THE ZULU WAR.

Southland Times, Issue 3429, 17 June 1879, Page 2

THE ZULU WAR.

Tlie orient steamer Aconcagua arrived at Melbourne on the 6th inst., bringing Cape of Gppd Hppe papers tp date May 19 th. We are indebted to the Melbourne Argus for the annexed . summary of news : — ZULU DEFEAT AT KAMBULA. On-.-28tih .March Colonel Wood success- , fully attacked the enemy's position on the; Zlbbarie Mouiitairi. Unfortunately, in Bring-^ ; ing off the large number oj: cattle captured, j he was delayed', dwihg to the J extreme difficulty of the ground, and assailed in his turn by a large bedy of the enemy, estimated a x , 20,000 strong, who. endeavored to cut off his retreat. That the safety of Colonel Wood's polumn was imperilled-is-evident, and they cut their way through with heavy loss, losing Captains the Hon. R. E. Campbell and R. J. Barton, of the Coldstrearn Guards,- both special- service officers, besides a long roll pf colonial officers and men. / Flushed .by their victory, the combined Zulu : and Swazi '. forces, directed, it is said, by Cetewayo in person, attacked Kambula liop in enormous numbers on the. 30th of March.- For. four hours the 13th and 19 tit- Regiments sustained the .assault ,of Cetewayo's picked warriors. By nightfall the Zulus had been driven off at all points, and pursued ■■_ for some distance by the-indefatigable Colonel Buller. The British losses, however, were severe ; far heavier 1 than in the fight at Gingindhlova. Lieutenants Nicholson, of the Artillery, and Bright, of the 90th, were among the dead ; Major Hackett and Lieutenant Smith, of the 90th, and three officeis, dangerously wounded, together with about 60 casualties among the men Both at Kambula Kop and at Gingindhlovb the British have gained undoubted.successes, and inflicted terrible loss on /the enemy. It is most probable that Cetewayo will content himself in preparing for the future, and will not waste, his strength by hurling his men on our entrenched positions. Lord Chelmsford, on the other hand, will now busy himself in preparation for the final advance on Undini, which it is believed will commence early t in may. General Crealock, witl^the troops on the Lower Tugela, will operate from the south, and the ( [General commanding, with the 2nd Battalion 4th King's, ?2nd Battalion 13th, and Battalion 21st, 2nd Battalion 24th, the 58th, 90th, and 94th Regiments, M. and N. Batteries, 6th Brigade Royal Artillery, and Tremlett's Mountain Battery, -the 17th Laricers, and King's Dragoons, -will move on Undini, from the direction of Utrecht. A lull must now occur in active operations, for, although public interest .will not languish, an anxiety has been removed. It is none "the less' true that the reai'hard,"w:ork'for Lord Chelmsford and liis staff is now only just commencing — the- task of organising a transport, service in sparsely populated coanfry»-f or a force of .. 15^000 men. r ?Tls ' f ollo'ivihg telegram' 1 respeciing^thewar in Zululand is taken from a supplement to the Cape r Times, Cape Town, "of Saturday, May 17 : — Fort Tenedos, May 17. Cetewayo has made fresh oveitures for peace. On Wednesday last his envoy was Widwendu accompanied by two others who went to Colonel Clarke, commanding the 2nd Brigade at Fort Chelmsford, with a message to the effect that we tad proved him; he was our son, why should we wish to kill him after doing so. He did not want war, but peace, and asked that some pne might be sent to him to explain. In. response; to^is request, I believe Major-General, Crealock has des,jMr - John > D'unn to • ascertain whether, any reliance can be placed upon his demand. ' In the meantime all necessary precautions are being taken r and no means relaxed. Dabulamanzi's presence is also desired at the King's kraal to givejthe benefit of his advice, and he was expected' to ' arrive there on Tuesday. This, however, does not agree with the report that Dabulamanzi and: Umvonmemgevemi apparently were" killed." , ' ' Cape Town, May 19. .Lord Chehnsford and v staff left,Maritzburg for Dundee and Utrechj j a §t Sunday, i

The Prince Imperial was to lii.vQ accom- ' Ponied him, but prevented jirom indisposition;; ! The' general's 'destination is believedito be UmbaUa, whence a grand advance! is expepted 's])6rily>;; ;• The: greatest ; difficulty to be in the '^•ansport.i^iservycp^^liicli will be shortly' inte'nsified£J}yjf.th& .tiring of the grass~by the Zulus. Heavy rains have, however fallen lately, which will retard the iirlifig'. ;?' '■ 'T\^T-"-:'. 'c '.J' :' '^:C"'y:f^ y "":"- '•_. '■; \i! Rumors that the Zulu King has changed his tactics, and was making raids upon the Utrecht district. are* confirmed front- Pretoili, and when tlienej.vs reached the_ Boer 'camp' a'nnmbeFof ifarmers-left-tos^dtecV* tijeir .'farms; ... ■ : u. ; 3 , . Colonel Wood's cavalry- was terribly-Gut-^---up'at^-'the Zlobane affair yliand they are the only men able to cope with the Meiers. Myneizay Getawayo's^ brother^ who/r^witii ; ;20 followers, surrendered a f e w ifays isince, ' i sayi thathe .-fus at lsandu'ia,. OD^-tßafWe-l Zulus were Ue'feated' b'y.Ttfie jr British and! about to; fly when the Bri'tisli" ainmuhitiori '"' .gave but, 'and 'th r en ! the Zulus rushed inj >' '' 'and overwhelmed; our; men; - The;, Zulus; numbered about 25,000, of wbichrl-I^ooo were reserves. They- left the King's kraal with instructions to enter upon and waste Natal, and it was only the defeat of the ■ "Zulu reserves at Rorke's Drift that pre T vented the design from being .carried out! .It is still rumored, that babulamanzi is anxious to surrender. \~' J Captain Prior, of the 80th/ with' a mounted patrol 6^ six men, fell in- with ! some Zulus driving off cattle* and horse's /vfrqtn^a ' valley- uear'/the TJpper Pongblai' ■ The Zulus ' fl ed| arid the cattle and ' horses were" ce-captuted;' Captain Prior and' Private Bpwen pursued, and at . 400 yards exchange^/ shots with two men, one of whom /was ,killed, the other wounded. The dead man "turned put.i6.be s a son of Cetewayo, Ayhose. surrender was demanded before the commencement of hostilities, and .the wounded one who escaped was declared -by prisoners to have been Umbalini. He is Maited^6 have" since died of his wounds.' Colonel J Glynn,- Captain l Digaeua; ' tod iseveral officers, wenf dowc to the'Buifalo, and erected a stone to the memory of? ;; Lieutenants- iCoghilli and ■Melvillg,:? whoie^ bodies were exhumed and placed in la cofQn ,and reb'uried nnder a ". huge . bo^de.r. While removing the remains of liieuterianf ' • Melville, the j Colonel found in. his' pocket a watch and chain' X;; ,i : Missionary f Witt,, who stated that the Kaffirs generally were- treated by the colonists' like dogs; -\vas himself convicted on the 9th of November last of presenting ' a loaded .giiii "at" ~a : Kaffir girl vrbb" liad" "re- " 'fused to do his family's washing. ! i News fi*om theTransyaa):; is . reassuring-, the,; Boers having- quietly dispersed : , : and Sir., Bartle" Frefe having 'tiberi feted in Pret6ria.J Before -separating; j^iey drew up a^einorial to the Queen, winch Sir Bartle FrWe promised to. forward. ; ;iln it, ithey urged restoration of independence^ and declared that.if. there Avas,any r doubt.of.l)utch^una^ himity on that questibh, they were willing ' to submit d plebiscite.' -I - ■ -''X 'A A 'f The colonial forces -have -had- several! engagements ' witK -the Koraiiiies on the Orange River. Jn the last the enemy -was dispersed, and some prisoners captured. 'Among them was a; white man named Macarthy, ..who is believed to iaye . been • their leader. ... '[_ ':'.,.'■/.:, : [l : -: : '^'"~" :: y ' :;: ''■ . Our men are still, hivesting Morosis Mountain. -: ' " .';■ . ''■-'■ ':"W '■'•'> Small batches of Zulus are occasionally met by, convoys passing from the r lower Tugela'tothe new Fort Chelmsfor'd, onth : e Suyezane., The health of the men. at this place continues good. The camp at Gingindhloo; is )tojbe. remo ved. The position is "good,, but; ithe wat er .■■bad, and dysentery prevails..,.,, The accounts of the sickness have been, however, much exaggerated, as at no time did the number exceed 260 out of the whole force. : - ' ■ The Tugela- is falling fast, .and the engineers are busy constructing ppntoonbridges near Fort Pearson.. '. Fears are entertained of Zulu raids in Natal when the. river falls, and Natal papers deem the garrison left to defend the frontier i&ise insufficient.. : -- ; ; . _„-.... - ; . ... Colonel Bullen, Avho made a reconnoissance. lately, found, the ; stronghold f of Zlobane deserted. Spies,, reported tliat Kambula was to be a attacked,- consequently the. camp was strengthened. the reinforcemehts have left B'Urban and ; Majoritz, for Pieteruiaritzburg. t f : ' • ''-"' ■ :: -' : ' ; - i Colonel Pearson is suffering' from fever at; ■■•Fort Pearson. He ! f is expected; , to, go do\v.nto D'XJrban.. .. T : : \- /? ■ '^ ; ' ,j , - The JSorussia arrived, at Simon's, ; Bay ,bn ■ the 2nd May, and left for Natalt o Th^ • Cape Times announced yesterday that itw'as I authorised to rotate ' that ' Sir-; Barlle' Ffere lifid;. ; no' indention .pi Nearly "every '. to\yn ' md; village. 'iti, SputJbi Africa; lias .held .meetings- to "discuss.si p. policy,' and almost all without '.exception, heartily endorse it. ; , ; ■; ?,-;;-/-.?■! i No informalion has yet been received of > the < expected advance, although.;.: ;all : ; rein^ > forcementß have arrived at their? several.) bases." Itis due, probably, to the extreme i difficulties of transport. Colonel Wood ? S' camp at Kambula 1 has been broken! up; add a new position; taken at Queens-K raal, on the -^hW . JJniyblbsi, " where it can more readily co-operate with general Newdegate. at Dobrhberg. '•/ '// ;; .;• j :■•);] o:; r : ' Sickness no doubt exists to a great e^? ;tent on the lower coast.- Three convoys'(&'gkk±ux<M:%73:inen, 'aMvedi afcJFoMf Pearson. MMajorr r Grealock is seriously il). Colonel Pearson is : suffiering i from, mild typnoid ■■fever;;'" The weather is ■ becoming cblder, ,and,;frbS|3 are reported ye|tera : ay.; . It is ..'JjeUeyed'thfe men's health! \vili imjirbye' with, the jSeitting; in, of cpld j\yeather. , . X telegram. . was received" last V night;. frbjn, G-eneral : Newdegate's . camp, which v states that owing : to; difficulties iofotranspor t^nor infantry can enter Zululand.beyoud,:Sand-^ man ; Drift atfpreseht, but that^two cavalry regiments and six guns will make a forced* march tojUndin|, it is/ presumed .in conr junction witli Colonel Wobd. vl ' ' '\| .Ar. native reports; that jpetewayp ha,S burnt \ \ his^ .kraals^ , and ; .retire^ -fy)' the I north-west of - Zululandi . ; Dabulainanzi ? has; yet" surrendered. ! He is suspected of a design to entrap our |men, having requested that a force be sent -ound to protect him and his people from rirhpi, who 'was ; watching; them, -while, I n : atiye' spies, 'that lie has :i a' largd. ; atr^hming in ';th(^ biishj. ; Cojteher; dlarii I recbriribitred" the' grbund where ' Impi was 1 said to be,-but found. nothing ; it is known ' however, that nmnb^ral of Zulus are collectinc: beyond, lmpaii, another. stronghold. • The; rebels at the Orange River have been. ; captured, and their leader shot. The war : there' is v virtually; over. f; '- ; ■''■'■'' s - ., | In Basutoland practically there is tio \ war, but'wriilb' Mofosi holds but' bur forces ' cannot b^reduced;^ byt • wlien^ the heavy guns are, ;intpp3ition; tiift pKce must; surr ; rende'r.f:-|'.;.^^{X'' «Vn-i"'i';v;--i : ,--r-i, ' . jiThe Frefe ; estate i^plkerand met r on ?the. 7th;i^rio rmention:^ was ;made;in the opening ; speech* pcP -confederation..' ; ; ; ' ;^