THE ZULU WAR.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1048, 13 March 1879, Page 2

THE ZULU WAR.

CA,Pti TOWN, January 27. Since ray last, the Christmas and New Year's holidays have intervened, and naturally there has baeu comparatively little to record, with the exception of the Zulu war, which has assumed very serious dimensions. At date of my last letter we were ■xpecting reinforce -nents of troops from England, which have now all arrived at the scene of action. The 99th Regiment and Ist Uattalion 4bh Kings Own, some Amllery and Engineers, and drafts from dep6tsof differenb regiments previously in the colony, have completed the strength of the force, with which Lord Chelmsford apparently considered it prurient to challenge the enemy, though an uneasy feeling w'.thin the last few days begins to gain ground, that our enemy has been held too cheaply ; and it is already clear bhab bhe Zulus are far more trained and warlike than any other Kaffir tribewith which we have hibherbo had to try conclusions. All preparations having been made on our side, Sir Bart-le Frere, towards the latter end of lasb month, sent his ultimatum to Cetewayo, calling upon him to disband his army, pay a fine of 500 head cattle, and deliver up Sirayo, on_ of his petby chiefs, as penalties for raids commibted on British territory, and comply .vith other stringent conditions, and he was allowed till New Year's day to send a reply. This period was subsequently extended to bhe 11th insbaot, when no answer being received, General Lord Chelmsford received orders to commence hostilities, and the British advance was made on the 12th in four columns — one, under Colonel Pearson, across the Lower Tugela rivor ; one, under Colonel Durnford, R.E. higher up ; tlie third, under Colonel Glyn, of the 24th Regiment, on bhe Upper Tugela, and the fourth, commanded by Colonel Wood, which was to operate on bhe Transvaal borders, supported by a levy of some 7,000 Swazves. The bobal force, including native levies, amounted to 13,000 men. The advance into Zululand was comparatively unopposed, and from accounts which reached us from Spier and others, it was thought thab bhe Zulu King was dispirited ab the course of events, and ib was further said thab there was a very strong and growing peace party among bhe Zulus bhemselves. It was, therefore, wibh a teriible shock, paralysing the whole colony, bhat we learned by lelegrara on bhe 22ud inst. thai a most serious disaster had befallen our troops, but the extent of which was for some time unknown It now appears that bhe main body of Glyn's column, under Lord Chelmsford's personal command, having crossed the river ab a plac cilled Rorke's drift, continued its march, leaving bhe drift guarded by five companies of the 2-ir.h Regiment, and about 600 of bhe Nabal native cowtingenb, bhe whole being under 'he command of Lieub -Colonel Pulleine, of bhe 24fch Regiment, with instructions to hold it uatil the arrival of Darnford's columu, which had been ordered to hurry up. It also appears thab thia small force had with it a large convoy of waggons, conveying baggage and ammunition, roughly stabed bo be five miles in length, though this may be exaggerated. Evading the advance* of bhe main body of broops, a large Zulu force, said to be the flower of Cebewayo's army, on the 21st fell on the envoy under Colonel Puelline, and bhough our men fought like lions, they were overwhelmed by numbers, the Zulus swarming down upon bhem like bees, and abtacked them hand to hand with the assegei. Four hundred British soldiers, with (heir officers, including Colonel Durnford and Puelline, the Governor's two aide-de-camps, Lieutenant Corill and Hodsou, and eleven other officers, yeb uanamed, were killed. Captain Sbafford and Lieutenant Davies escaped, and brought news into Ma.irzburg. Some men are supposed bo have cub bheir way through bo the main body of the army, for Lord Chelmsford, hearing of bhe news, retraced his steps, and by the. latest accounts, was -encamped on the field of battle. The Zulu loss is estimated at thousands • bub as yet nothing is known be\ ond the fact that there was fearful ca nage on both side**. Tt is f pared thut the moral off -cb of the di-tasber will be very prejudicial to the British success, as i-ispiring the pnemv w th courage ab the outs -t. The Zulus puyohased the victory veiy

dearly. On receipt of the news, three companies of the 4th Regiment in gairisou at Capetown were immediately ordered to embark for Natal, and Volunteers were called upon to take op the military duties of the garrison. It was feared that if the Villus followed np their success they might sweep across Nabal into Tondsland, where the Kaffir ohief __reli, who was concerned in the recenb war in Kaffraria, is said to be, and by rousing the Pondos, put Natal as it were bebween bwo fires. The gravity of bhe sibuation cannot be over-estimated.