The place Isandlwana. They were bronzed, bearded,
redcoat soldiers camped on the slopes of a strange brooding sphinx-shaped
mountain in a country far from home. As the first Zulus swarmed over the
rocky ridge to the left of the camp, the soldiers stood-to under the
sweltering sun, confident in the firepower of their Martini-Henry rifles and
disdainful of "this bunch of barefoot savages armed with spears and
sticks", as one commentator later described them.
This was a spectacular Zulu victory and one of the worst defeats in
British colonial history. News of it - conveyed by ship and from Madeira by
cable to London - sent shockwaves throughout the Empire. Queen Victoria is
said to have demanded: "Who are these Zulus and why are we fighting
them?"
That same night a brave little band of some 100 British at Rorke's Drift
fought off a Zulu army of about 4 000 in a victory that somewhat softened
the blow of Isandlwana. More Victoria Crosses, a total of 11, were awarded
for the defense of Rorke's Drift than for any other battle in history.
The short-lived Zulu War of 1879 ended on July 4 at the last ritual
battle of Ulundi where the old Zulu order was smashed for ever and King
Cetshwayo sent into exile. But the war, with its defeats and victories on
both sides, immediately captured the world's imagination. The
highly-successful film Zulu (about Rorke's Drift) and its
lesser companion Zulu Dawn (about Isandlwana) introduced
another generation to this eventful history and fuelled a new wave of books
and research.
These are stirring places to visit because they are virtually unchanged.
One can sit half-way up on Isandlwana and, with a little imagination and
some knowledge, visualise the battle taking place before your eyes. The rich
history has spawned a tourist growth industry and the two battlefields, now
linked by a new road, have become a must-see for KwaZulu-Natal visitors.
Among these, in 1997, was the Prince of Wales, Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal
Regiment of Wales, who was guided around by internationally renowned
battlefields guide David Rattray.
I have heard Rattray give his passionate and spine-chilling accounts
many, many times (his whole account of the Zulu War is now available on
tape) and they are a celebration of the art of storytelling, punctuated as
they are by his fluent Zulu: 'Usuthu, Usuthu' shouted the warriors, in a war
cry associated with King Cetshwayo since his youth.
On January 22 the largest gathering in history will assemble on the
battlefield of Isandlwana to commemorate its 120th anniversary. It was, of
course, this battle that began the ill-fated war.
On that day, King Goodwill Zwelithini will unveil the first memorial to
the Zulu dead while Field Marshal Lord Vincent, Master Gunner of the Royal
Artillery, will unveil the first memorial to the gunners of N Battery, 5th
Brigade, Royal Artillery, which contains the names of 62 gunners who lost
their lives.
The Zulu monument, designed by Pietermaritzburg sculptor Gert Swart,
consists of a circular concrete platform symbolising the kraal of Zulu rural
communities. Four bronze headrests and a bronze necklace echo the Zulu badge
of honour, given by the King for acts of special valour.
It also suggests the horns of the bull (izimpondo zenkomo)
- the famous encircling tactics perfected by King Shaka and used with such
skill and precision at Isandlwana.
This is a joint project between Amafa aKwaZulu-Natali (the former
KwaZulu-Monuments Council) and the Zulu people. Much of the cost of R250 000
is being borne by the Amakhosi (chiefs) who have contributed cash or cattle
for sale.
And for the first time since that fateful day, descendants of those brave
men who fought on both sides will meet on Isandlwana battlefield. The Royal
Regiment of Wales, (RRW), part of which the 24th, fought in the battle, is
sending a company of 120 men, and the regimental band. They will begin by
marching from Rorke's Drift to Isandlwana on January 21, carrying the
Queen's Colour.
During the height of the battle of Isandlwana, this Colour was famously
carried on horseback from the battlefield by Lieutenant Teignmouth Melvill
down the Fugitives' Trail down which the soldiers fled as the Zulus were
overwhelming the camp. Melvill lost the Colour as he swam across the raging
Buffalo River, but it was later retrieved and now hangs in the regimental
chapel in Brecon Cathedral, Wales.
Melvill and his companion, Lieutenant Nevill Coghill were killed as they
reached the Natal border on the other side of the river. They received the
first posthumous Victoria Crosses in history and are buried where they fell
on David Rattray's property at Fugitives' Drift.
The RRW will be greeted on the battlefield by a local Nkosi contingent
dressed in traditional gear and that night the regiment will hold its annual
dinner at Fugitives' Drift Lodge. The dining room of Rattray's lodge is
decorated with war artifacts including shields and spears and those romantic
Victorian paintings that glorified the courage of British soldiers, like the
little drummer boy's last moments. With the back of the brooding mountain in
the distance, it is a unique setting in which to discuss brave men's deeds.
The regiment has been given special permission by Amafa to camp overnight
on the battlefield on the evocative spot where Lord Chelmsford, commander of
the forces, returned in horror on the night of January 22. He and his men
spent an uneasy night there, fearing another Zulu attack, and discovering
the next day they had been lying among the dead and disemboweled bodies of
their comrades.
January 22's commemorations will begin with a memorial service in St
Vincent's Church near the battlefield followed by speeches and ceremonies.
Inkatha Freedom Party leader Dr Mangosuthu Buthelezi and King Goodwill will
both address the crowd.
Among other events is a re-enactment of the battle by a Zulu regiment and
a British group called the Diehards which specialises in military restaging.
Symbolically, the RRW will retreat from the battlefield before the Zulus -
as happened 120 years ago.
The annual marathon from Isandlwana to Rorke's Drift will take place the
following day with successful runners being given a medal that resembles the
Victoria Cross. About 10 000 people are expected to attend the main event.
Said Barry Marshall, director of Amafa, the organisers: "We will all be
coming together at one locality to remember the dead on both sides."
Said David Rattray: He said: "This will be a marvelous day of
reconciliation. This piece of history can be used to build upon rather than
create divisions. Despite the damage done to the Zulu people by the war, one
would scratch one's head to find a more high-profile campaign. "The
enormous respect that exists between the British and the Zulu people had its
origins on these famous battlefields."
Further information: Amafa: 0358-702050/1/2
At about 11.15 am on Wednesday, January 22, 1879 the battle of Isandlwana
began. At 2.30 pm, during its dying moments, there was an eclipse of the
sun, and an hour or so later 1 357 black and white colonial troops lay dead
on the Zululand soil. Some 3 000 Zulus also lay dead and dying, but their
sheer numerical superiority (as many as 24 000) and courage in the face of
the British guns had won the day for them.
Marathon organisers: Biggersberg Athletics Club: 0341-81020
Tourist information: Tourism KwaZulu-Natal: (031) 304-7144