Recollections of a Life in the British Army

Excerpt:

. . .  On the 16th we arrived at a new camp that had been established for Wood's column, near Wolf Hill.

Now the three days' march that we had just accomplished, under the guidance and direction of Buller and his mounted men, had no doubt been useful to all of us, and it had established certain facts in connection with the Zulus ; but it had not discovered a route for the 2nd Division, and so I determined to make a further reconnaissance. This matter I discussed with Colonel Wood when we got in, and we had a long talk regarding plans for the campaign, and then I wrote to Lord Chelmsford and others until far into the night. The next morning Wood went off early to Utrecht to see the Commander-in-Chief, and I went to Conference Hill, to make arrangements for the further reconnaissance. Drummond went back to Headquarters, but the Prince Imperial, having obtained leave from the Commander-in-Chief, returned to go with me. My immediate party for this expedition consisted of the Prince and his servant, Captain Carey, D.A.Q.M.G., Captain Bettington with five of his men leading spare ponies, and twenty Basutos under an officer. We had arranged to meet Colonel Buller and some four hundred mounted men at a point eastward of the Ingutu Mountains, but on arrival there we saw
nothing of them. The day wore on while we were searching, and we had to spend the night in that vicinity, taking all precautions in case our position and circumstances should become known to any of the Zulus who lived in the neighbourhood.

The next morning, after a further fruitless search for Buller's men, we had to make up our minds what to do : should we return to Conference Hill or get back on to the Ingutu Range, and, proceeding eastward along the ridge, endeavour to find a road leading into the valley of the Nondweni Biver, and so to Ibabanango Mountain? Captain Bettington told me that he had frequently been in that part of the country with quite a few men, and that safety lay in proper precautions rather than in the size of the escort. So I agreed to go on. The Prince and Captain Carey were both sketching, and Captain Bettington took immediate command, under me, of the mounted men.

Our order of march was as follows: Bettington trailing; in front and on the flanks, guided by their loader's hand, Bettington's troopers ; close behind, taking notes of the ground as we went along, the Prince Imperial; then myself; and behind me Carey and the Basutos. Our direction was south-east, and our object to find a way up to the top of the Ingutu Bidge.

When ascending a very steep path, up which our horses could hardly scramble, some Zulus lined the rocks at the top and opened fire. The Prince dismounted and drew his sword ; Bettington pressed on in front, his men firing as they went; and I waved my helmet to urge on the Basutos. Two of the latter galloped up at once, and joined us in the attack, but the rest hung back a little and did not come up until we had won our way to the top. The Zulus began their usual tactics of trying to surround us, but the side of the hill, except on the path, was too steep even for them. Moreover, I think they were surprised by our rapid attack, and did not know what our strength was. Anyhow, they gave way in the centre as we mounted the path, and then the Basutos came up and completed their discomfiture.

At the top we found a large kraal, and in it some saddles and other stores taken at Isandlwana. After a short halt there we continued our march. I had started slightly ahead of the escort, when I saw three men in red coats advancing towards me. They were coming along in a leisurely manner, evidently returning to the kraal in ignorance of the skirmish that had taken place there, and thinking that it was still occupied by their own people. Their only arms, as far as I could see, were assegais.

Not realising at first who they were, whether Natal Kaffirs in British service or followers of Ketchwayo, I approached nearer to them, at the same time changing direction slightly to the right in order to avoid being caught on the path they were using, which ran along the edge of the steep northern slopes of the Ingutu Bidge. At that moment I heard a shout behind me, and saw Bettington, the commander of my escort, coming along the path at a gallop, with his revolver in his hand. Clearly he did not want any nearer approach to show him who my three friends were, and, riding past me, he shot one of them, while the other two jumped into the bush on the mountain side and disappeared. When the war was over I was asked to verify this little incident; and, in connection with other service, it obtained for Captain Bettington the honour of a decoration. Later on we came upon some horses grazing and captured some of them.

We then went on again along the ridge, descending into the valley of the Nondweni, and reconnoitring up to the slopes of Alarm Hill, near which ran the wagon track from Rorke's Drift to Ulundi. Lt seemed to me that we had found the road we wanted for the 2nd Division; the 'going' on the top of the Ingutu Hills was good and easily protected, and the only difficulty along the route was the descent to the valley at the eastern end.

Having done what we started to accomplish, we retired. Towards evening we found some wood in a kraal, and were able to cook. Then, leaving our fires alight, we went on again. Some Zulus followed us, and when they came to one of our fires they danced round it, making the most hideous noise. So we did not think it safe to stay long anywhere, but worked our way by stars and compass throughout the night, and early the next morning reached Conference Hill. Even then our troubles were not quite over. We knew that it was the custom of British troops in South Africa, at that time, to turn out before daybreak, and man the defences around the laager that they had occupied during the night, as a precaution against possible attacks at dawn of day.

We were aware also that many of the troops were young and inexperienced, and did not always await their officers' orders to fire. So we approached the laager at Conference Hill with caution. It was well we did so. The men were lining the trench that had been dug around the encampment, and we could hear their colonel talking to them : ' Now, boys, be ready—when I give the word to fire, fire low—I see them coming—look out, boys— remember to fire low'; and so on, until, by signals, without showing our bodies, we convinced the gallant defenders of the post that we were not Zulus, but only hungry and tired comrades anxious to obtain food and rest.

The same afternoon the Prince and I rode back to Headquarters at Utrecht, leaving our companions at Conference Hill.

 

Since we left a week ago we must have ridden over 200 miles. During the last thirty-six hours we were twenty-five in the saddle, but the Prince enjoyed it all immensely, and, besides making a very good report, which I forwarded to Lord Chelmsford, he wrote a long account to the Empress of the Erench in England of all he had seen and done.

At our bivouacs, and elsewhere, we frequently discussed military and other matters, and I had to reply to his many questions about what was the organisation of this and that in the English Army by telling him that the word with us was hardly understood—the usual custom being for our generals to make such arrangements, in the field, as they thought most likely to meet the circumstances of the time. Then he took great interest in hearing from Captain Bettington how he had spent his early life in New Zealand, driving cattle, assisting as a dispenser, keeping a livery stable, and for a time even acting as ' boots ' at an hotel, until he found himself in Natal at the time of the Zulu War, and obtained the command of the irregular mounted corps that bore his name.

Arrived at Utrecht, I reported to the General commanding the result of our reconnaissances, soon after which Buller came in, and said that he had gone to what he thought was the rendezvous where I was to meet him, and, not finding us there, had reconnoitred on his own account. His recommendations in regard to the route for the 2nd Division differed from mine, and as he had had considerable experience in the country, and I had had none, the General naturally inclined to his.

At this time the Cavalry Brigade, under General Marshall, made a reconnaissance on a large scale into Zululand; but they did not go much beyond the battle-field of Isandlwana, and their reports threw no light on the best line of advance for the columns. So it was settled that the 2nd Division were to enter the country by way of Koppie Allein, and to follow generally the route taken by Wood's column, each force being complete in all arms and forming its own laager for the night bivouac. Headquarters were to accompany the 2nd Division. The general line of advance being settled, it became necessary to make detailed reconnaissances, and road sketches, for the convenience of the troops. To carry out this I had at my disposal Captain Carey, who worked from Conference Hill, and the Prince Imperial, who was to remain at Headquarters, but was to be held available to carry out such Quartermaster-General's work as from time to time I might entrust to him. By direction of Lord Chelmsford I gave the Prince written instructions that he was never to leave the immediate precincts of the camp without a proper escort. His ordinary work was to sketch the camps occupied by Headquarters, and the roads they traversed when on the march.

The latter part of May was spent in carrying out the details connected with the organisation of the forces for the combined march, in collecting supplies, and in training the troops of all arms for the anticipated fighting. Wood's column was moving steadily southward, and on May 28 the 2nd Division and Army Headquarters moved to Koppie Allein.

On June 1 the 2nd Division made its first march into Zululand, and the same afternoon one of the most unhappy events in this or any war took place—the death of the gallant young Prince, who had come out to share with his comrades of the English Army the risks and dangers of war.

The evening before, he came to me and asked that he might extend his sketch beyond the camp to be occupied the next day, and make a reconnaissance of the road to be traversed the day following. I saw no objection to this, provided he took with him the usual escort. Many of us had been over the ground, and we knew there was no ' impi' in the neighbourhood. Moreover, I thought that the cavalry which accompanied the division, would be extended over the country far in advance of the camp, so I gave permission. Shortly afterwards Captain Carey came to my tent, and asked that he might go with the Prince's party, as he wished to verify his sketch of the country, and I said ' yes,' and added that he could look after the Prince, and see that he did not get into any trouble.

On the morning of the 1st I was told that Carey and the Prince were ready to go, but that the escort had not turned up. So I walked over to see the General of Cavalry, and he sent his brigade-major to make the necessary arrangements. I then took in hand my own work for the day. I rode ahead with the Staff officer of the division, and showed him the site for their camp on the ridge between the Incenci and the Itelezi Hills. I then went to see to the watering arrangements. While so engaged I came across Carey and the Prince, and found that they had with them the European part of their escort, a detachment of Bettington's Horse, but none of the Basutos, whom I had specially ordered to be detailed, because they have a much keener sense of sight and hearing than Europeans, and consequently make better scouts. They told me that they were to get their Basutos from the regiment that was out scouting in front of the camp, and I enjoined them not to go forward without them. Beturning to camp, I accompanied Lord Chelmsford round the laager, and then went to my tent and drafted the orders for the next day's march.

About six o'clock in the evening Captain Carey came to see me, and reported that the reconnoitring party he was with had off-saddled the other side of the Ityotyozi River, and had been surrounded by Zulus, and that the Prince, two of the white men, and the interpreter were missing, as well as five horses. I said : 'You don't mean to say you left the Prince ?'

And he replied: ' It was no use stopping ; he was shot by the first volley.' And I said: 'You ought to have tried, at all events, to bring away his body.'

Much overcome by what I said to him, he told me, asfar as he could remember, the story of what had happened, accepting full responsibility for what had taken place. Immediately afterwards I went to see Lord Chelmsford, and asked him to allow me to go out at once and look for the Prince. After what Carey had said I hardly expected in find him alive, but anyhow I thought I might bring home his body. The Chief, however, would not let me go ; all he said was, 'I don't want to lose you too.'

Later on it was settled that the cavalry were to go out at daybreak and search the spot where the fight had taken place; and reports were called for from Carey, Bettington's men, and myself.

The story as it evolved itself was briefly as follows:

When Captain Carey and the Prince left me on the ltelezi Hill, they did not, as I had instructed them, look for the Basuto escort, but went on without them. The party consisted of these two officers, six troopers of Bettington's Horse, and a native interpreter (told off by the Chief of the Intelligence Department). The Prince did not, as usual, take his servant with him on this occasion, and Captain Bettington did not accompany his men. If either of these had gone, matters might have been different.

About half-past twelve they reached a flat-topped hill, on the summit of which they dismounted while the Prince made a rough sketch of the surrounding country. After spending an hour on this hill they moved along the ridge between the Tombokala and Ityotyozi Rivers, and about 2.30 p.m. descended from the high ground towards a kraal some 200 yards from the latter stream. This kraal was of an ordinary type, and consisted of a circular stone enclosure outside of which there were five huts. The huts were unoccupied, but some dogs were prowling about, and fresh remains of food could be seen, and it was evident that the inhabitants had only recently gone away. The ground near the kraal was covered with coarse grass and Indian corn, growing to a height of five or six feet, and surrounding the huts on all sides except the north and north-east. Here the ground was open for about 200 yards, but at that distance from the kraal there was a donga or dry watercourse, some six or eight feet deep, by which, in the rainy season, the storm waters found their way into the Ityotyozi. On arriving at the kraal, at about 3 p.m., the Prince ordered the escort to off-saddle and knee-halter the horses for grazing. This was done, and the men made coffee and rested until nearly four, when the native guide reported that he had seen a Zulu come over the hill. The horses were at once caught and saddled, and the men prepared to mount. The Prince gave the word to ' mount,' and as the word was uttered a volley was fired at the party by a number of Zulus who had crept unobserved through the long grass to within fifteen yards of the huts. Though no one was hit by this volley, the surprise was complete, and the troopers, not yet settled in their saddles, could hardly control their horses, which, terrified by the shots and the yells of the Zulus, bore them across the open ground towards the donga. The Prince himself was in the act of mounting when the volley was fired, but his charger becoming restive he appears to have failed to get into the saddle, and to have run alongside the animal, which followed the horses of the escort. Tho Prince, who was extremely active, now endeavoured to vault on to his horse while in rapid motion, but his efforts seem to have been foiled by the tearing of the wallet which ho had seized, and on this giving way he fell to the ground, and his horse broke away from him.

As the escort were galloping away from the kraal the Zulus kept up a fire by which one trooper was hit in the back and fell. The native guide and another trooper, who had not mounted with the rest, were left behind at the kraal, and neither was again seen alive. The remainder of the party, consisting of Captain Carey and four troopers, crossing the donga at different points, galloped on for several hundred yards. Captain Carey, after crossing the donga, was joined by the rest, and learnt that the Prince was not with them, and that he had been last seen between the kraal and the donga, dismounted and pursued by the Zulus.

Many of the enemy being now on the ground, and the Prince's horse being seen galloping riderless at some little distance, Captain Carey came to the conclusion that the Prince must have fallen and that it would be useless for the few survivors to return. The party accordingly proceeded in haste to bear the news to the camp of the 2nd Division.

The next morning, early, General Marshall, with a cavalry escort, went to the kraal where the reconnoitring party had been surprised. The dead bodies of the two troopers were first found—one in the donga and the other between it and the kraal; and soon afterwards the body of the Prince was found in the donga, where he had made his way on foot. Being overtaken there, he had evidently turned on his pursuers, but after emptying his pistol his . . .