( Facsimile of his Signature on the last Draft drawn by him through the Standard Bank on Messrs. Rothschild & Co. ) HISTORY OF THE ZULU WAR. BY A. WILMOT, F.R.G.S. LONDON: RICHARDSON AND BEST, PATERNOSTER ROW; AND A. WHITE AND CO., "SOUTH AFRICAN MAIL" OFFICE, 17, BLOMFIELD STREET. CAPE OF GOOD HOPE: TO BE HAD OF ALL BOOKSELLERS THROUGHOUT THE COLONY. 1880. LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS....

The salient features and the principal events of the Zulu war are referred to in this volume. Long and uninteresting details respecting minor operations are omitted, and an attempt is made to furnish a readable book, which gives a fair view of the causes, origin, and progress of the war. It must be borne in mind that South African Kafir wars constitute one tragedy in various acts. The Zulu campaigns are merely last links of a chain. The war with Cetywayo is identical in principle with those wage

Chaka not only led his army in person, but was accustomed himself to seize the first victim, and to kill him with his spear. After subduing the petty tribes around, he bore his victorious arms further, and carried fire and sword along the slopes of the Drakenberg Mountains. One of his greatest conquests was over the Undwandwa people, and this was followed by the destruction of the Umtetwas. An attack was then made upon the brave Amaquabi, who occupied both sides of the Tugela river, which forms

NATIVE POLICY IN NATAL. LAWS, CUSTOMS, AND RELIGION OF THE ZULUS. The protection of the natives was the professed object of the British Government in taking possession of Natal. The conquests of Chaka had driven no fewer than 100,000 fugitives to the westward of the Tugela river, and how to rule this vast and fast increasing number of natives soon became a problem fraught both with difficulty and danger. Mr. Theophilus Shepstone, son of a Wesleyan missionary, thoroughly conversant with the Kafir

EVENTS PRELIMINARY TO ZULU WAR—COMMENCEMENT OF HOSTILITIES. Thirty-six years had elapsed since the eventful ride of Dick King from D'Urban to Graham's Town. The British colony of Natal had grown slowly. Immigrants arrived; a representative Constitution was granted. During this period numbers of people of Dutch extraction formed settlements in the Orange Free State and Transvaal Republic. The British Government in the first instance established sovereignty over the former country, but abandoned i

LORD CHELMSFORD'S PLANS—THE BATTLE OF ISANDHLWANA—THE HEROIC DEFENCE OF RORKE'S DRIFT—PANIC IN THE COLONY—REQUEST FOR REINFORCEMENTS—REPLY FROM THE QUEEN—THE MINISTRY—SIR BARTLE FRERE—LORD CHELMSFORD. It is desirable for the sake of justice that the plans of Lord Chelmsford in commencing the campaign should be given in his own words. They are contained in a memorandum dated 16th January, 1879, and are as follows:— "The reports which I receive from officers commanding the several columns now oper

PEARSON'S COLUMN—MARCH TO EKOWE—BATTLE OF INYEZANE—EKOWE—ZULU ARMY—WOOD'S COLUMN—ZULU RAIDS—REINFORCEMENTS FROM ENGLAND—THE COLONISTS—THE NAVY. We have now to advert to the proceedings of No. 1 column, comprising 1200 British troops, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Pearson. Having crossed the Tugela river, an advance was commenced towards Ekowe on the 18th of January. No fewer than 130 waggons, as well as a number of other vehicles, accompanied this column, whose order of march was as fo

THE ZLOBANE MOUNTAIN—PIET UYS—THE BATTLE OF KAMBULA—THE INTOMBE DISASTER—BATTLE OF GHINGHELOVO—RELIEF OF EKOWE. It is now necessary to refer to the operations of Colonel Wood's column. On the 27th of March a force started from the Kambula camp to attack the Zlobane mountain, consisting of detachments of the Frontier Light Horse, Raaff's Corps, Weatherley's Rangers, Baker's Horse, Major Tremlett with rocket tube, and the burgher force. The number of horsemen was 400, and in addition a large body

THE SERVICES OF NATIVE CONTINGENTS—LORD CHELMSFORD AND SIR H. BULWER—REVIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN—DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSPORT—IMMENSE DELAY—BURYING THE DEAD AT ISANDHLWANA. The Native Contingent, composed of loyal Zulus, although a large force, turned out a comparatively useless one. After the battle of Isandhlwana, Colonel Glynn reports (on the 24th of January), "The whole of the Native Contingent walked off this morning." The reasons for this conduct are furnished elaborately in a minute of Sir H. Bul

SIR BARTLE FRERE'S POLICY—CENSURE OF THE HOME GOVERNMENT—SLOW OPERATIONS—AFFAIR OF THE 5TH OF JUNE—THE PRINCE IMPERIAL—HIS ARRIVAL—SERVICES—CHARACTER—DEATH—COURT-MARTIAL—FUNERAL RITES AND EMBARKATION OF THE BODY OF THE PRINCE IMPERIAL. So far back as the 9th of February, Lord Chelmsford had written to the Home Government, requesting that an officer of the rank of major-general should be sent out at once. Sir Bartle Frere concurred in that representation, and suggested that the officer selected s

THE POLICY OF SIR BARTLE FRERE—SLOW ADVANCE OF THE BRITISH COLUMNS—APPOINTMENT AND ARRIVAL OF SIR GARNET WOLSELEY—BATTLE OF ULUNDI—RESIGNATION AND DEPARTURE OF LORD CHELMSFORD. The policy of Sir Bartle Frere received the hearty and most earnest support of those people who were best qualified to judge of it, the colonists of Natal and the Cape Colony. At large and enthusiastic public meetings held in every town of any consequence unanimous votes of approval and sympathy were passed. In the city o

LORD CHELMSFORD'S POLICY—PROMPTNESS AND DECISION OF SIR GARNET WOLSELEY—THE HUNT AND CAPTURE OF CETYWAYO—DEPARTURE FROM NATAL—THE LAST OF THE ZULU KINGS A PRISONER IN THE CASTLE OF CAPE TOWN—GREAT MEETING WITH ZULU CHIEFS—SIR GARNET WOLSELEY'S SPEECH—SETTLEMENT OF THE COUNTRY—END OF THE WAR. Before leaving the shores of South Africa, Lord Chelmsford took occasion at Cape Town to make a public defence of his policy, in which he denied that he had been guilty of hesitation and vacillation. His min

It is an axiom that history repeats itself, and historical studies, therefore, become particularly useful in a political crisis like the present, when the policy of Sir Bartle Frere towards the native tribes of South Africa has been condemned by the Home Government. In all parts of the world a tragedy is enacted when barbarism and civilization come into contact. It was so with the Puritans, whose pioneers landed in North America from the Mayflower ; it is so with the Dutch and the natives of Jav

The Kafir war of 1835 was exceedingly disastrous to the colonists. Shortly after it had commenced Colonel Smith (afterwards Sir Harry Smith) wrote: "Already are 7000 persons dependent upon the Government for the necessaries of life. The land is filled with the lamentations of the widows and the fatherless. The indelible impressions already made upon myself by the horrors of an irruption of savages upon a scattered population, almost exclusively engaged in the peaceful occupation of husbandry, ar

Lord Glenelg emphatically stated that the Kafirs had perfect justification for the war of 1835, and this affirmation was the foundation of his entire policy. He identified himself with the pseudo-philanthropists who looked upon the white inhabitants of the Eastern districts as usurpers and persecutors. The ideas of 1836 remain substantially the ideas of 1879, the only difference being that the venue is changed and that the tide of savagery has been pushed further eastward. The settlers of 1820 w

The great question of Sir Bartle Frere's native and Zulu policy is easily narrowed. His Excellency believes in abolishing the power of chiefs, and in obtaining after defensive war adequate territorial guarantees. The opposite policy has, undoubtedly, caused the wars of 1845, 1852, and 1877. The relinquishment of the province of Queen Adelaide by Lord Glenelg necessitated its reconquest, and the system of endeavouring to rule through the medium of chiefs has resulted in disastrous failure. A chie