonness. On ,the ; ground there, were also dead horses, shot in eVerypbiU tion, oxen mutilated, mules stabbed, while lying thick upon the ground.in damps were the bodies of the white men, with only their boots and shirts on, or perhaps an old pair of trousers or part of their coats, with just enough showing to indicate to which branch they belonged! In many oases they lay ]with, ajxtar is* seventy rounds of empty cartridge alon* side them; showing that they had only died after doing their dotyO J A Colonel Glyn, of the headquarter column, remains for the present at .Help* niakaar. 1; In this direction"olir? rarwi have? been successfuh^^Ooloifel^galson, with 1,300 Kegulargj -Baflii 99th, Boyal Engmeers^and the»Naral Britfade, e*it¥ a party of native pioneer?, remihrt eti> trenched at Eko#e. Communieatieif being preoarioTißi Counted men^ofili* the native contingent hare been sentbaW toAe^for^' .Colo^l^^sol'irriTWl^ a hasty uninterrupted march of ; ; niW|iJ: hours.; The mounted men remained thflM to protect the border. Colonel Pearson has six weeks' provisions,' It is beliefed his position, is invulnerable. All iris well there at the last accounts.' 4 «I'KUaK?IO£C . Wbbd w»8 Operating rery soc cessfully on the northwest border, whitt: the news of Isandula reaohed him. He at once took up>a posititfo which enables him to cover the district of Utreoht and the Pongolo Valley. ■—•—— — -•—

The sth column from Laneberg appear* more exposed-centres great alarm haa been experienced; bat complete qaietoesg p^e^ails in the border dittrietf^- sXtuwir no*re»sto*tb J miitruittha. jkwmm^Bm Natal natives so long,ai T we show can&> dence ourselres of aroidin^ further dbaster. The natirea who toot part in the with the coolness and courage-oiFSiif troops. Those present at Inyezani w%» much elated at the defeat of the inpposed invincible soldiers of Cetewayo; (Jolonel Pearson's battle at Xnyezahi tookplaceon the 22nd January. 4,000 Zulai in ambush surprised the first column while marching, and' fought! for one tour. The Zulus fled, loiing 300 dead. Oar loss ; wasj thrW of the Buffs, two officers, four non^commisstpnidvofflcers, a natire boy, and one mattiteds infantry. Nine whites and <f<mrj«itirei were .wounded, . The" loss on our aide i* belie Ted to hare beeniD^totedky tt^flrst volley of |he enemjr: \Afterthe «nngo* ment -the and bivouacked five , miles, frqm iSkc>W#» jfr spiring great confidence-,in Js/ti#tinS mind. —. n The patriotism of-the inhabitant! >,of Natal and the Cape Colony "kii'ihwtoi the occasion. The effort! of theiOo»eini mentareohferfuliysupported; -InNatal* the inhabitants of the 'towhs'chat€P«bet« armed, and are beinp instrncted in?the W of defence. The .Qape polony newly. the Cape Moused Rifles Mfe^b^eded to the exposed frontier districts; the Sing Williainstown garrison and therolnnteera to the forts in the Transkeian territory. The 88th have already started for Natal. The impression in the cololß|s is that the struggle will be confined so Its original limits.; > Ci/7A ( J:l:<YiT!'X.Q f'tflfo:'-' A. Daily Telegraph telegram sayii— Foley, the conductor,of )the wagons, who also escaped, says Captain Durnford attacked with tirooompanies on the left, field pieces in the centre, and the rest of :tbe.2ithon-rthe tighter Ife,-decltjrejrtiiai the shell and shrapnel! made great gals in the ranks of; the en*iny> but an fast* as he Zulus fell their places were filled up •by otlieri^ MQapJaia SmU^wi^Pea^r assegais while spiking the gons. Passengers by 'the, steamer American, which arrived at Madeira, report that the feeling in the colony is more hopeful, and that Colonel Pearson has inflicted a heavy loss on the enenivl l Q T5 f I MI3, G O