TOPIC:

David, thank you for posting a most interesting account of the Isandlwana disaster. I wonder if it has been analysed by specialist Zulu War historians? If so, has it been accepted as accurate by the experts? Records of this battle have been examined so often and in such detail one might expect that no controversies about it remained. However, I suspect that there are some issues that have still to be settled.

Brett

PS I have long hoped that the Zulu War medal awarded to another Isandlwana survivor, Trooper Charles Stretch of the Buffalo Border Guard, would find a home in my collection. He was the brother of my paternal great grandmother, Annie Sarah Stretch, the wife of Albert Elkington, who was the Gaoler at Msinga at the time of the battle. Their faces are to be seen in a locket that is now being worn by my wife.

The pair to Stafford started bidding at £16,000 and finished at £22,000.

This is an interesting account from Stafford, especially the statements relating to the Zulus attacking Natal and the two native women, British subjects. Most accounts accept that Cetshwayo was accepting of his British neighbours and the belligerence came from Frere and Chelmsford. The ultimatum has been for many years considered impossible to meet and the British even invaded before the expiry of the ultimatum. I am aware of no account by any historian which suggests Cetshwayo was 'itching to drive the white man into the Sea'.
Stafford's account shows the effectiveness of the propaganda from Frere and Chelmsford who were set on war with the Zulus. Even when Stafford wrote this in 1938 histories of the war e.g. Coupland, disagree with his opening paragraphs. Bishop Colenso had roundly condemned the war shortly after the cessation of hostilities and most of Natal realised the duplicity of Frere.
I am surprised that Stafford seems to be unaware that Frere was recalled to London in 1880 and officially censored for acting recklessly. Still we believe what we want to.

This list appeared in the City Coins catalogue of December 1977

SURVIVORS OF ISANDHLWANA - A LIST

IMPERIAL FORCES

Captain Allan Gardner, 14H
Captain Essax, 76th Foot
Lieut. Smith-Dorrien, RA
Liuet. Cochrane, RA
Lieut. Curling, RA

Private Bickley, 24th Foot
Private Williams, 24th Foot
Private Wilson, 24th Foot
Grant, Rocket detachment supplied by the 80th Foot
Private Johnson, Rocket detachment supplied by the 80th Foot
Private Trimmer, Rocket detachment supplied by the 80th Foot
Private Davis, 80th Mounted Infantry
Private McCann, 80th Mounted Infantry
Private Parry, 80th Mounted Infantry
Private Power, 80th Mounted Infantry
Private Samuel Wassal VC, 80th Mounted Infantry
Sergeant Edwards, N/5 RA
1142 S/Sgt J Stoer, N/5 RA
361 S/Sgt G Townsend, N/5 RA
3919 Gnr A Howard, N/5 RA. Servant to Major Harness
1687 Driver J Baggley, N/5 RA. Deserted 12 October 1879. Carried the news of the defeat at Isandhlwana to Rorke's Drift
Driver J Burchall, N/5 RA
Driver Price, N/5 RA

NATAL LOCAL FORCES

Buffalo Border Guard
Troopers Adams (2), Lennox, McPhail, Stretch

Natal Carbineers
Troopers Barker, Edwards, Fletcher, Grainger, Muirhead, W Sibthorpe, W Tarboton

Natal Mounted Police
Troopers Collier, Doig, Dorehill, Kincaid, Hayes, C H Sparks, Shannon, Stevens, Eaton

Natal Native Contingent
Captain W H Stafford, Lieuts Adendorff, Davis Erskine and Wallis

Newcastle Mounted Rifles
Troopers Berning, Brown, Burns, Moodie, Walsh, Parsons
Trumpeter Horne

The medal roll shows that no medal was issued to John Baggley

Desertion was not a rare event looking at this page of the roll.