Mealie Bags

hi
The barricades that were used to fortify Rorkes Drift were just sacks of mealie/maize. Was this just at Rorkes Drift to use during battle, like to fortify somewhere, or were they used to feed the soldiers-or both.

I was just thinking this because there must have been a better use for the corn/mealie than just to use as a barricade. Surely a bag of soil/dirt from the ground would have worked just as well.

The question Im trying to find the answer to is 'Were the mealie bags at Rorkes Drift purely used for defence or were they used to feed soldiers?'

Any help would be great.

thanks joe

hi joe.
The mealie bags were a food source first and foremost , but were used to make a barricade simply because
there wasnt anything else .
cheers 90th.

hi 90th,
thanks for the quick response, better taking something that has two uses than carrying twice as much!

thanks joe

I dont suppose anyone ever thought there would be a need to make barracades at RD so the bags were just there as a food source - lucky they were though !