Gunner William Marshall 1683, N Battery, Royal Artilley. KIA Isandlwana.

…Two natives of Alnwick were among the slain at Isandula. Gunner Marshall, son of Mr Marshall, photographer, and Farrier Whinham, son of the late Mr Whinham, of Brizlee Mount, Hulne Park. They both belonged to the Royal Artilley, and every officer and man attached to the same two guns were slain at the time.
-The Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough, March 10, 1879.

Two Alnwick men, named Marshall and Whinham, were killed in the dreadful massacre of Isandula; and other two, whose names are Mills and Bell, were in the splendid charge of the 17th Lancers at the recent battle of Ulundi. Mills and Marshall had been bosom friends when they were boys together; and when the Lancers were traversing the field and Neighbourhood of Isandula to identify, if possible, the dead, and bury them, Mills, who told Marshall’s father, when he left for the Cape, that he would try to find out his old playmate, found him, indeed, but under circumstances painfully different from those he had fondly anticipated.
He identified him chiefly by his curly black hair. His remains were twenty miles from the scene of the massacre, close to the river Buffalo, and twenty yards from the river side, so that he had nearly escaped on one of the Artillery horses. He was buried 150 yards to the left of Lieuts. Coghill and Melvile of the 24th Regiment, who were killed when endeavouring to escape with the colours of that regiment.
-The Morpeth Herald, August 2, 1879.

The two Artillerymen referenced above are Farrier Sergeant Robert Whinham, 841, and Gunner William Marshall, 1683, both listed on the Isandlwana Casualty Roll as members of N Battery, 5th BDE, R.A.

There are references to Soldiers being found near Lieutenants Melvill and Coghill on the Natal side of the Buffalo (Lieutenant Hillier, etc). The Morpeth Herald article certainly does seem to imply that he was found on the Natal side of the Buffalo, but a distance away and closer to the river.

Very moving

Thanks

Hi,

There was a few years ago an account that indicated two 'mounted infantry' (not sure how they knew - spurs, breeches, bandoliers or uniform details) were found very near Melvill & Coghill - other accounts disagree, that the officers were found by themselves.

Does anyone know if any burial cairns were found in the proximity?

Maybe in the Mills/Marshall situation - it could be that Mills just told Marshall's father, that he had found Marshall to give him some kind of closure about his son.

Ta

Simon

There are a number of cairns leading up the hill towards the M and C memorial

Here's what I have on Soldiers found near M&C...
1. "Below them (M&C) a soldier was lying, and below him again a number of Zulus..."
-24th Officer, possibly Col. Glyn. Western Mail, March 28, 1879.

2. "Once across the river and in Natal we had no fear of pursuit and were able to examine the banks of the river where were were fortunate enough to find one of the missing colours. Traces of the retreat on the 22nd were to be seen everywhere, dead horses, clothing, a few dead men, assegais, shields etc and the bodies of Melville (sic) and Coghill were found a little above the river, on the side of a hill."
-Trooper Clarke, NMP. Transcript in NMP Records.

3. "They (M&C) lay behind the bodies of two soldiers, where they had made a stand."
-Lieutenant Hillier, NNC. The London Evening Standard, April 3, 1879.

In addition, I've read somewhere that Harford's original diary had a note in parentheses saying "4 bodies" or something of the sort. Can't remember where I read this but I think it may have been in the AZWHS articles, possibly by Adrian Greaves? In any case, I'd be very curious if there is anything ID'ing them as members of the IMI or other units beyond the term 'Soldier.'

Now as for the identification of Marshall, it does seem a bit tenuous. However I do have several references to artillerymen found near the Drift which would seem to support this... or at least support members of N Battery reaching the river.

"....a few of us crossed where the fugitives had crossed and went up the path they had descended- terrible path it was. Some two hundred yards up we found poor Stuart Smith's remains and we dug a grave... We also buried another artillery man we found."
-Colonel Harness letter to sister, May 24/25, 1879.

I'm pretty sure I had an additional account of burying artillerymen near the Buffalo and I'll see if I can dig it up.