Cairns at Isandhlwana

Posts : 60 Join date : 2010-08-17 Location : Southampton

Have there been any specific records made as to how many cairns were built, and numbers of soldiers within each at the site of Isandhlwana? During a recent visit there Rob Caskie suggested that although over 200 still exist there were many 'lost' with several on the Natal side of the river near to Fugitives Drift. On a similar issue there are at least 3 cairns at the site of Melville and Coghills memorial, do we know who these soldiers were?

Posts : 600 Join date : 2010-01-07 Location : UK

Hello
Welcome to the forum, Just a tip here, maybe you should post discussions like these in the General Discussion forum .

Hope you enjoy this forum

thanks joe

Posts : 3384 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Hi Younghusband

Welcome to the forum :)

Have you seen this report. It may help or not.

http://1879zuluwar.forumotion.com/zulu-war-battles-f10/alfred-boast-report-13th-march-1883-map-of-grave-locations-t980.htm

Posts : 553 Join date : 2009-10-14 Location : Loughborough

As 1879 Graves posted, Boasts report is about as good as it gets, as nobody kept records at the time. What it could do with doing is a GPS survey of those existing, however one surmises how many were..."relocated" when the cap park was built. Why this wasn't put near the gatehouse is anybody guess, make the b**gers walk!,

Boast lists alot of cairns on the top of the Telehane Ridge, I can vouch for the fact they are no longer visible and difficult to discern even in short grass.
By far the most amount of cairns which are not "maintianed" are those on the fugitives trail, and now these are sadly being lost to erosion (and excavation).

Those near Melvill and Coghill, are reputed to be Colonial/ native men.

Subject: Re: Cairns at Isandhlwana Thu Aug 19, 2010 2:33 pm

"At the same time a search was made for neglected cairns. Some 40 were found, carefully examined, photographed, fully documented and marked on a map. They included those on the ridge where the Brirish regiments were stationed as well as on the trail of the fugitives. In view of the statements that few were killed on the ridge mentioned above, it is interesting to note that buttons, boot protectors and bones were found when these cairns were dismabtled, documented and rebuilt." ...........................George Chadwick in the 1970's.
Unfortunatly that report and photos is nowhere to be found. Ken Gillings has found Georges Files at the Killy Campbell. I dont think he has yet had the oportunity to fully explore the boxes as yet.
There are a few references to the Compaany that went up the hill and didnt come back, both Army ( Chelmsford) and Zulu. Far to many to ignore, as historians have been want to do up to now.

» Cairns east of Isandhlwana
» The Battle of Isandlwana
» Outlying burial cairns