The engagement was an unexpected victory for the Zulus, which threw British war plans into disarray. the zulu spent a lot of the four hours approaching and surrounding and then swarming the camp.the front was therefore vast and the red line thin and spaced out. Chelmsford's behaviour, in retrospect, is unforgivable. On 12 March 1879 Disraeli told Queen Victoria that his 'whole Cabinet had wanted to yield to the clamours of the Press, & Clubs, for the recall of Ld. [1][2], In May 1855, he left for the Crimean War, in which he served firstly with his battalion, then as aide-de-camp from July 1855 to the commander of the 2nd Division, Lieutenant-General Edwin Markham, and finally as deputy assistant quartermaster general from November 1855 on the staff at Headquarters, being promoted to brevet major. Peter O'Toole portrayed Chelmsford in the film Zulu Dawn (1979), which depicted the events at the Battle of Isandlwana. The culmination of Chelmsford's incompetence was a blood-soaked field littered with thousands of corpses. Mphiwa lays the iwisa and the ikwla gently against the curve of the wall. By the way, the Zulus were every bit as disciplined and well trained as the British at the time but they were just not good enough. [8] However, he was severely criticised by a subsequent enquiry launched by the British Army into the events that had led to the Isandlwana debacle,[9] and did not serve in the field again. It seemsor so the story goesCetshwayo had told his warriors to concentrate on the red soldiers, the others being of little account. The last chance to save the camp had been thrown away. In such a formation, the chest advanced against an enemy, while the right and left horns enveloped them on either side. The true story of 22 January 1879 - the Empire's longest day - is one of unprovoked slaughter, of heroes being ignored and of the guilty being protected. Shamed, the uKhandempemvu and umMxhapo rose and renewed the assault. Debris was everywhere, including half-burned tents, bits of uniforms, smashed boxes and scattered personal effects. 4th June 1879 Aware that Chelmsford is preparing a second invasion of Zululand, Cetshwayo sends envoys to discuss peace. Artillery support for the column was provided by N Battery, 5th Brigade Royal Artillery, Maj. Stuart Smith commanding. By Dr Saul David Yet things soon went terribly wrong. Call us at (425) 485-6059. On 22 January 1879 a British force stationed next to a hill called Isandlwana found themselves opposed by some 20,000 Zulu warriors, well-versed in the art of war and under orders to show no mercy. Chelmsford said no doubt poor Col. Durnford had disobeyed orders, in leaving the camp as he did Ld. Thousands of warriors were now milling through the camp, searching dead bodies and rifling through tents and commissary stores. History is full of mismatches where either side wins. What Did People Wear in Medieval England? But Dalton, an ex-NCO, came from what was considered the wrong background, and was ignored for almost a year. )in other words, treat the hail of bullets with the contempt it deserves. Confident that his modernised army could easily quash Cetshwayos technologically inferior forces, Chelmsford was more worried that the Zulus would avoid fighting him on the open field. The game was indeed up, and the various companies succumbed one by one, red islands swallowed up in a black tidal wave. Caught between two fires, the NNC chose the lesser of two evils and renewed their advance on Sihayos stronghold. Thanks Leonidas I just wish people would stick to military history and not make political points on this forum. The British would recover from this disaster and eventually triumph over the Zulu, but subsequent victories could never erase the memory of what happened near the wind-swept peaks of Isandlwana. In that time, the British force, reliant on ponderous ox-drawn transport and a poor excuse for a wagon road, has covered only 12 of the 85 miles to King Cetshwayo's capital at Ulundi. He had, however, 'after great difficulty carried the day'. After the clashes at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, an ad-hoc army of Massachusetts farmers hastily gathered together and placed British-occupied Boston under siege. The mutilation was the Zulu way of releasing an enemys spirit. Colonel Pulleine, in command at Isandlwana, dashed off a quick note to Chelmsford, reading: 'Report just come in that the Zulus are advancing in force from Left front of Camp.' At the time Britain controlled the largest empire the world had ever seen and they were facing an enemy trained in tactics very similar to those of an ancient Roman legion. Anyone have any thoughts ?? The uKhandempemvualso known as the umCijo, sharpened pointsclosed rapidly, forcing Raw into a fighting retreat. Savages Emma!! The Zulu nation left a great legacy.You will hear Zulu variants spoken from South Africa to the Congo,Rhodesias,and even in Tanganyika.They were also great strategists and tacticians.Their agriculture was also very advanced.A GREAT NATION.Although many have succumbed to vagrancy this is due to interference by the white man. Rowlands had a kind of dual mission. Of the original 1,750 defenders - 1,000 British and 750 black auxiliaries - 1,350 had been killed. 16 June 1879 Lord Chelmsford is made aware that he is to be replaced by Sir Garnet Wolseley within weeks. Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, Portraits of Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford, contributions in Parliament by Lord Chelmsford, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frederic_Thesiger,_2nd_Baron_Chelmsford&oldid=1141627296, British Army personnel of the Anglo-Zulu War, British Army personnel of the Crimean War, British military personnel of the 9th Cape Frontier War, British military personnel of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the ODNB, Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y, Short description is different from Wikidata, National Portrait Gallery (London) person ID same as Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from March 2015, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 00:33. His befuddled senses could barely make out their surroundings, but he was reassured by the sight of British soldiers in their distinctive red tunics going about their business. Once he reached camp, Durnford had a quick consultation with Pulleine, which some subsequent reports blew up into a heated argument. Although they had a range of 1,200 yards, they were clumsy and inaccurate weapons. [1] He was the uncle of the actor Ernest Thesiger. Zulu Film Exhibition opening in Cardiff Castle, 5 key reasons Churchill lost the 1945 general election, Fact-file: The Seaborne Causes of the War of 1812. However, Frere soon realised that uniting the Boer republics, independent black states and British colonies could not be realised until the powerful Zulu kingdom on its borders had been defeated. In truth, the real hero of Rorke's Drift was Commissary Dalton. 8 was Hamilton-Brownes pride and joy; he considered them his best men, and with good reason. The painting was done by French artist Alphonse de Neuville in 1880 one year after the battle. This much is clear to me: viz. Chelmsford had fought in South Africa before, and had been instrumental in bringing the Ninth Cape Frontier war to a successful conclusion. By the fall of 1878 Freres statements were becoming more shrill and outrageous. War began in January 1879, when a force led by Lieutenant-General Lord Chelmsford invaded Zululand to enforce British demands. It was one of the few serious breeches she and Disraeli had during their political relationship. Total casualties of the Zulu wars were 1727 British killed and well over 6000 Zulus. A and F Companies of the 24th were taken from in front and behind and slaughtered before they could even fix their bayonets. The defeat of the Zulus at Ulundi allowed Chelmsford to partially recover his military prestige after the disaster at Isandlwana, and he was honoured as a Knight Grand Cross of Bath. Within days of Rorke's Drift, Chelmsford was urging the speedy completion of the official report because he was 'anxious to send that gleam of sunshine home as soon as possible'. Death. Beranda. Splitting a force when lacking adequate intelligence of enemy movements was a violation of sound military principles. The wives had been killed without trial or due process, another violation of Britishthough not Zulumoral principles. British soldiers in formation, the celebrated thin red line, didnt need wagons to hide behindmassed volleys were their laager . Chelmsford divided his forces into five columns, three offensive and two defensive. It is disingenuous to judge people of the Victorian age by modern standards. Since the defense had lost all cohesion, it was simply a matter of groups of men or even individuals selling their lives as dearly as possible. Get time period newsletters, special offers and weekly programme release emails. 3 How What Happened To Lord Chelmsford? Paintings, poetry and newspaper reports all emphasised the valiant British soldier fighting to the end in their desire to show Imperial heroism at the battle (the 19th century was a time when Imperialist thinking was very visible within British society). However, as the battle begins it soon becomes obvious that the main Zulu army of 20,000 are fast approaching over the hills and Wood signals the retreat. 3 column was composed of the two battalions of the 24th Regiment (2nd Warwickshires, later South Wales Borderers). Some decapitated British heads were found neatly arrayed in a circle, and a drummer boy was discovered lashed to a wagon wheel upside down with his throat cut. Screen Printing and Embroidery for clothing and accessories, as well as Technical Screenprinting, Overlays, and Labels for industrial and commercial applications Approximately 20 Zulu were killed in the fighting, and the remainder surrendered on promise of good treatment. He died in 1905, at the age of 78, playing billiards at his club. Eshowe was a British victory though. There, he befriended the then governor of Bombay, Sir Henry Bartle Frere, and this relationship would be important later when serving in South Africa. Durnford dismissed his Natal Native Horse and gave them permission to save themselves. He spoke darkly of Cetshwayos faithless and cruel character and atrocious barbarity, even though he had never met the king and most of the stories were hearsay. Such unilateral action by an imperial pro-consul was not unusual during the Victorian period. Can I recommend to Phil and anyone else, BritishMuzzleloaders series on Isandlwana on youtube. 2 column reached Isandlwana. Chelmsford, concerned about the arrival of Wolseley and wanting to redeem himself after the catastrophe at Isandlwana, refuses any such compromise. The companies were overextended, and some historians maintain there were gaps as wide as two hundred yards between some of them. 4th July 1879 - The main Zulu force of around 15,000 men attack Lord Chelmsford's army at the Battle of Ulundi. But apparently the two men got along and parted amicably. The British were and continue to be thieves who attacked the innocent peoples! The various red-coated companies formed up in front of the tents, but incoming reports did not seem to indicate an immediate threat to the camp. On 22 January 1879, Chelmsford established a temporary camp for his column near Isandlwana, but neglected to strengthen its defence by encircling his wagons. They were the Spartans of South Africa. Zulu losses are heavy, estimated at over 1,000, whilst the British column suffers only two deaths. When did the Dutch come to South Africa? A colorful figure, he had lost the use of his arm in an earlier campaign against the amaHlubi. Fatalities: 13 Europeans; 1,000 Zulus. The way of the world was you generally ran an empire or got conquered by one. Well researched! As his men fired, Durnford walked all along the line, talking, laughing and encouraging their marksmanship with a hearty, Well done, my boys!. Durnford, who had been in South Africa since 1872, was one of the few whites who These tales, of course, played into Freres hands. Their ammunition was virtually exhausted, but they had had time to fix bayonets. The central column heads towards the camp of a Zulu chief called Sihayo. Pulleine ordered a fall in, and the brassy notes of British bugles reverberated and rebounded off the ancient crags of Isandlwana Mount. 3 column, under what turned out to be the nominal command of Col. R. Glyn, 24th Regiment, was to cross the Mzinyathi (Buffalo) River at Rorkes Drift. The invasion came after Cetshwayo, the king of the Zulu Kingdom, did not reply to an unacceptable British ultimatum that demanded (among other things) he disband his 35,000-strong army. At most there would have been approx 400 native troops. Cinema Specialist . So tell me, which has more truth, the Eye or the Pen? Because it suited those responsible for the disaster to exaggerate the importance of Rorke's Drift in the hope of reducing the impact of Isandlwana. Was the Martini-Henry prone to jamming due to over heating? Durnford placed his men on the lip of the donga, and soon his entire command was blazing away. Lord Chelmsford, the Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the war, initially planned a five-pronged invasion of Zululand consisting of over 16,500 troops in five columns and designed to encircle the Zulu army and force it to fight as he was concerned that the Zulus would avoid battle, slip around the British and over the Tugela, and strike Just realised Mark Schwarzer could get back-to-back Premier League winners' medals at the age of 43. The Martini-Henry (MH in some accounts) was a single-shot breechloader that fired a heavy .450 bullet. Some of these objections can be found in memoirs written years after the events they describe, and may in some cases be 20/20 hindsight. Why are we happy to talk about the Zulus legacy being great but ignore the positive impact of the British empire in setting the foundations (developed by the Boers) of South Africa which was the most advanced and developed of the African nations below the equator, if not the whole of Africa. He was Adjutant-General, India from 1869 to 1874. The Zulus had completely outmanoeuvred their foe. If you wish to engage in a military history discussion then fine but do a bot or research before you comment on my posts please. The Victorian public was dumbstruck by the news that 'spear-wielding savages' had defeated the well equipped British Army. Another described Chard as 'a most useless officer, fit for nothing'. Alerted as to when a gun was about to fire, the Zulu would cry uMoya! (air!) and fling themselves lengthwise on the grassy ground. All that aside any man who fought at both battle on either side were brave men. That any escaped at all was due to the courageous stand of Durnford and his collection of NNH, colonial volunteers and a few men from the 24th. While it need not be doubted that, in the fury of the attack, the Zulus would have killed boys as well as men they had taken the Queens shilling, after all, and their chances with it this horror story does not stand up to close scrutiny. Do not forget the late David Rattrays discussion in hos book. The Victorians were empire builders in a long line of empires stretching back over 7000 years of history. . 28th March 1879 Chelmsford orders Colonel Woods left flank to attack the Zulu stronghold at Hlobane, in an attempt to distract Cetshwayo from the newly reinforced central column which is marching to relieve the besieged right column at Eshow. [1][2], Thesiger returned to England in 1874 as colonel on the staff, commanding the forces at Shorncliffe Army Camp, and was appointed to command a brigade at Aldershot, with the temporary rank of brigadier general, in 1877.