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Last Man Standing
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If the soldier who was positioned in the small cave at Isandlwana had managed to remain hidden until Chelmsford's force arrived back at the camp, when he would leave his hiding place to rejoin the column, what would become of him ?

Meaning, as he was alone in camp, basically still at his post, would he have been awarded a VC ?

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PS. Is there a marker of some sort at this cave to acknowledge where the last man made his stand ?

I imagine this subject has been covered in detail previously, but I'm trying to get away from always mentioning Durnford. (I've done it again !)
Dawn


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 610
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
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I don't know that anyone would have got a VC for just being at their post. If it was the case, then the whole British army should have one. Also, would the cave have been his 'post'? More like his bolt hole.

However, I'm interested in the exact location of the cave i.e., which side of Isandlwana it was on and whether it was a proper cave, or just maybe an indentation in the side of the hill. So maybe there's someone out there who can tell us.

Dawn
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Alan
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Joined: 30 Aug 2005
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Dawn,
there's a picture of it in the YOUR TRAVEL STORIES, 2002 Tour.
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Dawn


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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Thanks, Alan, had a look. Which side of Isandlwana is it on? I've always thought it to be on the side that overlooks the road. And how high up is it? I never visited it when I was there as I didn't know where it was and we didn't have enough time.

Dawn
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Dawn

I guess the point I am trying to make is knowing the Victorian public's reaction to the disaster, horrified that so many men were killed, is there a chance the military would have awarded a VC to the last man, more for what he represents, rather than for what he done.

I've got a feeling the public would look upon the fact that as long as one solitary British soldier remained alive near to the camp area, for all the devastation and deaths, they would believe that for all the Zulus won the battle, they never totally owned the camp.

For this (I think) he would represent a lot more than just one man, but an idea.

It is a romanticised view of such a situation I know, but in Victorian times, courageous events, military in particular, definitely caught their attention.

Also, any account of the final stages of the battle that this individual witnessed, after all the other survivors had escaped down the Fugitives' Trail, may have assisted in understanding what happened more, especially a more detailed version of Captain Younghusband and his company's last actions and possibly anything that might have been said (orders, etc.) while they fought from the shelf overlooking the camp.

Additionally, the cave overlooks the battlefield, just above the shelf where Younghusband and his men fought (that is why it is thought the last man was a soldier in this company) near to the southeast.

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Dawn


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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You're quite right about the Victorian sentiment but I'm still not sure that he would have got a VC. He would, as you say, have been able to tell what went on in the last moments of the battle and he would probably have been witness to many acts of bravery. He may even have performed some heroic acts himself, but we will never know.

There is a sense of poignancy when you think about him in the cave, watching the last of the fugitives leaving and knowing that he is probably about to die. I'm sure that those who have visited the cave have felt that too.

I've read somewhere that this man was found with a rope around his neck. It was during one of the burials, I believe. I don't think I've come across an explanation for this. One wonders if he tried to hang himself after all his ammunition ran out rather than be cut open like those beneath him. Macabre thoughts indeed. Confused

Dawn
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Julian whybra


Joined: 03 Sep 2005
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I think you're barking up the wrong tree with your notions of Victorian morality and the award of VCs, otherwise we'd have been swamped with VCs awarded to Gordon for Khartoum, Thompson at Cawnpore, (the Albert Medal to Oates perhaps at the Pole), and so on. Of course there were survivors from Isandhlwana who remained on the field. There were those four natives that feigned death, hid, and only stood up when Chelmsford's force approached, and were met with shots! There was the native who remained on the field all night and crept away the next day (presumably after Chelmsford's force had been and gone!). I do wonder that there experiences were not more properly noted and translated, limited though they may have been.
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Julian

I was interested to pursue this question, after the sort of 'messy' events after the disaster and how people were responding.

Yes. I know there is more to do with awarding a VC than just handing them out, but I was sort of comparing with the other VCs awarded after this particular battle.

3 being at or just beyond the Buffalo river, a distance away from the camp and it just struck me that if a soldier (private ?) managed to stay alive so close to the camp, would he have been rewarded in some way.

I don't know if there was such a thing as a 'media frenzy' etc., in Victorian times, that if the story of such an individual did reach the general public, they would want to know more, who he is, what he done, what he saw, etc.

I can't help but feel that if this individual had survived, his name would certainly be well-known by now in the AZW community (and in history) as the 'Last Man Standing at Isandlwana'. The painting of the soldier at this cave, although unknown, does demonstrate the real story did catch people's attention.

Regarding the natives who survived on the battlefield, do you think even then that their 'word' wouldn't be believed, or that any accounts they gave no longer exist, or are lost ?

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a.j


Joined: 30 Aug 2005
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I don't think he would have been awarded the Victoria Cross because he would have been protecting himself, but I think the he would have become a celebrity for a while in Britain.
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diagralex


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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It was a difficult thing to decide what criteria was behind an award of the Victoria Cross. Piper George Findlater continued to play his bagpipes at the battle of Dargai in 1897 after being shot through both ankles. It could be argued that he was only doing his duty, but his bravery was rewarded by the award of a V.C.
It is interesting to note that after his retirement from the army,he did indeed become a popular personality in the music halls, by playing his pipes, just like he had at Dargai.
Graham
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Yes. It may have been an event that didn't merit a VC, but I think he would achieve some sort of recognition.

I can only assume if he was a soldier in Younghusband's company, that he couldn't follow them down the slope when they charged because he was wounded, preventing him doing so.

If he had survived, knowing from the real event that he must have had some ammunition, maybe it would have been thought he would keep firing until it was expended, but then again, he would have witnessed some of the camp's defenders making for the nek and down the Fugitives' Trail, therefore, as he couldn't try and escape with these men, he could try and survive by staying where he was and hope not to be discovered.

Any ammunition that he had would be kept for defence (as in the real event) in case he was noticed, as he wouldn't have known how long he would have to stay there or what had become of Chelmsford's force.

I'd say he would have faced an incredible dilemma, open fire and inevitably be killed, stay low and hope Chelmsford recaptured the camp, or somehow get to safety on his own, even with being injured.

I guess we would have to be in the situation ourselves to understand what he was/would have been thinking as he remained in camp alone, with thousands of Zulus looting and cutting open his friends and fellow soldiers, not knowing if he would be discovered, be rescued or die from his injuries or thirst if unable to obtain any water.

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Julian whybra


Joined: 03 Sep 2005
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The Zulu accounts say that your 'last man standing' was one of those who ran back up the slope after Younghusband's charge down and that he then climbed the face of the mountain and hid in the cave.
I agree that it would be nice to know who it was but I really don't think he would have been awarded with a VC.
As for the natives, the ones I mentioned were certainly believed (4 of them were actually on the battlefield!); but I don't believe their stories were recorded (though they were almost certainly interviewed).
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Julian

I hadn't been aware of any accounts which mentioned anyone managing to get back up the slope after Younghusband and his men charged down.

I only recall reading a Zulu account that said they (Younghusband and his men) got themselves killed by running down the slope, as the warriors could then get above and encircle them.

It could be that I've overlooked the account you mention. Can you please supply the source where it can be found ?

Thankyou

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Peter Ewart


Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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Even worse for the poor chap, if he had peeled his eyes and scanned the landscape to the SE, he may well have spotted Browne's force and wondered why they were watching the battle passively instead of moving forward to attempt relief, although I dare say he would have picked out little with the naked eye.

Depending on the time, perhaps he even saw the glint of the sun on Milne's telescope for a brief moment? Or, looking over his right shoulder for a while, did he perhaps spy the same sun glinting on Smith's field glasses? No doubt he was too busy for all this (and the sun's position might also be pertinent!) and perhaps his chances of survival were going to be nil anyway if he was observed in the first place retreating to his hideout, rather than managing to conceal himself undetected. So possibly the option of lying low was not open to him.

Peter
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last mans cave
mwade


Joined: 03 Jan 2006
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hello , the cave (or rather little hole in the mountain) faces the main battlefield.

a few months back they interviewed an old zulu,whose grandfather fought in the battle, on a kids educational program

anyway, he told a very good story of how the zulus were clearing the battlefield , picking off the wounding etc when suddenly a shot fired , then another and another , and the old zulu intimated how a warrior fell with each shot

he said that they were all cautious to approach as this lone soldier was a very good shot , and any warrior attempting to charge him was cut down

he described how they finally shot him from a distance with their newly captured rifles, and when i went to the cave i thought i could still see the bullet holes in there (it could have been water erosion)

either way it was an excellent story , and i admired and pitied this final soldier as he awaited certain death.
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Last Man Standing
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