The Corporation of the City of Kaslo

Salutes the “Force” and the Official Journal
of the B.C. Police --- The Shoulder Strap

- BRITISH COLUMBIA

KASLO

CHARLES W. WEBSTER

DEALER IN
CHOICE PROVISIONS, CHINAWARE,
STATIONERY, ETC.

PHONE 26 P.O. BOX 403

KASLO, B. C.

On the following morning Major Dart-
nell with the Volunteers and all but 35 of
the Police left camp to reconnoitre the
position of the Zulu army. They covered a
considerable extent of country without
getting a glimpse of the enemy and were
joined later by the native contingent under
Colonel Lonsdale. Towards evening a large
body of Zulus was sited on a ridge, which
it was decided to attack at dawn, so in
order not to lose touch Major Dartnell
decided to bivouac his column on the
ground he had taken up, but the Zulus
retired from the ridge during the night.
Early next morning Major Dartnell’s col-
umn was joined by Lord Chelmsford with
the Mounted Infantry, four field guns and

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Page Eighty-four

six companies of the 24th Regiment. The
column followed the enemy, some skirmish-
ing took place and a party of sixty Zulus,
who took refuge on a hill were surrounded
and killed. A halt was called at mid-day,
when the firing of heavy guns could be
heard from the direction of the camp. The
disastrous battle of Isandhlwana was in
progress and a mounted officer arrived on
a spent horse with the following message:
“For God's sake come with all your men;
the camp is surrounded and will be taken
unless helped.”

A GHASTLY MASSACRE

Much has been written about the ghastly
massacre at Isandhlwana in which Cet-
shwayo’s army of 20,000 Zulus killed 689
Imperial Troops and 133 Colonial Volun-
teers and Natal Mounted Police, and
scarcely anyone has denied that the tragedy
was due to blundering. The Zulus were
not seen from the camp until 9 a.m. when
small parties were observed on the crests
of hills. Everyone was ignorant of the fact
that a huge impi was near and forces were
sent out in several directions. A large
body of Zulus attacked Col. Durnford who
was reconnoitering with the police and
cavalry. The natives employed their usual
well organized method of attack; advanc-
ing in the formation of a beast with horns.
A feint is generally made with one horn,
while the other, under cover of a hill or
bush, sweeps round to encircle the enemy;
then the main body advances and crushes
the foe.

The Zulus were fast surrounding the
camp where the native contingent fled in
all directions, seized by panic. Steadily the
impi closed in, an overwhelming horde of
Zulus; with stabbing assegais the naked
savages rushed on, treading under foot those
in their own ranks that were shot down.
Fighting desperately the Natal Mounted
Police and Volunteers rallied round Col.
Durnford and held their ground until the
last cartridge was fired. Twenty-five of
the Police were among the slain; they had
fallen where they fought and died fighting.
The only accounts of what happened in
that awful few minutes were obtained
later from Zulus who took part in it. Be-
fore the living ring finally closed round
the doomed soldiers, a rush was made by
those who could escape in the direction of

the Buffalo River. These were followed
by the enemy, who hacked the fugitives as
they ran. Of the 34 members of the Police
who had been left at the camp by Major
Dartnell, only nine escaped. So sharp and
terrible was the onslaught that the Police
who survived were unable to say much
about the last scenes. They had been sent
out with the other mounted men to hold
the Zulus in check, which they did until
their ammunition ran out. As the final
rush came Colonel Durnford shouted to
the Police and Volunteers, “Get away as
best you can,” but very few heard or
obeyed him. Those who left made a dash
for the river and had great difficulty in
avoiding the pursuing natives. The river
was in flood, but there was no time to look
for a ford; each man dashed into the river
as he reached it.

While the historic tragedy was in pro-
gress, the force under Lord Chelmsford
was approaching, but did not reach the
camp until dusk. The Zulus had retired
and the force moved up to the place where
only dead men were encamped; stumbling
over the bodies of white men and natives

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