Battleground: South Africa [00] Zulu War: Rorke's Drift by Ian Knight & Ian Castle

Author:Ian Knight & Ian Castle [Knight, Ian & Castle, Ian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Zulu Wars, Battles & Campaigns
Amazon: B00L6Z9DH4
Publisher: Pen & Sword
Published: 1990-12-31T05:00:00+00:00

Before dawn a mist had settled in the valley. Some time between 4.00 and 4.30am a single shot rang out a long way off in the direction of the mountains. For some reason this does not appear to have been heard on the north bank but on the south side of the river, on the higher ground, it awoke Sergeant Anthony Booth and disturbed Lieutenant Harward who was lying awake in his tent. Harward got up and told Booth to alert the laager. Booth moved down to the edge of the river and shouted across to the sentry but received no reply. After a few moments a Private Tucker came down to the river and Booth ordered him to tell Moriarty that a shot had been heard and to alarm the laager. It appears that the camp was turned out, but with no apparent sign of the enemy, Moriarty gave the order for the men to return to their tents, after instructing the sentries to be on the alert. Booth received the order that the men were to dress but to remain in their tents. Booth himself had been sleeping in one of the wagons and returned there at about 4.45am and settled down with his pipe for a smoke. In a letter to his wife Sergeant Booth continued the story:

‘I put on my ammunition belt and me and another man was smoking in the wagon, when about five o’clock I heard another shot fired and someone shout, “Sergeant Johnson!” I looked out of the wagon and I shall never forget the sight. I saw the day was just breaking and there was about 5, 000 Zulus on the other side, they were close to the tents and shouted their war cry “Zu Zu”.’

Lieutenant Harward, who had now dressed and was resting in his tent, leapt into action when his peace was disturbed by the cry, “Guard turn out!”

‘I instantly turned out and saw, as the fog lifted, a dense mass of Zulus about 200 yards from the wagon laager, extending all across the valley with a front of some two or three miles apparently. I immediately put my men under a wagon near our tents, and directed their fire on the flanks of the enemy, who were endeavouring to surround our wagon laager on the other side of the river.’

The situation in the laager was desperate. The still of dawn had been cut by the shot of one of the sentries who saw the impi appear through the mist, advancing silently towards him. There appears to be some confusion over the strength of the impi, the estimates varying from 800 to 9, 000! It seems more likely that a lower number of around the 1, 000 mark is probably more accurate. Even so, with a 1, 000 men the Zulu force outnumbered the dazed British by over ten to one. It was no contest. The Zulus increased their pace and within ninety metres of their target let loose a volley, dropped their guns and rushed upon the stricken laager.

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