The Fall of Rorke's Drift by Laband John

Author:Laband, John [Laband, John]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Fiction / Historical
Publisher: Greenhill Books
Published: 2019-09-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chelmsford’s message, although alarming in the extreme, was nevertheless lacking in vital, specific detail. Not knowing from its contents what had actually befallen the other columns, Pearson called a council of war of his senior officers. This was by no means a usual procedure in Victorian colonial campaigning, but it was forced on Pearson by the necessity to come to a crucial operational decision based on inadequate intelligence. The assembled officers at first almost all counselled retiring at once to the Lower Thukela. However, Wynne and Pearson’s two senior staff officers (Brevet Colonel Forestier Walker and Captain H. G. MacGregor) succeeded in persuading them otherwise, arguing that a retreat would be extremely hazardous and that work on Fort Eshowe was already sufficiently well advanced for the place to be held. Still, that brought up the question of whether the garrison would have sufficient ammunition and supplies to hold out for any length of time. After some further discussion it was therefore resolved to send all the mounted troops and nearly all of the two battalions of the 2nd Regiment NNC back to the border immediately. These units began their march that very afternoon at 14.00. The mounted men under Major Percy Barrow pushed on ahead and reached Fort Tenedos at 23.30 that same night; but the NNC, feeling abandoned and vulnerable, especially after night fell, lost discipline and cohesion, breaking up into small, panicking groups along the way. If the amaZulu had attacked them, they would have been massacred, but fortunately for them, they did not. The first parties of NNC came into Fort Tenedos during the following morning, 29 January, but it was late afternoon before the last stragglers made it to the Thukela. Taking their extreme disarray into account, over the next few days Chelmsford and Bulwer agreed to disband the now reduced and severely demoralised 2nd NNC.12

Where were the amaZulu that these disorganised and vulnerable troops should have made it safely back unchallenged to Fort Tenedos? After the battle of Nyezane the amaZulu impi did not at first disperse as was customary for ritual purification. Expecting Pearson to continue his march north-westwards to oNdini, Godide’s forces concentrated in the thorny valley of the Mhlathuze valley with the somewhat desperate intention of again ambushing him. It was to their relief, therefore, when Pearson halted at Eshowe and they had the opportunity to be purified of the evil and contagious influences of homicide. For four days those who had killed were separated from their companions and were treated with ritual medicines to ward off umnyama and to gain occult ascendancy over their vengeful victims whose spilt blood formed a dangerous bridge between the living and the dead. Once ritually clean, they could return home or rejoin their comrades for further military operations. Accordingly, it was not until the end of January – by which time the mounted men and NNC of No. 1 Column had made it back to Fort Tenedos – that numerous groups of between forty and fifty men began keeping close watch on Fort Tenedos and Fort Eshowe and on the road between them.

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