76-400: The Battle of Intombe (also Intombi or Intombi River Drift ) was an action fought on 12 March 1879, between Zulu troops loyal to Mbilini waMswati and British soldiers and African civilian conductors, drivers and voorloopers (scouts) defending a convoy of wagons on the road from Derby to Lüneberg . The convoy straggled badly along the road due to the rains and bogged on both sides of
152-590: A rocket battery and other weapons for the 80th Regiment, was sent from Lydenburg to supply the garrison. From the Transvaal border the convoy was escorted by D Company (Captain Anderson accompanied by Lieutenant Daubeney) of the 80th Regiment, from Lüneberg, which rendezvoused on the road from Derby on 1 March. By 5 March, the convoy was still 5 mi (8 km) short of Meyer's Drift, 8 mi (13 km) from Lüneberg, having been hampered by rains which caused
228-477: A rocket battery and other weapons for the 80th Regiment, was sent from Lydenburg to supply the garrison. From the Transvaal border the convoy was escorted by D Company (Captain Anderson accompanied by Lieutenant Daubeney) of the 80th Regiment, from Lüneberg, which rendezvoused on the road from Derby on 1 March. By 5 March, the convoy was still 5 mi (8 km) short of Meyer's Drift, 8 mi (13 km) from Lüneberg, having been hampered by rains which caused
304-523: A day. Intombe demonstrated the vulnerability of the slow and awkward supply lines that the British army was dependent on and the price of complacency. If the Zulus continued to exploit this vulnerability, invading British columns could be halted or turned back. Eight months after the incident, Harward was brought from England, under arrest, charged with "misbehaviour before the enemy and shamefully abandoning
380-415: A day. Intombe demonstrated the vulnerability of the slow and awkward supply lines that the British army was dependent on and the price of complacency. If the Zulus continued to exploit this vulnerability, invading British columns could be halted or turned back. Eight months after the incident, Harward was brought from England, under arrest, charged with "misbehaviour before the enemy and shamefully abandoning
456-580: A land deal for the voortrekkers. In November, about 1,000 Voortrekker wagons began descending the Drakensberg mountains from the Orange Free State into what is now KwaZulu-Natal . Dingane asked that Retief and his party retrieve some cattle stolen from him by a local chief as part of the treaty for land for the Boers. This Retief and his men did, returning on 3 February 1838. The next day,
532-766: A major contributing source of income is derived from tourism – the area is known for its savanna covered hills. It is home to a WWF Black Rhinoceros reintroduction project known as "The Black Rhino Range Expansion Project" within the Zululand Rhino Reserve (ZRR) . The ZRR is a 20,000 hectare reserve consisting of 15 individually owned farms that have lowered their fences in order to further conservation. The Zulu royal family still fulfils many important ceremonial duties. 28°17′51″S 31°25′18″E / 28.29750°S 31.42167°E / -28.29750; 31.42167 Intombe River The Battle of Intombe (also Intombi or Intombi River Drift )
608-610: A murderous campaign against other Nguni tribes and clans, setting in motion what became known as Difaqane or Mfecane , a mass-migration of tribes fleeing the remnants of the Ndwandwe fleeing the Zulu. The Ngoni people fled as far north as Tanzania and Malawi. The death toll has never been satisfactorily determined, but the whole region became nearly depopulated. By 1822, Shaka had conquered an empire covering an area of around 80,000 square miles (210,000 km ), covering Pongola to
684-598: A new leader, Andries Pretorius , who led a successful defence of the Voortrekker position from the Zulu forces and Dingane at the Battle of Blood River on 16 December 1838, when 15,000 Zulu impis (warriors) attacked a group of 470 Voortrekker settlers led by Pretorius. Following his defeat, Dingane burned his royal household and fled north. Mpande , the half-brother who had been spared from Dingane's purges, defected with 17,000 followers, and, together with Pretorius and
760-570: A party of 35 commanded by Lieutenant Lindop. On the far side, Moriarty and the rest of the party went to recover the wagons but found that most had been emptied by the looters. It took until around noon on 11 March to get all of the wagons to the Derby side of the river, by when two wagons had been transported to the Lüneberg side. The Intombe had risen again and was flowing at 7 kn (8 mph; 13 km/h), far too fast to cross. Moriarty ordered
836-461: A party of 35 commanded by Lieutenant Lindop. On the far side, Moriarty and the rest of the party went to recover the wagons but found that most had been emptied by the looters. It took until around noon on 11 March to get all of the wagons to the Derby side of the river, by when two wagons had been transported to the Lüneberg side. The Intombe had risen again and was flowing at 7 kn (8 mph; 13 km/h), far too fast to cross. Moriarty ordered
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#1732773226567912-495: A party of the regiment under his command when attacked" and other lesser charges. Harward was acquitted, supposedly because he left to get reinforcements which, by their promptitude, prevented Booth's party from annihilation. Sir Garnet Wolseley was so appalled at the verdict that he added adverse comments to it, which were read to every regiment in the army. Harward resigned his commission in May 1880. In 1988, Donald Morris wrote that
988-445: A party of the regiment under his command when attacked" and other lesser charges. Harward was acquitted, supposedly because he left to get reinforcements which, by their promptitude, prevented Booth's party from annihilation. Sir Garnet Wolseley was so appalled at the verdict that he added adverse comments to it, which were read to every regiment in the army. Harward resigned his commission in May 1880. In 1988, Donald Morris wrote that
1064-624: A redirection of the war effort, and the British, though outnumbered, began winning small engagements and later larger setpiece encounters. The fighting culminated in the Siege of Ulundi , the Zulus' capital city, and the subsequent defeat of the Zulu Kingdom. Cetshwayo was captured a month after his defeat, and then exiled to Cape Town . The British passed rule of the Zulu kingdom onto 13 "kinglets", each with his own subkingdom. Conflict soon erupted between these subkingdoms, and in 1882, Cetshwayo
1140-692: A treaty was signed, wherein Dingane ceded all the land south of the Tugela River to the Mzimvubu River to the Voortrekkers. Celebrations followed. On 6 February, at the end of the celebrations, Retief's party were invited to a dance, and asked to leave their weapons behind. At the peak of the dance, Dingane leapt to his feet and yelled "Bambani abathakathi!" ( isiZulu for "Seize the wizards"). Retief and his men were overpowered, taken to
1216-611: A wave of Boer (also known as Voortrekkers) migration northwards from 1836 onwards in order to establish autonomous Boer states independent of British control. The Boers settlers began moving across the Orange River northwards. While travelling they first collided with the Ndebele kingdom, and then with Dingane's Zulu kingdom. In October 1837, the Voortrekker leader Piet Retief visited Dingane at his royal kraal to negotiate
1292-589: The Union of South Africa . Shaka was the illegitimate son of Senzangakhona , Chief of the Zulus. He was born c. 1787. He and his mother, Nandi , were exiled by Senzangakhona, and found refuge with the Mthethwa . Shaka fought as a warrior under Dingiswayo , leader of the Mthethwa Paramountcy . When Senzangakona died, Dingiswayo helped Shaka become king of the Zulu. After Dingiswayo 's death at
1368-657: The Zulu Empire, was a monarchy in Southern Africa . During the 1810s, Shaka established a standing army that consolidated rival clans and built a large following which ruled a wide expanse of Southern Africa that extended along the coast of the Indian Ocean from the Tugela River in the south to the Pongola River in the north. A bitter civil war in the mid-19th century erupted which culminated in
1444-623: The 1856 Battle of Ndondakusuka between the brothers Cetshwayo and Mbuyazi. In 1879, a British force invaded Zululand, beginning the Anglo-Zulu War . After an initial Zulu victory at the Battle of Isandlwana in January, the British regrouped and defeated the Zulus in July during the Battle of Ulundi , ending the war. The area was absorbed into the Colony of Natal and later became part of
1520-518: The British and the Boers, resulting in the British annexation of Natalia. Mpande shifted his allegiance to the British, and remained on good terms with them. In 1843, Mpande ordered a purge of perceived dissidents within his kingdom. This resulted in numerous deaths, and the fleeing of thousands of refugees into neighbouring areas (including the British-controlled Natal ). Many of these refugees fled with cattle. Mpande began raiding
1596-438: The British suffered a heavy defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana on 22 January 1879 where the Zulu army killed more than 1,000 British soldiers in a single day. The Zulu deployment at Isandhlwana showed the well-organized tactical system that had made the Zulu kingdom successful for many decades. This constituted the worst defeat the British army had ever suffered at the hands of a native African fighting force. The defeat prompted
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#17327732265671672-467: The Intombe river, which had risen and was in spate due to the rains. Most of the wagons were laagered (parked close together as an obstacle), somewhat haphazardly, close to the river on the Derby side (the north bank) with a small party and two wagons on the Lüneberg side (the south bank). The Zulu leader Mbilini waMswati and his followers could see how vulnerable the convoy was from the high ground of
1748-507: The Tafelberg. Mbilini assembled a large force of Zulu irregulars and attacked the laager on 12 March. Using the early morning mist for camouflage, the Zulu were able to rush the laager and overrun the British and their African auxiliaries. A few men managed to reach the river and dived in, hoping to be washed across to the south bank, where the small British party there engaged the Zulus on the north bank with rifle-fire. About twelve men from
1824-581: The Tugera Rivers. An offshoot of the Zulu, the amaNdebele, better known to history as the Matabele , created an even larger empire under their king Mzilikazi , including large parts of the highveld and modern-day Zimbabwe . [1] Shaka was succeeded by Dingane , his half-brother, who conspired with Mhlangana, another half-brother, and Mbopa, an induna , to murder him in 1828. Following this assassination, Dingane murdered Mhlangana, and took over
1900-569: The Union of South Africa was formed, Louis Botha became its first prime minister, and he arranged for his old ally Dinuzulu to return to South Africa and live in exile on a farm in the Transvaal, where he died in 1913. Dinuzulu's son Solomon kaDinuzulu was never recognised by South African authorities as the Zulu king, only as a local chief, but he was increasingly regarded as king by chiefs, by political intellectuals such as John Langalibalele Dube and by ordinary Zulu people. In 1923, Solomon founded
1976-563: The Voortrekkers, went to war with Dingane. Dingane was assassinated near the modern Swaziland border. Mpande then took over rulership of the Zulu nation. Following the campaign against Dingane, in 1839 the Voortrekkers, under Pretorius, formed the Boer republic of Natalia , south of the Tugela, and west of the British settlement of Port Natal (now Durban ). Mpande and Pretorius maintained peaceful relations. However, in 1842, war broke out between
2052-537: The Zulu victory at Isandlwana . In the hot weather, conditions in the laager were poor and diseases spread. The Zulus posed a serious threat to the area which was attacked on the night of 10/11 February. Fearing a repeat of the attack, the British dispatched four companies of the 80th Regiment of Foot (Major Charles Tucker ) to garrison the village. In late February 1879, a convoy of eighteen wagons carrying 90,000 rounds of .577/450 Martini–Henry ammunition, mealies (coarse maize flour), tinned food, biscuits,
2128-534: The Zulu victory at Isandlwana . In the hot weather, conditions in the laager were poor and diseases spread. The Zulus posed a serious threat to the area which was attacked on the night of 10/11 February. Fearing a repeat of the attack, the British dispatched four companies of the 80th Regiment of Foot (Major Charles Tucker ) to garrison the village. In late February 1879, a convoy of eighteen wagons carrying 90,000 rounds of .577/450 Martini–Henry ammunition, mealies (coarse maize flour), tinned food, biscuits,
2204-494: The Zulus broke off their pursuit. Booth was later awarded the Victoria Cross . The wagons at the laager were looted and all the ammunition and supplies were carried off by the Zulus or destroyed. Harward arrived at Lüneberg and told Tucker of what had happened; Tucker ordered all his mounted troops to accompany him to the camp and 150 infantry to follow. Tucker and his mounted force spotted 'dense masses' of Zulus leaving
2280-429: The Zulus broke off their pursuit. Booth was later awarded the Victoria Cross . The wagons at the laager were looted and all the ammunition and supplies were carried off by the Zulus or destroyed. Harward arrived at Lüneberg and told Tucker of what had happened; Tucker ordered all his mounted troops to accompany him to the camp and 150 infantry to follow. Tucker and his mounted force spotted 'dense masses' of Zulus leaving
2356-569: The bodies of Captain Moriarty, Surgeon Cobbins, three conductors, fifteen African voorloopers and sixty troops were found in the encampment. In 1995, John Lock wrote that there were only around fifty survivors out of the 150 men; for weeks afterwards, as the river rose and fell with the rains, corpses were found in the water and along the banks. Rifles, the 90,000 rounds of Martini-Henry ammunition and 225 lb (102 kg) of gunpowder were also lost. In 1998, Morris wrote of eighty men killed, 62 of
Battle of Intombe - Misplaced Pages Continue
2432-511: The bodies of Captain Moriarty, Surgeon Cobbins, three conductors, fifteen African voorloopers and sixty troops were found in the encampment. In 1995, John Lock wrote that there were only around fifty survivors out of the 150 men; for weeks afterwards, as the river rose and fell with the rains, corpses were found in the water and along the banks. Rifles, the 90,000 rounds of Martini-Henry ammunition and 225 lb (102 kg) of gunpowder were also lost. In 1998, Morris wrote of eighty men killed, 62 of
2508-428: The carnage at the laager examined, the last of the Zulu being seen making their escape with about 250 cattle and much of the supplies from the wagons. The village of Lüneberg ( 27°19′1″S 30°36′57″E / 27.31694°S 30.61583°E / -27.31694; 30.61583 ) was in the disputed territories to the north of Zululand and had been laagered by its 120 white settlers, after news arrived of
2584-428: The carnage at the laager examined, the last of the Zulu being seen making their escape with about 250 cattle and much of the supplies from the wagons. The village of Lüneberg ( 27°19′1″S 30°36′57″E / 27.31694°S 30.61583°E / -27.31694; 30.61583 ) was in the disputed territories to the north of Zululand and had been laagered by its 120 white settlers, after news arrived of
2660-567: The cattle, almost instantly. So quickly did they come, there was really no defence on the part of our men; it was simply each man fighting for his life, and in a few minutes all was over, our men being simply slaughtered. Moriarty charged out of his tent with his revolver at the ready and killed three Zulus before being shot from the front and stabbed with an assegai from behind and was said to have shouted "Fire away boys, death or glory! I'm done" as he fell. Few of his comrades managed to put up any resistance and many were cut down. Survivors fled into
2736-566: The cattle, almost instantly. So quickly did they come, there was really no defence on the part of our men; it was simply each man fighting for his life, and in a few minutes all was over, our men being simply slaughtered. Moriarty charged out of his tent with his revolver at the ready and killed three Zulus before being shot from the front and stabbed with an assegai from behind and was said to have shouted "Fire away boys, death or glory! I'm done" as he fell. Few of his comrades managed to put up any resistance and many were cut down. Survivors fled into
2812-470: The convoy. The escort had got six wagons to the far bank of the Intombe , 4 mi (6 km) from Lüneberg. Six other wagons were 3 mi (5 km) further back. By the time the Moriarty party reached Meyer's Drift the river had risen; a camp was established on the Lüneberg side and the men began to lash a raft of planks and barrels together with rope. A few men at a time were ferried across, except for
2888-415: The convoy. The escort had got six wagons to the far bank of the Intombe , 4 mi (6 km) from Lüneberg. Six other wagons were 3 mi (5 km) further back. By the time the Moriarty party reached Meyer's Drift the river had risen; a camp was established on the Lüneberg side and the men began to lash a raft of planks and barrels together with rope. A few men at a time were ferried across, except for
2964-673: The dead being British soldiers along with three conductors and 15 African voorloopers. In 2009, John Laband wrote that one officer and sixty men, a civilian surgeon, two wagon conductors and fifteen African drivers were killed; thirty Zulu dead were found on the banks of the Ntombe. In 2012, Adrian Greaves wrote that the British and their local allies had suffered casualties of an officer, a doctor, 64 other ranks and fifteen Africans killed and twenty missing, presumed drowned. Zulu Kingdom The Zulu Kingdom ( / ˈ z uː l uː / ZOO -loo ; Zulu : KwaZulu ), sometimes referred to as
3040-527: The first horse he spotted and fled, abandoning his men. These survivors were left under the command of Sergeant Anthony Booth . For 3 mi (5 km), the Zulus pursued the group of around forty survivors. Whenever they drew closer, several of the bolder troops along with Booth, stopped to deliver a volley, which dispersed their pursuers. Four men who split from the group to take a short cut to Lüneberg were overtaken and killed. The others made it to Raby's Farm, around 2 mi (3 km) from Lüneberg, where
3116-526: The first horse he spotted and fled, abandoning his men. These survivors were left under the command of Sergeant Anthony Booth . For 3 mi (5 km), the Zulus pursued the group of around forty survivors. Whenever they drew closer, several of the bolder troops along with Booth, stopped to deliver a volley, which dispersed their pursuers. Four men who split from the group to take a short cut to Lüneberg were overtaken and killed. The others made it to Raby's Farm, around 2 mi (3 km) from Lüneberg, where
Battle of Intombe - Misplaced Pages Continue
3192-446: The force on the south bank. The officer commanding the party on the south bank mounted a horse and deserted his men, command devolving on sergeant Anthony Booth who formed square and retreated southwards, holding off Zulus who crossed the river to pursue them. When the officer reached safety he alerted the garrison which set out on every horse that they could find, with 150 infantry following on foot. Booth and his party were rescued and
3268-460: The hands of Zwide , king of the Ndwandwe , around 1816, Shaka assumed leadership of the entire Mthethwa alliance. Shaka's clan at first numbered no more than a few thousands, but eventually grew in size to 45,000 after absorbing neighboring clans. His military reforms included new battle techniques, training, and tough discipline, as well as the replacement of long-throwing spears in exchange for
3344-522: The independent Republic of Vryheid. This alarmed the British who wanted to prevent the Boers access to a harbour. The British then annexed Zululand in 1887. Dinuzulu became involved in later conflicts with rivals. In 1906 Dinuzulu was accused of being behind the Bambatha Rebellion . He was arrested and put on trial by the British for "high treason and public violence". In 1909, he was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment on St Helena island. When
3420-400: The intent of instigating a war with the Zulu, Sir Henry Bartle Frere , on his own initiative and without the approval of the British government, presented an ultimatum to the Zulu king Cetshwayo in terms with which he could not possibly comply: that the Zulu army be disbanded and the Zulus accept a British resident. British forces crossed the Tugela river at the end of December 1878. Initially,
3496-418: The laager on 12 March. Using the early morning mist for camouflage, the Zulu were able to rush the laager and overrun the British and their African auxiliaries. A few men managed to reach the river and dived in, hoping to be washed across to the south bank, where the small British party there engaged the Zulus on the north bank with rifle-fire. About twelve men from the north bank got across the river and joined
3572-441: The mist, a huge mass of Zulus advancing silently on the camp. "He at once fired his rifle and gave the alarm", Tucker recorded. "The sentries on the other side did the same. Of course the men were up in a moment, some men sleeping under the wagons and some in the tents; but before the men were in their positions the Zulus had fired a volley, thrown down their guns ... and were around the wagons and on top of them, and even inside with
3648-441: The mist, a huge mass of Zulus advancing silently on the camp. "He at once fired his rifle and gave the alarm", Tucker recorded. "The sentries on the other side did the same. Of course the men were up in a moment, some men sleeping under the wagons and some in the tents; but before the men were in their positions the Zulus had fired a volley, thrown down their guns ... and were around the wagons and on top of them, and even inside with
3724-425: The more effective short-stabbing spears. Conscripted men were segregated from the rest of Zulu society to be trained as an organized standing army called the amabutho . The alliance under his leadership survived Zwide's first assault at the Battle of Gqokli Hill (1818). Within two years, Shaka had defeated Zwide at the Battle of Mhlatuze River (1820) and broken up the Ndwandwe alliance, some of whom in turn began
3800-424: The nearby hill kwaMatiwane, and executed. Some allege that they were killed for withholding some of the cattle they recovered, but it is likely that the deal was a plot to overpower the Voortrekkers. Dingane's army then attacked and massacred a group of 250 Voortrekker men, women and children camped nearby. The site of this massacre is today called Weenen , ( Dutch for "to weep"). The remaining Voortrekkers elected
3876-528: The new province of KwaZulu-Natal . The name KwaZulu translates roughly as Place of Zulus , or more formally Zululand . The Zulu Kingdom is currently part of South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal (of which the King of the Zulu Nation is the monarch), one of the country's nine provinces, under the leadership of King MisuZulu ka Zwelithini . A large portion of the territory is made up of wildlife reserves and
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#17327732265673952-401: The night of 11 March 1879, two sentries were stationed 20 yd (18 m) from the laager but a 50 yd (46 m) rise in front of them limited their line of sight. At 3:30 a.m. on 12 March, a shot was heard close to the camp. The men returned to their beds after Moriarty decided that it was of no consequence. An hour and a half later, a sentry on the far bank saw, through a clearing in
4028-401: The night of 11 March 1879, two sentries were stationed 20 yd (18 m) from the laager but a 50 yd (46 m) rise in front of them limited their line of sight. At 3:30 a.m. on 12 March, a shot was heard close to the camp. The men returned to their beds after Moriarty decided that it was of no consequence. An hour and a half later, a sentry on the far bank saw, through a clearing in
4104-493: The north bank got across the river and joined the force on the south bank. The officer commanding the party on the south bank mounted a horse and deserted his men, command devolving on sergeant Anthony Booth who formed square and retreated southwards, holding off Zulus who crossed the river to pursue them. When the officer reached safety he alerted the garrison which set out on every horse that they could find, with 150 infantry following on foot. Booth and his party were rescued and
4180-624: The organisation Inkatha YaKwaZulu to promote his royal claims, which became moribund and then was revived in the 1970s by Mangosuthu Buthelezi , chief minister of the KwaZulu bantustan. In December 1951, Solomon's son Cyprian Bhekuzulu kaSolomon was officially recognised as the Paramount Chief of the Zulu people, but real power over ordinary Zulu people lay with South African government officials working through local chiefs who could be removed from office for failure to cooperate. KwaZulu
4256-444: The river, still in spate, flowing at 7 kn (8 mph; 13 km/h), hoping to be washed to the far bank. The troops on the far bank provided as much covering fire as possible. Upon what survivors they could see reaching the Lüneberg side of the river, Lieutenant Henry Hollingworth Harward, Moriarty's second-in-command, gave the order to withdraw as several hundred Zulus were crossing the river. No sooner had he done this, he grabbed
4332-444: The river, still in spate, flowing at 7 kn (8 mph; 13 km/h), hoping to be washed to the far bank. The troops on the far bank provided as much covering fire as possible. Upon what survivors they could see reaching the Lüneberg side of the river, Lieutenant Henry Hollingworth Harward, Moriarty's second-in-command, gave the order to withdraw as several hundred Zulus were crossing the river. No sooner had he done this, he grabbed
4408-431: The river, thirty men being laagered on the other bank. Mbilini waMswati, the local Zulu leader, gathered about 800 men on a height known as Tafelberg 3 mi (5 km) north-east of the ford (Myer's Drift) to attack the laager. Mbilini reconnoitred the laager late on 11 March and saw how vulnerable it was. Exploiting a mist to approach the laager unseen, Mbilini led his Zulus forward to the attack early on 12 March. On
4484-429: The river, thirty men being laagered on the other bank. Mbilini waMswati, the local Zulu leader, gathered about 800 men on a height known as Tafelberg 3 mi (5 km) north-east of the ford (Myer's Drift) to attack the laager. Mbilini reconnoitred the laager late on 11 March and saw how vulnerable it was. Exploiting a mist to approach the laager unseen, Mbilini led his Zulus forward to the attack early on 12 March. On
4560-406: The rivers to swell and the ground to soften. The wagons being shoved most of the way and fearing a Zulu attack, Tucker sent an order to Anderson to reach Lüneberg that night 'at any cost'. The company commander took this literally, abandoned the wagons and returned to Lüneberg. The Swazi pretender Mbilini waMswati and his Zulu irregulars were watching the convoy and as soon as the escort departed,
4636-405: The rivers to swell and the ground to soften. The wagons being shoved most of the way and fearing a Zulu attack, Tucker sent an order to Anderson to reach Lüneberg that night 'at any cost'. The company commander took this literally, abandoned the wagons and returned to Lüneberg. The Swazi pretender Mbilini waMswati and his Zulu irregulars were watching the convoy and as soon as the escort departed,
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#17327732265674712-591: The scene of the battle as they approached. At the camp, they discovered one soldier who had made a miraculous escape by being carried down the river and then making his way back to the camp. He and two African wagon drivers were the only survivors. Comparisons can be made between Intombe and Rorke's Drift. At Intombe a force of 500 to 800 Zulu had quickly overrun and defeated over 100 British regular infantry in laager. At Rorke's Drift, over 100 British regular infantry were able to stand off 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu from behind hastily constructed but sturdy fortifications for nearly
4788-590: The scene of the battle as they approached. At the camp, they discovered one soldier who had made a miraculous escape by being carried down the river and then making his way back to the camp. He and two African wagon drivers were the only survivors. Comparisons can be made between Intombe and Rorke's Drift. At Intombe a force of 500 to 800 Zulu had quickly overrun and defeated over 100 British regular infantry in laager. At Rorke's Drift, over 100 British regular infantry were able to stand off 3,000 to 4,000 Zulu from behind hastily constructed but sturdy fortifications for nearly
4864-496: The surrounding areas, culminating in the invasion of Swaziland in 1852. However, the British pressured him into withdrawing, which he did shortly. At this time, a battle for the succession broke out between two of Mpande's sons, Cetshwayo and Mbuyazi. This culminated in 1856 with the Battle of Ndondakusuka , which left Mbuyazi dead. Cetshwayo then set about usurping his father's authority. When Mpande died of old age in 1872, Cetshwayo took over as ruler. On 11 December 1878, with
4940-544: The throne. The academic Roberto Breschi notes that Zululand had a flag from 1884 to 1897 but this is pure conjecture as A.P. Burgers notes in his book. It consisted of three horizontal bands in equal width of gold, green and red. Dinuzulu made a pact with the Boers of his own, promising them land in return for their aid. The Boers were led by Louis Botha . Dinuzulu and the Boers defeated Zibhebhu in 1884. They were granted about half of Zululand individually as farms, and formed
5016-538: The throne. One of his first royal acts was to execute all of his royal kin. In the years that followed, he also executed many past supporters of Shaka in order to secure his position. One exception to these purges was Mpande , another half-brother, who was considered too weak to be a threat at the time. In the Cape Colony , increasing tensions between some Dutch Settlers and the British colonial authorities led to
5092-429: The wagons to be laagered for the night. The Moriarty party, out for five nights, soaked through and unable to cook food did not laager the wagons as tightly as possible, leaving gaps between them, in a "V" with the ends at the river. By the afternoon, the river had subsided, leaving the laager wide open at both end of the "V". On 11 March, Tucker inspected the laager at the river and found it to be poorly constructed. He
5168-427: The wagons to be laagered for the night. The Moriarty party, out for five nights, soaked through and unable to cook food did not laager the wagons as tightly as possible, leaving gaps between them, in a "V" with the ends at the river. By the afternoon, the river had subsided, leaving the laager wide open at both end of the "V". On 11 March, Tucker inspected the laager at the river and found it to be poorly constructed. He
5244-413: The wagons were laagered (parked close together as an obstacle), somewhat haphazardly, close to the river on the Derby side (the north bank) with a small party and two wagons on the Lüneberg side (the south bank). The Zulu leader Mbilini waMswati and his followers could see how vulnerable the convoy was from the high ground of the Tafelberg. Mbilini assembled a large force of Zulu irregulars and attacked
5320-478: The wagons were attacked by looters, the drivers and voorloopers (scouts) running for Derby. Soon afterwards, an advanced party despatched by Hamu arrived and drove off the looters in turn, who came back as soon as Hamu's men departed; the raiding party lifted stores and forty oxen. When Anderson reached Lüneberg without the supplies, Tucker was aghast and sent Captain David Moriarty and 106 men to bring in
5396-414: The wagons were attacked by looters, the drivers and voorloopers (scouts) running for Derby. Soon afterwards, an advanced party despatched by Hamu arrived and drove off the looters in turn, who came back as soon as Hamu's men departed; the raiding party lifted stores and forty oxen. When Anderson reached Lüneberg without the supplies, Tucker was aghast and sent Captain David Moriarty and 106 men to bring in
5472-594: Was a bantustan in South Africa , intended by the apartheid government as a semi-independent homeland for the Zulu people. The capital was moved from Nongoma to Ulundi in 1980. It was led until its abolition in 1994 by Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi of the Zulu royal family and head of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). It was merged with the surrounding South African province of Natal to form
5548-566: Was allowed to visit England. He had audiences with Queen Victoria and other famous personages before being allowed to return to Zululand to be reinstated as king. In 1883, Cetshwayo was put in place as king over a buffer reserve territory, much reduced from his original kingdom. Later that year, however, Cetshwayo was attacked at Ulundi by Zibhebhu , one of the 13 kinglets. Cetshwayo was wounded and fled. Cetshwayo died in February 1884, possibly poisoned. His son, Dinuzulu , then 15, inherited
5624-412: Was an action fought on 12 March 1879, between Zulu troops loyal to Mbilini waMswati and British soldiers and African civilian conductors, drivers and voorloopers (scouts) defending a convoy of wagons on the road from Derby to Lüneberg . The convoy straggled badly along the road due to the rains and bogged on both sides of the Intombe river, which had risen and was in spate due to the rains. Most of
5700-420: Was not impressed with the inverted 'V' shape in which the wagons were arranged, with the base at the river. The amount of water in the river had diminished and there was a gap of several yards between river and base. There were other flaws in the arrangement; Tucker considered that it afforded 'no protection whatever in the event of the Zulus attacking in numbers'. The garrison was weakened by being on both sides of
5776-420: Was not impressed with the inverted 'V' shape in which the wagons were arranged, with the base at the river. The amount of water in the river had diminished and there was a gap of several yards between river and base. There were other flaws in the arrangement; Tucker considered that it afforded 'no protection whatever in the event of the Zulus attacking in numbers'. The garrison was weakened by being on both sides of
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