Durnford's penultimate order.

Posts : 2872 Join date : 2010-06-02

On 19th January AWD received his penultimate order from H Spalding Major DAAG while at Helpmakaar. It told him to move up to RD on 20th and Bengough to hold himself in readiness to cross the Buffalo at Sand Spruit to operate against Chief Matyana (his wagons to cross at RD with AWD). See Studies in the Zulu War Volume 1.
A few questions.

1. Where was Chelmsford located when the order was dictated?
2. Who passed the order to Spalding for onward transmission to AWD?
3. Why was it acceptable for Spalding (24th) to deliver the order to AWD (an independant column commander) when it was plainly unacceptable to Crealock for Cleary to do the same with Chelmsford's final order early on the morning of 22nd?
4. Who else might have been copied into AWD's order?

Steve

Subject: Re: Durnford's penultimate order. Thu May 23, 2019 10:56 am

With reference to your point 3. I don't think it was important who delivered the order, more who dictated the order. Durnford was a column commander so the order should be written by Chelmsford's staff, hence Crealock overriding Cleary. I would surmise that they also wrote the orders delivered by Spalding. The messenger could have been anyone available.