Fugitive’s trail. Was this the only way

Posts : 1261 Join date : 2010-04-12

I believe this can only be answered by those that have been to Isandlwana.
Would there have been a better route to take other than what we know as the Fugitive’s trail. Was this the best way to escape Isandlwana or was it the only way, or did everyone follow everyone else that was leaving that way.

Subject: Re: Fugitive’s trail. Was this the only way Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:28 am

i believe that after the right horn cut the road to rorkes drift the only option left open to the fugitives was on a left oblique towards sothondoses drift

Posts : 1605 Join date : 2009-09-21

Didn't Adendorff leave via another route.

Subject: Re: Fugitive’s trail. Was this the only way Sat Aug 13, 2011 2:53 pm

i always thought adendorff went the rorkes drift road but happy to be corrected

Posts : 1998 Join date : 2011-08-01 Age : 23

In the book Rorkes Drift By Adeian Greaves it states that their are letters that indicate Adendorff not only departed from Isandlwana before the main battle occurred but then also made a tomely flight from Rorkes Drift.

Posts : 1998 Join date : 2011-08-01 Age : 23

Also when he first reported to Chard he stated that he had fled Isandlwana by the " Rorkes Drift road"

Subject: Fugitive's Trail ; was this the only way . Sun Aug 14, 2011 4:13 am

Hi Drummer Boy .
The Adendorff story has been covered in depth somewhere on the forum , I dont believe he left R.Drift and also
Chard says in his official report to Queen Victoria that Adendorff did indeed stay and take part in the defence .
cheers 90th. Idea

Subject: Fugitive's Trail ; was this the only way . Sun Aug 14, 2011 4:17 am

Hi Drummer Boy 14.
If you scroll about halfway down on this Gen Discussion Area you will come to a 2 page thread on Adendorff - Deserter ?.
cheers 90th.

Subject: Re: Fugitive’s trail. Was this the only way Tue Aug 16, 2011 1:22 pm

Chard 1879
Back to your original question.
Fugitives trail is actually a misnomer it conjures up a path through the bush when in actuall fact the escape route is around half a kilometer wide, if not more.
Once people started to leave the battlefield the only safe haven would have been the border and RD. The road was therefore first choice, as long as it stayed open.
Once the right wing had cut the road the escapees coming over the neck were confronted by this mass of warriors coming from their right this forced them away from the road and onto a roughly straight trajectory down to the stream. The latter escapees were forced further to the oblique left away from the persuing right wing, the later you left the camp the more to the right you went. Untill that is the left wing got away from the confrontation with Durnford et al and came over/around the koppie. That forced the latter fugitives to straighten of the oblique and take their chance with the right wing elements.
Probably around this time the last stands on the neck were being broken up and the troops forced to retreat along that same oblique line down to the stream, being decimated as they went. Hence the piece of string with knots in comment from Noggs Newman.
So in short the fugitives trail is a route that was forced and transversed out of desperation.

Hope that helps

Regards