Zulu War, 1879; Zululand (South Africa) -- History -- To 1879
"Lieutenant Edward S. Browne, 1st Battalion, 24th Regiment,
for the gallant conduct on the 29th of March, 1879, when the
Mounted Infantry were being driven in by the enemy at Zlobane, in
galloping back and twice assisting on his horse (under heavy fire
and within a few yards of the enemy) one of the mounted men, who
must otherwise have fallen into the enemy's hands.
"Private Wassall, 80th Regiment, for his gallant conduct in
having, at the imminent risk of his own life, saved that of
Private Westwood, of the same regiment. On the 22nd of January,
1879, when the camp at Isandhlwana was taken by the enemy, Private
Wassall retreated towards the Buffalo river, in which he saw a
comrade struggling and apparently drowning. He rode to the bank,
dismounted, leaving his horse on the Zulu side, rescued the man
from the stream, and again mounted his horse, dragging Private
Westwood across the river, under a heavy shower of bullets."
CHAPTER X.
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 mind was made up at a very early date, and he went
on unswervingly to Ulundi by the route he had originally resolved
upon. If the work were to be done over again he would adopt the
same plan of campaign. In marching upon Ulundi no calculation was
made for assistance from the coast column—only indirect support was
reckoned upon. After the crushing defeat at Ulundi no advantage
would have been gained by endeavouring to penetrate the difficult
country lying north of the king's kraal, even had the state of
supplies permitted it. "While, therefore, one portion of the
force retraced its steps towards the Blood river, escorting the
sick and wounded, and taking with it all the empty waggons, the
others moved _viâ_ Kwamagwasa to St. Paul's, and then completed the
chain of strongly entrenched posts extending east and west along
the centre of Zululand at intervals of about twenty miles. So far
one side of the question. On the other hand, men of unquestioned
ability and experience, correspondents for several of the leading
journals of the world, did not hesitate to blame Lord Chelmsford
severely. These men were on the spot, were qualified to form an
opinion, and it is absurd and unjust to imagine that political bias
of any sort guided their pens.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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