The Defence of Helpmekaar
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Higginson's First Report
Higginson’s first report; the unedited version Be the first known report of Lieutenant Walter Robert Higginson, No6 Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment, Natal Native Contingent in relation to the Battle of Isandlwana 22 January, 1879 Cameron Simpson _____________________________________________________________________ Whilst pursing details of Colonial Officers who served in the Anglo-Zulu War for a thesis I’m writing, I made a routine visit to the Cape Archives Repository in Cape Town early in September, 2015. Every visit I make a habit of picking material from the Archives Packing Lists that I know are yet to be fully explored and catalogue the contents for future reference. There’s very little on the Anglo-Zulu War and most material I find is usually relating to the either the Ninth Eastern Cape Frontier War, Moorosi’s campaign of the Gun War. This time, I targeted the Government House records and was searching through GH36-18, when I came across a folio (No18 of 1880) simply titled in blue pencil ‘Isandlwana’. The first item within the folio was an extract from the Royal Engineers Journal of an article about Isandlwana from a Zulu’s perspective. The second one, I first thought was a copy of Lieutenant Walter Higginson’s Isandlwana report that was published in the National Archives document, WO33/34 as an enclosure. After a quick read through I noticed that it was similar, but I then started to read references for the first time; I began to ponder, was it different? After a very brisk walk home I grabbed hold of a copy of WO33/34 and confirmed that the Cape Archives report was dated 17 February and the WO33/34 report was dated 18 February; thus the War Office version was somewhat sanitized although in places the two versions complement each other. -
THE BRITISH ARMY in the LOW COUNTRIES, 1793-1814 By
‘FAIRLY OUT-GENERALLED AND DISGRACEFULLY BEATEN’: THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE LOW COUNTRIES, 1793-1814 by ANDREW ROBERT LIMM A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY. University of Birmingham School of History and Cultures College of Arts and Law October, 2014. University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT The history of the British Army in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars is generally associated with stories of British military victory and the campaigns of the Duke of Wellington. An intrinsic aspect of the historiography is the argument that, following British defeat in the Low Countries in 1795, the Army was transformed by the military reforms of His Royal Highness, Frederick Duke of York. This thesis provides a critical appraisal of the reform process with reference to the organisation, structure, ethos and learning capabilities of the British Army and evaluates the impact of the reforms upon British military performance in the Low Countries, in the period 1793 to 1814, via a series of narrative reconstructions. This thesis directly challenges the transformation argument and provides a re-evaluation of British military competency in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. -
British Invasion Force, 11 January 1879
British Invasion Force 11 January 1879 Commanding General: Lieutenant General Lord Chelmsford Right Flank (1st) Colunn: Colonel Pearson 2/3rd Regiment of Foot 99th Regiment of Foot (6 companies) Naval Brigade (200 men from HMS Active) Naval Gun Detachment (4-7pdr Guns & 1 Gatling Gun) Rocket Battery (2 tubes & 1 Trough) Royal Engineer Company - Captain Wynne Natal Native Pioneer Coprs (1/2 company) Det/Mounted Infantry (300 men)- Major Barrow Detachment of Volunteeers 1/2nd Natal Native Contigent (Kaffirs) Major Graves 2/2nd Natal Native Contigent (Kaffirs) Major Beddoes Total 4,750 combatants of whom 1,852 were Europeans Staff (20 men) Artillery (23 men) Infantry (1,517 men) Cavalry (312 men) Native Contingent (2,256 men) Conductors (622 men, 384 wagons, 24 carts) Oxen - 3,128, Horses - 116, Mules - 121 Central (3rd) Column: Colonel Glyn 1/,2/24th Regiment of Foot N Battery, 5th Brigade Royal Artillery (6 7pdr guns, and 2 rocket troughs) Det/Natal Native Pioneers Det/Mounted Infantry (at least 1 squadron) Detachment of Volunteeers, including Natal Mounted Police Natal Carbineers Newcastle Mounted Rifles Buffalo Border Guard 1/,2/3rd Natal Native Contigent (Kaffirs)1 Total 4,709 combatants of whom 1,724 were Europeans Staff (20 men) Artillery (132 men) Infantry (1,275 men) Cavalry (320 men) Native Contingent (2,566 men) Conductors (346 men, 220 wagons, 82 carts) Oxen - 1,507, Horses - 49, Mules - 67 Left Flank (2nd) Column: Colonel Evelyn Wood 90th Regiment of Foot - Lt. Col. Cherry 1/13th Regiment of Foot - Lt. Col. Gilbert 6 7pdr guns (110 men) - Major Tremlett) Det/Royal Engineers (very small detachment) 1 The 1/3rd NNC had 50 Martini-Henry Rifles & 50 muzzle loaders. -
IN the SHADOW of the Great White Queen the Edendale Kholwa of Colonial Natal, 1850–1906
IN THE SHADOW OF THE GReat WHITE QUEEN The Edendale Kholwa of Colonial Natal, 1850–1906 Sheila Meintjes IN THE SHADOW OF THE GREAT WHITE QUEEN: The Edendale Kholwa of Colonial Natal, 1850 – 1906 Sheila Meintjes S F Occasional Publications of the Natal Society Foundation PIETERMARITZBURG 2020 In the Shadow of the Great White Queen: The Edendale Kholwa of Colonial Natal, 1850–1906. © Sheila Meintjes 2020 Published in 2020 in Pietermaritzburg by the Trustees of the Natal Society Foundation under its imprint ‘Occasional Publications of the Natal Society Foundation’. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without reference to the publishers, the Trustees of the Natal Society Foundation. Natal Society Foundation website: http://natalia.org.za/ Editors: Peter Croeser, Phila Mfundo Msimang and Christopher Merrett Indexer: Christopher Merrett Proof reader: Catherine Munro Maps: Marise Bauer Layout artist: Jo Marwick Printed and bound by: CPW Printers, Pietermaritzburg. ISBN 978-0-6398040-1-9 Cover illustration from Lady Barker’s A Year’s Housekeeping in South Africa (1879) This book is dedicated to the people of Edendale, to the memory of those who struggled for recognition as citizens and against the depradations of colonial settler rule CONTENTS Abbreviations Maps and illustrations Foreword Preface Note on orthography A note on the Wesleyan Missionary Society mission stations where James Allison and his followers served between 1832 and 1851 mentioned in the book Introduction ...................................................................................... 1 1 On the origins of a mission community Missionary enterprise in transition from pre-colonial fragmentation to colonial settlement, 1830–1847 ............................ -
Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift Revisited
We, ‘The children of Isandlwana’: Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift revisited Themba Mthethwa B.PROC, LLB (NATAL) __________________________________________________________________________________________ One hundred years ago, King Cetshwayo’s people’s army spoke to the invading enemy with their spears at the battle of Isandlwana. It engaged and defeated the pride of the British colonial army – a feat which has gone down in history as one of the most glorious and spectacular achievements in world struggles to resist foreign domination. Faced with the might of the superior army, our heroic warriors knew no fear. They shed rivers of blood to remain free in the land that was undoubtedly theirs. In a war which was deliberately provoked by the enemy, the people’s army gave a clear motive that a time comes in the life of people when there is only one way out – the way of challenging oppression by force and violence In doing so, they added a glorious page to a long history of our people’s heroic resistance to the invasion of the land of their forefathers. Isandlwana has left us with a heritage, whose spirit of no surrender, whose spirit of sacrifice and discipline, inspires and guides our whole nation in the battles to come, a heritage which is a challenge to all of us – the children of Isandlwana. (1) In the heart of Mitchell Street, Darwin, in Australia’s Northern Territory, I came across a British Redcoat, similar to those who fought at Isandlwana. On a closer look, it was a café, called Rorke’s Drift bar/café. He called the patrons to come and enjoy “the best of British hospitality in the heart of Mitchell Street.” Darwin is not only well known for its tropical climate and as a major tourist destination, but is also known for being the only major target of Japanese bombings during World War II. -
War Medals, Orders and Decorations Including the Suckling Collection of Medals and Medallions Illustrating the Life and Times of Nelson
War Medals, Orders and Decorations including the Suckling Collection of Medals and Medallions illustrating the Life and Times of Nelson To be sold by auction at: Sotheby’s, in the Upper Grosvenor Gallery The Aeolian Hall, Bloomfield Place New Bond Street London W1 Day of Sale: Thursday 3 July 2008 at 12.00 noon and 2.00pm Public viewing: 45 Maddox Street, London W1S 2PE Tuesday 1 July 10.00 am to 4.30 pm Wednesday 2 July 10.00 am to 4.30 pm Thursday 3 July 10.00 am to 12.00 noon Or by previous appointment. Catalogue no. 33 Price £10 Enquiries: James Morton or Paul Wood Cover illustrations: Lot 3 (front); Lot 281 (back); Lot 1 (inside front) and Lot 270 (inside back) in association with 45 Maddox Street, London W1S 2PE Tel.: +44 (0)20 7493 5344 Fax: +44 (0)20 7495 6325 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mortonandeden.com This auction is conducted by Morton & Eden Ltd. in accordance with our Conditions of Business printed at the back of this catalogue. All questions and comments relating to the operation of this sale or to its content should be addressed to Morton & Eden Ltd. and not to Sotheby’s. Important Information for Buyers All lots are offered subject to Morton & Eden Ltd.’s Conditions of Business and to reserves. Estimates are published as a guide only and are subject to review. The actual hammer price of a lot may well be higher or lower than the range of figures given and there are no fixed “starting prices”. -
The Ethnography of On-Site Interpretation and Commemoration
University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2013 The Ethnography of On-Site Interpretation and Commemoration Practices: Place-Based Cultural Heritages at the Bear Paw, Big Hole, Little Bighorn, and Rosebud Battlefields Helen Alexandra Keremedjiev The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Keremedjiev, Helen Alexandra, "The Ethnography of On-Site Interpretation and Commemoration Practices: Place-Based Cultural Heritages at the Bear Paw, Big Hole, Little Bighorn, and Rosebud Battlefields" (2013). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 1009. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1009 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE ETHNOGRAPHY OF ON-SITE INTERPRETATION AND COMMEMORATION PRACTICES: PLACE-BASED CULTURAL HERITAGES AT THE BEAR PAW, BIG HOLE, LITTLE BIGHORN, AND ROSEBUD BATTLEFIELDS By HELEN ALEXANDRA KEREMEDJIEV Master of Arts, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 2007 Bachelor of Arts, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, 2004 Dissertation presented in partial fulfillment -
Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift And
ISANDLWANA, RORKE’S DRIFT AND THE LIMITATIONS OF MEMORY By Ian Knight ___________________________________________________________________________ In his memoir of a long and active military career, General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien recalled a famous incident from the battle of Isandlwana; I will mention a story which speaks for the coolness and discipline of the regiment. I, having no particular duty to perform in camp, when I saw the whole Zulu army advancing, had collected camp stragglers, such as artillerymen in charge of spare horses, officers’ servants, sick, etc, and had taken them to the ammunition-boxes, where we broke them open as fast as we could, and kept sending out the packets to the firing line. In those days the boxes were screwed down and it was a very difficult job to get them open, and it was owing to this battle that the construction of ammunition boxes was changed. When I had been at this for some time, and the 1/24th had fallen back to where we were, with the Zulus following closely, Bloomfield, the quartermaster of the 2/24th, said to me in regard to the boxes I was then breaking open, ‘For heaven’s sake, don’t do that, man, for it belongs to our battalion.’ And I replied, ‘Hang it all, you don’t want a requisition now, do you?’ It was about this time, too, that a Colonial named Du Bois, a wagon-conductor, said to me, ‘The game is up. If I had a good horse I would ride straight to Maritzburg.’(1). It’s a powerful image, that glimpse of the meticulous Quartermaster, sticking to his orders at the obvious expense of his duty, and it strikes deep cords with modern preconceptions regarding the apparent lack of flexibility and imagination which prevailed in the British Army of the high-Victorian era. -
Flagship Tours to the Anglo-Zulu War Battlefields
FLAGSHIP TOURS TO THE ANGLO-ZULU WAR BATTLEFIELDS In 1879, the British invaded Zululand. The central of the three major invading columns forded the Buffalo River at Rorke’s Drift. Within days, Lord Chelmsford’s invasion was in jeopardy. Part of his central column had been almost annihilated at Isandlwana, in a battle rated as one of the greatest military disasters in British colonial history. A few survivors struggled back into Natal, crossing the mighty Buffalo River at the Fugitives’ Drift. Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill died in a gallant attempt to save the Queen’s colours of their regiment, earning the first posthumous Victoria Crosses in history. A great wing of the Zulu army went on to attack the British garrison at Rorke’s Drift, and these warriors were beaten off in a battle that lasted all night; an action that saw the awarding of 11 VCs and 5 DCMs. Fugitives’ Drift is renowned for its flagship battlefield tours to Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, which are conducted daily. These thought-provoking and often emotionally charged tours leave our guests with a more profound appreciation of modern-day South Africa. Long family associations with the area and its people allow Fugitives’ Drift to offer unique Zulu perspectives on these remarkable battles. Led by Douglas Rattray and his fantastic team of guides, these tours are conducted daily to Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. Please note that our flagship tours are not suitable for children under the age of 12 due to their length and content. Our battlefield kids tours is a good option for young historians. -
Transcript of a Presentation by Dr Adrian Greaves to the International Guild of Battlefield Guides at the Officers Mess, Woolwich on the 28Th November 2009
Transcript of a presentation by Dr Adrian Greaves to the International Guild of Battlefield Guides at the Officers Mess, Woolwich on the 28th November 2009. ________________________________________________________________________ Zulu War artefacts - and their role in the writing of history. Mr President, professors, doctors, honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides, thank you for your kind invitation to speak to you today on the subject of Zulu War artefacts and their role in the writing of history. Over the last twenty years I have had the privilege of taking well over one thousand British and European visitors around the battlefields of Zululand – not as a battlefield guide, but as a guest speaker. The significance of this remark will become clear later in my presentation. I would like to begin by saying that I have time only to touch on the artefacts from Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift - being the Zulu War battles best known to this audience. To put them in context, both battles were fought on the same day, within sight of each other, and both were attacked by the same force of Zulus, albeit Rorke’s Drift was attacked by the Isandlwana reserve force which, at the peak of the fight at Rorke’s Drift, amounted to some 4,000 Zulu warriors. To put the combined size of the two battlefields in context, taking into consideration Chelmsford’s position away from Isandlwana some twelve miles to the east, is about two hundred square miles – or half the size of Dartmoor. Imagine what that was like for the British foot soldiers in full uniform carrying ten-pound Martini-Henry rifles in nearly forty degrees of heat. -
They Were South Africans.Pdf
1 05 028 THEY WERE SOUTH AFRICANS By John Bond CAPE TOWN OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS LONDON NEW YORK 4 Oxford University Press, Amen House, London, E.G. GLASGOW NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE WELLINGTON BOMBAY CALCUTTA MADRAS KARACHI CAPE TOWN IBADAN NAIROBI ACCRA SINGAPORE First published November 1956 Second impression May 1957 Third impression November 1957 $ PRINTED IN THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA BY THE RUSTICA PRESS, PTY., LTD., WYNBERG, CAPE To the friends and companions of my youth at Grey High School, Port Elizabeth, and Rhodes University, Grahams- town, ivho taught me what I know and cherish about the English-speaking South Africans, this book is affectionately dedicated. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book would not have been possible without the help and kindness of many people, 'who may not entirely agree with the views it expresses. I am greatly indebted to Mr D. H. Ollemans and the Argus Printing and Publishing Company, of which he is managing director, for granting me the generous allocation of leave without which it could never have been completed. At a critical moment Mr John Fotheringham's intervention proved decisive. And how can I forget the kindness with which Dr Killie Campbell gave me the freedom of her rich library of Africana at Durban for three months, and the helpfulness of her staff, especially Miss Mignon Herring. The Johannesburg Public Library gave me unstinted help, for which I am particularly indebted to Miss J. Ogilvie of the Africana section and her assistants. Professor A. Keppel Jones and Dr Edgar Brookes of Pietermaritzburg, Mr F. R. Paver of Hill- crest, and Mr T. -
Lt. Henry Curling's Story After Isandlwana Recently
LT. HENRY CURLING’S STORY AFTER ISANDLWANA RECENTLY DISCOVERED PERSONAL LETTERS Edited by Adrian Greaves __________________________________________________________________________________________ Editor’s note; Curling’s letters have been reproduced using his spelling, grammar and punctuation, any gaps or illegible words are indicated by (?). For a full account, see The Curling Letters of the Zulu War by Greaves & Best, Pen & Sword. Curling’s account of the battle and its immediate aftermath was reported in the June 1998 issue of the Journal, together with a letter about his attack of fever from mid February to the end of March 1879. He enlarged on this account in a letter from Helpmekaar dated 4 April to his brother Willy: “I have never answered your long letter having been seedy must be the excuse. When I was ill I wrote such a stupid letter: I think I must have been off my nut when I wrote it. I was laid up for six weeks altogether as it pulled me down terribly and the fever lasted three weeks. I was sent down to a place called Ladysmith where there is a hospital and began to get better directly I left this (?). About 35 men and 2 officers have died of the fever which is a good proportion for force of about 1000 men in the short space of two months. All the men who die the doctors say have typhoid and those who recover intermittent fever. As about ¼ of the men have been sent away sick there are not many left who have not had it. The severe diarrea that everybody has with the fever is what pulls you down most.