THE HERO OF ISANDULA.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue XVII, 24 May 1879, Page 1

THE HERO OF ISANDULA.

By the last mail (says the Bendigo Advertiser) a lady residing in Sandhurst, who is a relative by marriage of Captain Melyill, the gallant young officer who sacrificed his life whilst protecting the colors of his regiment in the disastrous engagement which task place between a small force of British troops and an overwhelming number of Zulus a short time back, received a letter in which reference is made to the death of the hero of the occasion We have been Garnished with the following extract •• — f Pam dreadfully grieved about poor young Melvill, the adjutant of the 24th Regiment. He married just three years ago at the Cape E.s favorite sister, and came home last year to the Staff College at Aldershot, with his wife and a little boy a year old. He had not been in England a week when he was ordered to rejoin his regiment at the Cape, as this dreadful Zulu war broke out ; so he left his wife and child at home with his family in Cornwall, where she has been ever since, and now, poor girl, she is left a widow, and has another little son only two months old; she is not yet 21. One consolation to her will be the noble way in which he died, as he was fortunate enough to escape the battle of Isandula, but was last. seen cutting his way through over 100 natives, cutting them down like grass with his sword, as he was determined to save the colors of the regiment, which had fallen into the hands of the enemy. After being mortally wounded in seven places, he rescued the colors, which he had tied around.him, and swam the river in time to lie ddwn aud die, knowing, as the papers say, that he had saved the honor of his country and regiment. A more noble or glorious death, of course, no soldier could possibly die. He is quite the hero of the day j the papers are full of his wonderful bravery, and he was mentioned iv Parliament. The Qneon is to present his two little boys with the Victoria Cross in admiration of their father's singular bravery in saving her colors at the cost of his own life, and is also going to give them commissions in the army when they grow up."