Who's Who in the Zulu War, 1879: The Colonials and The Zulus by Adrian Greaves Ian Knight

Author:Adrian Greaves, Ian Knight [Adrian Greaves, Ian Knight]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Africa, South, General, Modern, 19th Century, Biography & Autobiography, Military
ISBN: 9781781597316
Google: u7TNDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Published: 2007-10-06T00:25:06+00:00

Longcast, Henry William

Longcast was born in 1850. His father William Longcast was apparently Irish, an early settler to Natal who ran a small inn in Pietermaritzburg which catered largely to men of the British garrison at Fort Napier. Both William Longcast and his wife Mary died young, and Henry Longcast and his younger sister Matilda were taken in by a Pietermaritzburg orphanage. They were then adopted by Robert Robertson and his wife, who were destined to become prominent Zululand missionaries. In 1850 the Robertsons began work at the Umlazi mission in Natal. Most mission societies were keen to evangelize across the border in Zululand, and in 1857, and largely for political reasons, King Mpande allowed the Anglican Church to establish a station at KwaMagwaza. The Robertsons were given the post, and moved to Zululand with their adopted children. They had to build the mission from scratch, and young Henry Longcast grew up self-reliant, practical, and fluent in isiZulu. He regularly accompanied Robertson on journeys to the royal courts of Zululand, and knew both Mpande and his successor personally. In 1870 Henry Longcast married, his wife Alice apparently being a Zulu Christian convert.

Robertson was a great advocate of armed intervention in Zululand, believing that Christian evangelism could only proceed once King Cetshwayo’s administration had been overthrown. This made his position vulnerable as tension between the British and Zulus increased, and he abandoned the KwaMagwaza mission in August 1877. Longcast stayed on until war was imminent and only crossed into Natal in October 1878.

In Natal Longcast found large numbers of British troops massing on the border, and he applied for a position with the troops. Lord Chelmsford soon recognized the value of Longcast’s excellent language skills and his knowledge of Zulu affairs, and appointed him as his personal interpreter. Longcast joined Chelmsford’s staff shortly before the invasion of January 1879, was present with him throughout the Isandlwana campaign, and indeed throughout the entire war. By the time British troops reached the heart of Zululand in June 1879, Longcast was able to offer personal advice on the topography and routes for advance. After the Battle of Ulundi, Chelmsford paid tribute to Longcast who ‘has proved of the greatest value to me’.

When Lord Chelmsford resigned his command, Longcast secured the equivalent post on the staff of his successor, Sir Garnet Wolseley. On 13 August Longcast accompanied a major sweep through central Zululand in pursuit of the fugitive King Cetshwayo; when the British dispersed into smaller groups, Longcast accompanied the party commanded by Lord Gifford that narrowly failed to capture the king. Nevertheless, Longcast’s contribution during the search was widely acknowledged. Cetshwayo was finally captured on 28 August by Major Marter of the 1st Dragoon Guards. He was taken to Wolseley’s camp at oNdini, where it was agreed that Longcast should accompany the king into exile at the Cape. Longcast remained with King Cetshwayo at Cape Castle until January 1881; it is apparently he who stands, leaning on a gun carriage, in a famous photograph of Cetshwayo, his jailor Major Poole and his attendants, taken at this time.

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