War artist killed at Gingindlovu

Posts : 1605 Join date : 2009-09-21

As you know I’m interested in the war correspondents involved in the Zulu War.

Doe’s anyone know the name of the war artist who was killed at Gingindlovu and for whom he worked.

Dave

Posts : 3029 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Hi Dave

I am unable to find any War correspondents that were killed at Gingindlovu scratch

Subject: Re: War artist killed at Gingindlovu Tue Dec 08, 2009 8:04 pm

Dave. What information did you obtain, for you to ask this question?

Subject: war artist at gingindlovu Wed Dec 09, 2009 1:42 am

hi all.
The only thing I remember reading about this was that one of the artists or reporters had a sense of
their own demise in a dream before the relief column took off , and decided to send one of his assistants ( jnr)
who was keen to go , and he was the one who was killed at Gingindlovu. Cant remember where , but
I certainly read it. I"m sure they mention his name but for the life of me no idea which book it is in.
cheers 90th.

Subject: Re: War artist killed at Gingindlovu Wed Dec 09, 2009 7:36 am

90th you are correct.

"I am now going to mention a subject of which I am not particularly proud. I had been through several campaigns, some of them very disagreeable ones. I had run many risks and fear had never entered into my mind, but unfortunately, on my journey out on this occasion, I had a bad dream. I call it a dream, but I think it must have been a nightmare. It took place after I had arrived at Durban.

Now this nightmare had such an effect on me that I have never forgotten it. I dreamed that I went with the relieving force to rescue Colonel Pearson at Etchowe. I saw myself shot, and I saw myself buried.

Strange to say, by the next mail arriving from England I received a letter from my mother, in which she told me she had had a dream that I had gone with the relieving column to Etchowe, that I had been killed, and that she had seen my funeral, and she wound up by begging me most earnestly not to go with that column, and it is now that I am ashamed to own that this had such an effect on me that I made up my mind I would not go, and even wrote to Mr. William Ingram at my office to inform him of my determination. Some weeks later I received a cablegram from him : " Sorry you did not accompany force, no doubt saved for better things to come."

However, I did not wish the Illustrated to be unrepresented in this expedition, and I succeeded in enlisting the services of Colonel Crealock, the Chief of the Staff, and also engaged the services of a private individual named Porter.

Now comes the curious incident of this act of mine. When the fighting did take place, at Ginghilovo, on the road to Etchowe, my specially appointed artist was one of the first killed."

Source: Campaigns of a war correspondent: MELTON PRIOR

Subject: war artist at gingindlovu Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:22 am

hi littlehand.
I thought it may have been Prior but wasnt sure , I quickly went through the war correspondents book
but didnt find it.

.
cheers 90th.