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THE WAR INI Z U L U L A N…

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THE WAR IN Z U L U L A N I). CHARD AND BR.OMHEAD'S DEFENCE AT RORKE'S DRIFT. OFFICIAL ACCOUNT. The Baily Telegraph special correspondent has sent the following interesting communi. cation, dated Madeira, Monday I—The nontenant General Commanding her Majesty's Forces in South Africa, has much satisfaction in publishing for general infor- mation the subjoired official report of the gallant defence of Rorke's Drift Post, made on January 22 and 23. The Liieutenant- G eneral feels sure that the gallant conduct of the garrison will receive most ample reoog. nition, and trusts the .example set by a few brave men, and the success that attended their noble efforts, will be taken to heart by all under his command. The odds against them was nearly 30 to one; but; taking ad- vantage of the material which lay to hand, and hastily constructing with it such cover as was possible, this heroic little garrison was enabled to resist during the space of twelve hours the determined attacks made upon them, and further inflicted heavy loss on the enemy. the killed alone being more than three times their own number. LIEUTENANT CHARD'S REPORT. RORKE'S DRIFf, JAN. 25. My Lord,-—I have the honour to report that ell the 22nd instant I was left in com- mand at Borke's Drift by Major Spalding, who went to Helpmakaar in order to hurry forward a company of the 24th Regiment. I was specially ordered to protect the ponts. At 3.15 p.m. that day I was watch- ing at the ponts when two men came towards us from Zululand at a gallop. They shouted out, and were taken across the river; and I was then informed by one of them—Lieutenant Adendorff, of Commandant Lonsdale's regiment, who afterwards remained to assist in the defence—of the disaster be. fallen at the Isandula camp, and that the Zulus were advancing upon Rorke's Drift. The other, a Carbineer, rode on to take the news forward to Helpmakaar. THE APPLICATION FOR ASSISTANCE. "Almost immediately afterwards I received a message from Lieutenant}tromhel\d-com- mander of the company of the 24th Regiment at the camp near the commissariat stores—" asking me to come up at once. I gave instruc- tions to strike tents, and to put all stores into the waggons, while 1 instantly made my way to the commissariat store, and there found that a note had been received from the third column, stating that the enemy was Advancing in force against our post, which we 1Vere to strengthen and hold at all costs. Lieut. Bromhead was already most actively engaged loopholinp and barricading the store- fcuildintr and hospital, and also in connecting the defences of the two buildings by walls constructed with mealie bags and waggons. I held a hurried consultation with him and Mr. Dalton, of the commissariat—who was ac- tively superintending the work of defence, and whom I cannot sufficiently thank for his toost valuable services—and I entirely ap- proved all his arrangements, I then went around our position down tÐ the ponts, and brought up along with their guard one ser- feant and six men, the gear, waggons, &c. desire here to mention for approval the offer of these pont guards. Daniels and Ser. geant Milne, of the 3rd Buffs, who, with their comrades, volunteered to moor the ponts out in the middle of the stream, and there to defend them from the decks, with a few men to assist. M W earrived back at our post at 3.30 p.m., and, shortly after, an officer with some of Dmnford's Horse, came in, and asked orders from me. I requested him to send a detach- ment to observe the drifts and ponts, and to throw out vedettes in the direction of the enemy, in order to cheek their advance as much as possible, his men falling' back upon the post when forced to retire, and there after to assist in the defence. I next requested Xientenant Bromhead to station his men, and, having seen every man thoroughly know his post, the rest of the work went quickly on. COMMENCEMENT OF THE ATTACK. "At 4.20 p.m. the sound of firing was heard behind the hill to the south. The officer of Durnford's Horse returned, reporting that the enemy was now close upon us. His Jnen, he told me, would not obey orders, but "Were going off towards Helpmakaar, aud I myself saw them in retreat, numbering apparently about 100, going in that direction. About the same time Captain Stephenson a detachment of the Natal Native Contingent left us-as did that officer himself- I saw that our line of defence was too extended ior the small number of men now left, aud at once commenced an inner entrenchment of biscuit boxes, out of which we had soon com- pleted a wall two boxes high, when, about 4.20 p.m., 500 or 600 of the enemy came suddenly in sight around the hill to the south. ZULU BRAVERY. They advanced at a run against our south "all, but were met by a well-sustained fire; Vet, notwitstandinp- heavy loss, they con- tinued to advance till within fifty yards of the wall, when their leading men encountered Buch a hot fir<» from our front with a cross one from th^Store, that they were checked. Taking advantage, however, of the cover afforded by the cook-house and tha ovens, they kept up thence heavy musketry vjileya; Greater number, however, without Btoppmg at all, moved on towards the left round ot^. hospital, and thence made a rush upon the north-west wall and our breast- WorK or mealie bags. After a short btit oespera e struggle those assailants were driven with heavy loss into the otlr works. The main body close behind bad moan- time line of rocks and filled some caves overlooking U8 at of 100 da to south, they kept up a constant fire. 4?0! fi. i.L advancing somewhat more to the 10« than those who first attacked as, occupied a gardenia the hollow of the *oad and also the b sh beyond it in great force, takin* of the bush, ■frhich we had not ha time to cut down. Ihe enemy was thus to advance close to our works, and in this par& soon held one Jfhole side of wall, whu e ■on the other kept back a series ofraf ^ato,. assaults jjhich were made on a from the hospital all along the wall ar as tjje hush. But each attack was most. apien. didly met and repulsed by our ^ho bayonet, Corporal Schiess, of the Natal Nahve Contingent, greatly distinguishing by -conspicuous gallantry. The fire, *ock behind our post, though b&dly took us completely in reverse, and wasj so heavy that we suffered very severely, and at Bix p;m. were finally forced to retire behind the entrenchment of biscuit boxes. THE HOSPITAL FIRED BY THE ENEMY. AH this time the enemy had been attempt- tag to force the hospital, and shortly after- Wards <did set fire to the roof. The garrison of the hospital defended the place room by *oom, our men bringing out all the sick who could be moved before they retired. Private Williams, Hook, R Jones, and W. Jones, of the 24th Regiment, were the last four men to leave, holding the doorway against the Zulus With bayonets, their ammunition being "Hute expended. From want of in- terior communication and the smoke of the burning house, it was found impossible to carry off all the sick, and, with most heart- sorrow and regret, we could net save a poor fellows from a terrible fate. "Seeing the hospital burning and desperate attempts being made by the enemy to fire the 1'001 of our stores, we now converted two 1nealie. bag heaps into a sort of redoubt, which ^ave a second une of fire all along, Assistant, ^pmmissary Dunne working hard at this, ^ough much exposed; thus rendering most tillable assistance. CLOSE OF THE FIGHT AND RETREAT OF THE ZULUS. Darkness then came on. We were eom- Iju surrounded, and, after several furious had been gallantly repulse 1, we were jTj^tually forced to it tiro to the middle and fu 0 inner wall of our kraal on the east jj position we first had We wero sustain- jS throughout all this a desultory fire, kept t.èct. all night, and several uøawtB were at. but always repulsed with vigour, the de 8 continuing until after midnight, out men firing with the greitfost coolness, not I wasting a single shot. The light afforded by I t he burning hospital proved a great adv*»U*e. At 4 am. on the 23rd of January firing Mu>ed; and at (lavbreak the en*my /rare ct ug out of sight over the hill to the south- pass- -^ye then patrolled the ground, collect- iue arme ^rom dead bodies of th* Zulus, and frtrengtithe position as muefri as possible. We were etiil removing thatch from the roof of i 110 etore, whott, about seven a.m., a large body- oxe the enemy once more appeared upon the hi'Uh to the south-west. I now sent a friendly K.^ who had come in shortly before, with a no mandwp at Helpmakaar, t> ?p eight a m„ however, tho Bn^h,rd Oolamn appeared, and at eieht of this v +0 J' U8 tad been gradually advancing commenced falling back as our t- proached. GALLANT CONDUCT OF TH^ BRITISH FORCE. I consider the enemy which attacked us to have numbered about 3,000; we killed about 350. Of the steadiness and gallant behaviour of my whole garrison I cannot speak too highly. I wish especially to bring to your notice the conduct of lieutenant Bromhead, of the 2-24th Regi- ment, and the splendid behaviour of his com- pany, B, 2 24th; of Surgeon Reynolds, in regard of his constant attention to our wounded under fire, assisting them where they fell; of Acting-Commissary Officer Daltyn, to whose energy much of our de. fences were due, and who was severely wounded while gallantly assisting in the fight; Assistant. Commissary Dunne, Acting-Store- keeper; Colour-Seigeant Browne, 2 24th; Sergeant Williams, 2- 24th; wounded danger- ously, Sergeant Winbridge, 2-24th; Corporal Schiess, N.N O.; wounded, Private Williams, 2.24th; Private Jones, 2-24t,h; Private M'Mahon, A.H.C.; Private R. Jones, 2-24th; Private H. Hook, 2-24th; and Private Roy, 1.24th. LIST OF CASUALTIES. "The following return shows the total number present at Rorke's Drift on January 22, 1879:—Eight officers, 131 non commissioned officers and men; total, 139. The following is the list of killed Sergeant Maxfield; Privates Scanlan, Hayden, Adams, Cole, Fagan, Chick, and Williams, all of the 2-24th; Privates Nicholls, Horrigan, Jenkins, 1.24th; Mr. Byrne, Com- missariat Department; Trooper Hunter,Natal Native Contingent; Trooper Anderson, Natal Isative Cavalry; a private of the N. N. Cavalry. Total, 15, and 12 wounded, of whom two have since died, Sergeant Williams, 2 24th; Private Beckett, 1.24th. (Signed) JOHN R. M. CHARD, Lieut. RE. "To Colonel Glyn, C.B., Commanding 3rd Column."

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