(Cont.)
Durnford sent two troops of his Native Horse off on to the Nquthu plateau, under the command of Captain William Barton. Whilst he himself went out with two troops of the Native Horse along the track the General’s half column had taken. Following in the wake of the horsemen came Major Francis Russell and a rocket battery - which including a Bombardier of N/5 - supported by 'D' Company, 1st/1st Natal Native Contingent .
A patrol of Native Horse, chanced upon the concealed Zulu impi of some 25,000 warriors in Ngwebeni valley, thereby pre-empting an attack which Ntshingwayo, the Zulu field commander, had planned for the following day. The young warriors of the umCijo regiment, rose up and charged. The izinDuna tried to stem the tide but only succeeded in keeping the uNdi corps in reserve. Battle had commenced.
The Zulu formed into their traditional battle formation of the impondo zankomo – the horns of the beast. The impi poured off of the plateau.
Initially the British firing-line, supported by the two guns of N/5 held, and the Zulu forces began to take a large number of casualties. As they sheltered from the leaden storm, Mkhosana, an inkhosi of the Biyela clan stood up in contempt of the gunfire. He yelled to those around him an order that has become a rallying cry to this day when people talk of the Zulu heroes of this battle. He shouted “The Little Branch of Leaves That Extinguished the Fire – one of King Cetshwayo’s praise names – gave no such order to hide from these British! - To arms!” At which a British bullet drilled into his skull.
Thousands of Zulu heard this rallying cry and took fresh heart. They leaped to their feet and charged. A hole was punched into the British defensive line and the fleet-of-foot warriors soon amongst the British and the colonial allies.
The British forces were forced to retreat on the camp, the firing line fractured into small isolated groups and pockets of resistance, one survivor stated they were like red-coated islands in a sea of black. At the height of the battle a solar eclipse occurred adding to the horror.
It was over within about an hour, about 1,400 men on the British side were killed. About eighty-five Europeans survived the battle. Of the two officers and seventy men of N/5 who were in the camp, only one officer and nine men survived the action, their guns - the Colours of the Royal Artillery, so to speak - were lost to the Zulu, they were taken as trophies of war they were paraded before King Cetshwayo.
I was present on 22nd January 1999 when a memorial to the fallen of N Battery, 5th Brigade, Royal Artillery was unveiled on the battlefield of Isandlwana.
Sorry if this is a long-winded reply, but hopefully it goes some way to answer your question as to where your Great-Grandfather was.
Regards,
Isandlwana