rorkesdriftvc.com :: View topic - McDowel's "cairn" and the booklet on Rorke's Drift

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 6:17 am

I have only recently joined the battlefield guide industry in Kwazulu-Natal, but I have been involved in military history for most of my life. I was very glad to discover this discussion forum, especially the part that was left for reference purposes where the engineer controversy and the cairn to the left of the Mnzinyama crossing was discussed. I could never find any reference to a lieutenant McDowel RE working on the road to the west of Isandlwana. There are plenty of evidence of Anstey and his fatigue party, however. Did anyone read George Chadwick�s work in which he mentions that in 1958 a graves� curator inadvertently flattened some of the cairns, and that Chadwick was requested to restore them? He also took the opportunity to search for neglected cairns, and found some forty of them. This cairn is not on the FT, and as it could not be McDowel, whose is it?

I have read the comments on Rattray and Greaves� sources, and I am inclined to agree. I have had the opportunity to hear some of the fiction dished out by tour guides to unsuspecting tourists to our battlefields, and quite frankly, it is unacceptable. The veracity of the story that the defence of Rorke's Drift was nothing but a cattle raid by some 300 to 400 Zulus is but one case in point. This little booklet is called �What really happened at Rorke's Drift� and is for sale at the orientation centre at Rorke's Drift. I would like to hear what you think about this work.

Johnny Hamman

(Johnny, I've taken upon myself to correct all your spellings of Rorke's Drift.) Alan, website author.

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:46 pm

I have just read the old part of the discussion forum again where Julian explained the cairn in the Manzimyama crossing and the Macdowel tale, and it ties in rather nicely with the record of George Chadwick explaining about the cairns washing away and being restacked, or remains gathered and reburied in the late 1950�s, or possibly even before that.

However, Philip Gon (The Road to Isandlwana, 1979) has Anstey on the road behind � west � of Isandlwana, retreating down the Rorke�s Drift road and coming to grief a few hundred yards to the river bank, whereas Ian Knight (The Zulu War � Then and Now) has them about two miles down the Manzimyama valley on the Fugitives� Trail, which sound more plausible. This cairn is too close to the camp and too far to the north to be connected with Anstey, if the story of his two mile fighting withdrawal is true. Could it be part of other F Coy men or even some of Shepstone�s mounted men? Wouldn�t Anstey have kept the men of F with him during the retreat?

Greaves has him as a captain. I do not think this is correct. I am only asking, as Greaves made some glaring errors in his book, Isandlwana. (Like putting Younghusband in E Coy.) Robert Edgerton, (Like Lions they fought, 1988)as well as Ian Beckett (Isandlwana 1879, 2003 Brassey�s) also has Anstey in this position, two miles down the valley. I could not find any mention of him in Rattray�s book, but I was not looking closely anymore.

Johnny Hamman

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:56 pm

I hope this link works.

http://www.isandlwana1879.co.uk/isandlwana_battlefield.htm

Scroll down for a photo.

Jamie

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 6:08 pm

It worked Jamie,

I have seen the site before, and it is wrong. There is no evidence of an engineer party working on the road just before the battle. There was no engineers at Isandlwana as far as I know.

Johnny

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:50 am

Johnny,

Apart from the four men dropped off by Chard on the morning of the battle.

Regards

Mike

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:50 am

Johnny

There were four Royal engineers at Isandlwana - Corporal Gamble and Sappers Cuthbert, MacLaren and Wheatley, all forming part of the advance party of 5th field company. They were all killed during the battle.
I cannot find out where they may have been based during the morning of the 22nd though.

Regards Graham

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:41 pm

Graham,

That's easy they were at Rorke's Drift with John Chard on the morning of the 22nd. They were being transported to Isandlwana, when John Chard was on his return leg having clarified the position as to his own responsibilities. He ordered them off of the wagon and returned with it to the Mission Station.

The four R.E.'s fell-in with Durnford's part column and made their way to Isandlwana and their fate.

There was another R.E. other-rank killed at Isandlwana - 2nd Corp. Mansfield, who may well have been Durnford's batman.

Regards,

John Y.

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:23 pm

Thanks John

I knew that I should have asked you in the first place !!

Did they draw the short straw or not ?

Graham

Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:30 pm

Thanks for those names, guys. Appreciate it. I should have made myself clearer in that last paragraph. I did not know of any engineer other ranks except Chard and MacDowel, Graham.

What I should have said was that that I do not think there was an engineer party working on the Manzimyama crossing on the morning of the battle, and definitely not under MacDowel's command. There was some reference on the old forum about MacDowel being found by Black's burial party, among the tents. is this correct?

Johnny

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:45 pm

Mansfield was indeed Durnford's batman.

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:45 pm

Hang on a mo there, I am trying to get a handle on this issue. We know that there were no engineers working on the track on the western side of Isandlwana. We also know that Chard rode up to deliver some of his engineers to the camp at Isandlwana. He had five men following him, with their equipment and a wagon. Ian Beckett, on page 51 in his book Isandlwana 1879 (Battles in Focus series) mentioned that he left four of his men to continue onwards, and returned with the wagon to Rorke�s Drift with his batman, driver Edward Robson. He also mentioned this man in his report. (See p. 66, The Zulu war, Then and Now, by Ian Knight and Ian Castle) Who is Mansfield now?

Johnny Hamman

Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2006 7:20 pm

Johnny.

As Julian points out he is Durnford's batman, part of No. 2 Column, from 7th(Field) Company R.E.

The other R.E. other-ranks were from 5th(Field) Company, and were part of No. 3 Column.

John Y.

Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 6:40 pm

Then where does Robson fit in, and why does Chard refer to him as his batman?

Johnny Hamman

Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:10 pm

Johnny,

Driver Charles John Robson, of 5th (Field) Co. R.E., was Chard's soldier servant - his batman.

Does that fit in?

John Y.

Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:59 pm

Well, it certainly does now, John Young.

I have been reading Chard where I should have read Durnford. I have been checking the old postings and realised a minute ago that I am making a fool of myself. Mansfield is Durnford's batman, and Robson is Chard's. That does sound better. I was under the impression that you were referring to Mansfield as Chard's batman.

Johnny Hamman
Dundee
KZN
South Africa