War Medals and Their HistorySteward, William Augustus
History
War Medals and Their History
Steward, William Augustus
Great Britain. Army -- Medals, badges, decorations, etc.; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Medals, badges, decorations, etc.
=Eight Victoria Crosses.=--In this glorious defence, in which every man
was a hero, eight Victoria Crosses were earned: Lieutenant G. Bromhead
of the 24th, Lieutenant J. M. R. Chard, R.E., for their brilliant
defence; Corporal W. Allen, Privates F. Hitch, Hy. Hook, John Williams,
and W. and R. Jones, for their gallant defence of the hospital, and
holding it against the enemy while the patients were removed. Corporal
Allen and Private Hitch were wounded, but when no longer able to fight
served out ammunition to their comrades through that terrible night.
Towards the end of March Lord Chelmsford proceeded to the relief of
Ekowe, at the same time instructing Colonel Evelyn Wood to advance
on the Zlobani, or Inholbani, mountain, a precipitous and deeply
wooded stronghold which he determined to attack. Dividing his force
into two columns under Colonel Russell and Colonel (later General Sir
Redvers) Buller, he attacked the place on the early morning of March
28th. Buller gained the summit without much opposition, but Russell
discovered that an immense impi of Zulus was attempting to cut off the
former's retreat, which unfortunately became a rout, as the struggling
mass of men were compelled to face the assegais of the Zulus with
little opportunity of retaliating. Buller, who was one of the last to
leave the "Devil's Pass," won the V.C. for saving the lives of two
officers and a trooper during the retreat, which would have had more
disastrous results but for Russell's perception and assistance.
Next day the entrenched camp at Kambula was attacked by a force
of 25,000 Zulus, but after four hours' fighting, in which assegai
frequently clashed with British bayonet, they made off with Colonels
Buller and Russell in hot pursuit, and the humiliation of the previous
day was avenged, over 3,000 Zulus being killed. Meanwhile, Lord
Chelmsford, with 3,000 soldiers and sailors, and 2,500 friendlies,
was attacked on his way to Ekowe by a Zulu impi under Dabulamanzi,
the half-brother of Cetewayo, at Ginghilova; but after one and a half
hour's fighting, during which the Zulus rushed right up to the muzzles
of the British rifles, they were driven off with the loss of about
1,000 men. Two days later Ekowe was relieved, and the post abandoned.
By this time considerable reinforcements had arrived from England,
among the officers being the Prince Imperial of France, who on June
1st, while reconnoitring with Lieutenant Carey of the 98th Regiment and
6 troopers, was killed by a party of Zulus. On July 3rd, Buller, with
500 cavalrymen, was attacked after crossing the White Umvolosi River by
nearly 5,000 Zulus, and in this affair Lord William Beresford of the
9th Lancers gained the V.C. for the rescue of a dismounted trooper, and
Lieutenant Lysons and Private E. Fowler of the 2nd Cameronians also
gained the coveted distinction for their bravery.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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