Animals at Rorkes Drift ?

Greetings!  Firstly, I am brand new to the forum, so please go easy on me!

I am asking this question owing to that I am considering building a 1/72 diorama of the defence at Rorkes Drift and have seen virtually no mention of this made anywhere. The only things I have seen has been some discussion here about dogs, but I am really thinking of bigger animals. I am also aware that Chard had a mule cart for his engineers and have seen mention that there were 2 draft animals for that which made good their escape during the action. Apparently both were recovered alive and well afterwards from the side of the river at the drift.

Firstly, in the film "Zulu" we were treated to a view of stampeding cows or oxen, so I will begin with those. It seems reasonable to assume that some of these animals would have been present, both owing to 2 ox carts having been built into the southern wall of the defences and perhaps as meat on the hoof to feed the garrison. If I am right, do we know roughly how many? and do we know what became of them during the siege?

Secondly, I assume that there would have been a few horses around too. Again, it makes sense that there would have been, as I think there were around 6 officers present along with a few other men from various mounted units. I would be interested in finding out what their fates had been and some idea of their numbers.

Warmest regards,
Mike

Hi

I should imagine the horses of Adendorff, Evans and others would have been somewhere in the facility. Oxen would have been needed as you say, but have never read of it being mentioned.

Eddie wrote:

Hi

I should imagine the horses of Adendorff, Evans and others would have been somewhere in the facility. Oxen would have been needed as you say, but have never read of it being mentioned.

I am so pleased that you said that. At least I seem not asking one of those "oh no, not that again" questions! It seems fairly important to attempt to resolve this from an accuracy viewpoint for any diorama.

Hi

Mr Witt in his report, also printed in The Aberystwyth Observer and Marionethshire News, Saturday,  March 8, 1879 states the following:

What struck us in the beginning was that a good many of the officers of the Native contingent had one by one crossed the river some miles below the mission station and came galloping in towards it as fast as the horses could carry them,  and on the left hand side we noticed some of the mounted natives crossing at the Drift, and driving some cattle before them.

If this is to be taken as fact then they would have ended up in the Kraal.

This may well have be where Stanley Baker got his idea from to include in the film Zulu.

Eddie wrote:

Hi

Mr Witt in his report, also printed in The Aberystwyth Observer and Marionethshire News, Saturday,  March 8, 1879 states the following:

What struck us in the beginning was that a good many of the officers of the Native contingent had one by one crossed the river some miles below the mission station and came galloping in towards it as fast as the horses could carry them,  and on the left hand side we noticed some of the mounted natives crossing at the Drift, and driving some cattle before them.

If this is to be taken as fact then they would have ended up in the Kraal.

This may well have be where Stanley Baker got his idea from to include in the film Zulu.

In a sense that makes things worse, as these would have been extra cattle to any that were already there. Timing wise, it sounds like the sighting of the mounted troops that initially held back the Zulu right horn behind the Oscarberg. Well done on finding that. It's the first mention I have seen of cattle.

Hi Mike,

I believe there was a dog at Rorkes Drift, belonging to Surgeon Reynolds. If I remember correctly it was a Jack Russell. I would also assume the same, there would have been horses around the camp for the officers and also Ox to pull the wagons. I think most of the livestock would have left with the main party heading for Isandlwana.

Cheers
CJS

Carljitsu wrote:

Hi Mike,

I believe there was a dog at Rorkes Drift, belonging to Surgeon Reynolds. If I remember correctly it was a Jack Russell. I would also assume the same, there would have been horses around the camp for the officers and also Ox to pull the wagons. I think most of the livestock would have left with the main party heading for Isandlwana.

Cheers
CJS

Thanks for that CJS. That's 3 of us following the same logic that some horses and oxen would have been present. The number of oxen could have been quite significant, at least on a diorama. I gather that as many as 20 were used to pull each cart. Looking at contemporary illustrations, however, around 10 per cart seems to have been more usual. As there were 2 carts in the defences, that would imply about 20 oxen. I think we can add a few more to that as meat on the hoof for the garrison and hospital. They may not have had huge numbers for that purpose, but given the need to keep meat fresh in that climate I can't see them getting it in any other way.

Regards,
Mike

Mike,

This photograph taken at the neighbouring mission station to Rorke’s Drift, should give you some indication as to the number of oxen required to pull a wagon.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
A wagon at the Gordon Memorial Mission.
(John Young Collection.)

JY

I believe I have read that the draught/riding animals were turned loose to be recovered later.

SRB1965 wrote:

I believe I have read that the draught/riding animals were turned loose to be recovered later.

Many thanks for that reply. If I could just pin down the reference for that I would have my answer and a justification for not placing any animals on the diorama. It would also save me a small fortune on 1/72 oxen.

Warmest regards,
Mike

John Young,

I am not ignoring you - honest! I have been struggling to send you my thanks as, being new here, I am not allowed to post anything with an image in it. That ban seems to include replying directly to your kind post as it contains an image.

I must say, that is one great photo. We seem to be talking about the same kind of numbers, as I think it shows 6 pairs of oxen.

Warmest regards,
Mike

OK, I will go through my books and try and give you the reference - it may take a couple of days.

But I we know there were no cattle in the good kraal - none were mentioned, the kraal was defended by the British.

How big is your diorama (in extent of the battle) and what stage of the battle does it portray?

Presumably you are thinking about putting (or not) the livestock in one of the Kraals?

Cheers

Sime

Mike,

I think that there are ten oxen inspanned there, the young voorlooper has turned the lead oxen.

If you look at inspanned teams in the background of this photograph it might give you a better indication.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Transport wagons crossing a drift.
(John Young Collection.)

JY

Evacuation by waggon was considered so draught oxen must have been available

Chard asked that the NNH should turn their horses loose and join the defence - this wasn't done but it does indicate there was no specific place to hold 100 horses

Howard hid in the garden amongst a dead pig and 4 dead horses - which had been tied to a tree.

Smith-Dorrien says “dead animals and cattle everywhere”

So there is evidence that animals were present - perhaps you are justified having a few

Evans? He did not stay at Rd but rode on.
Chard's horse was ridden away by his native groom (who escaped) before the attack.

Didn't George Smiths horse get half hinched as well?

Purvis, Hammar and Witt rode off on (their?) horses

Purvis was taken away by cart as I recall.  With one arm wounded he wouldn't have been able to ride.
Witt too went by cart I think.  I must check.
Hammar was long gone by the time of the attack.
Smith's horse was taken too.
Then there's the horses of the hospitalized carbineers and NMP...where were they?
And Reynolds's horse...

I did wonder if the mounted volunteers would have rode to hospital and if so, if their horses would have remained at the post or been with the rest if the Troop at Isandlwana - if they  remained behind they would have to have been 'looked after'

I think WP&H all left around the same time and by horse - maybe Lugg mentions it

Hi Simon
Yes Hammar , Witt and Purvis left together all rode , Chard mentions Purvis could hardly mount his horse , Rev Smith thought about leaving at the same time but on discovering his Groom had fled with his horse he decided to stay . Page 490 Zulu Rising .
90th

Goodness, I have had something of an enforced absence from the internet, but now return here to find all of these useful comments. I would like to thank all of you for adding them for me in my absence.

It is certainly looking like there were potentially very few horses around during the battle. It seems likely, therefore, that I could easily be forgiven for not including any live ones the diorama. SRB1965, your discovery of evidence for 4 dead horses means that they will have to be represented. In addition to that, it also supports both my instinct that there were probably none within the original defensive perimeter of Chard’s improvised fortifications and pretty much finds all of the horses that Julian has “outstanding”. It seems I have also come out of this with a “bonus” dead pig! I wonder how many models have been created without one? The quote you have found from Smith-Dorrien is also very important - “dead animals and cattle everywhere.” The phrasing of that is a bit unfortunate, as it can be read to mean that the cattle were still alive. From what little I know, that would have gone against what we know of how the Zulus had behaved at Isandlwana. On the opposite side of that, however, is a notion I have that the cattle would perhaps have been less of a target for the Zulus whilst the human defenders of the post were still alive.

I think that all leaves me trying to pin down around 30 oxen, and trying to determine both where they would have been and their casualty rate. Again, I don’t think they would have been in the “well built kraal”, owing to that being fortified as part of the original defensive perimeter. Similarly, I can’t see them being in the “rough stone kraal”, owing to that sounding like it wasn’t in a fit state to be used. I seem to think I have seen an account which describes that as being somewhat “broken down” and having much lower walls.

Sorry, just duplicated my last post.

I have no doubts that there were no animals apart from Reynolds dog, in the defensive area.

As far as SD goes - I read it as dead animals and dead cattle everywhere.

I'm trying to find any reference to parties being sent out on the 23rd (or later) to gather livestock - or probably reference to said livestock being eaten by the enlarged garrison.

I would think that once the gunfire started any livestock capable of moving, would have dashed away.

Must admit I never had the horses or pig but my set up was more if a wargames one than a diorama.

One of the defenders, I think Caleb Wood but I could be wrong, mentions in their account that before the battle they were in a fatigue party burying dead cattle. I know livestock tended to peg it quite often due to weather etc or maybe it was carcasses subsequent to butchering.

Well, on the strength of all this, I have just bought a job lot of 1/72 scale farm animals and conducted some basic research on pig breeds in South Africa to determine how best to paint them! This is going to be a fun project that is likely to take me months (perhaps even years) to complete.

Warmest regards to all,
Mike

SRB1965

Please see my post above: Mon Jan 26, 9:49 pm. You will find that is from where the Livestock appeared at Rorkes Drift, so the statement that there were many dead cattle around would suggest what Mr Witt observed was true.

Hi Kevin

I cannot really see cattle ending up in the kraal - which was an integral part of the defences.

They would inhibit movement of defenders (and attackers of course) - none of the defenders mentions the kraal being full

Incidentally one thing I struggled with is the location of the gate to the kraal.

I have read about Witts cattle sightings before (but can't find the where), I also seen to think I remember a sighting of women and children approaching the river (but cant find the source now - but if so they didn't end up at the post)

One thing that strikes me as strange is the NNMC had a close squeak at Isandlwana  - cutting or pushing their way through the Zulus, but then opted to drive cattle before them - cattle aren't the speediest of critters.

Interestingly enough HSD mentions seeing ‘his waggon’ so somewhere  around the post was another waggon or cart - in addition to Chards cart.

To me it's his quote of “dead animals and cattle everywhere” - this doesn't to me indicate in the kraal.

It's possible that the cattle drovers didn't head passed the post because no one mentioned them.

I think that Mr Baker had the idea for cattle from Hollywood itself - Hollywood loves a good stampede - John Wayne even had one in The Alamo (IIRC)