Natal Native Infantry

Guest

good evening

Who can explain the differences between the infantry of the Natal Native Contingent in January 1879 and Mfengu levies of the last war against the Xhosa?
-Arm ...
-Looks...
-Organization...

Ect...

Cheers

Pascal

Subject: Natal Native Infantry Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:27 pm

Hi Pascal .
Not easy questions and I doubt you will find any definitive answers.
cheers 90th.

Posts : 1862 Join date : 2009-03-25

There some back ground information on the NNC posted by Littlhand. Gives details of where the NNC came from.

http://1879zuluwar.forumotion.com/t1619-natal-native-contingent#25816

Guest

Hi

Thanks .

And for the Mfengu levies ?

They are not in the zulu war ?

Cheers

Pascal

Posts : 65 Join date : 2011-12-15

Hi Pascal,

I know very little of the Mfengu (Fingo/amaFengu), but I'm pretty sure they didn't serve in the war as a unit.
From what I've read, they were for the most part disbanded in late 1878 as an organised force but some of their european officers are known to have died in the zulu war.

Captain W.F.Bradshaw (streatfield's fingo levies)
Captain W.J.Blakeway (Transkei fingo militia)

The Mfengu were considered to be superior to the N.N.C in that most of them were skilled with firearms and would hold their ground in the face of superior numbers. (xhosa wars).
If any were involved in the zulu war,I suspect they would probably have been incorporated into the N.N.C as part of the 1/10th armed with firearms?

They dressed for the most part in european clothes with wide brimmed hats (similar to sikhali's horse).

The two prints I have seen of them depict different dress, in one they are dressed as I described, with blanket rolls, powder horns and canteens.
In the other by Charles Fripp, they are dressed in loincloths carrying spears.

I have much to learn about them but will look for some more info on them and post here if I find it.

Cheers

Matt

Guest

Hello

It's great because I need a lot of illustrations to make in miniature, so I count on you, you seem to know a lot of it ...

Cheers

Pascal

[i]

Posts : 65 Join date : 2011-12-15

Pascal,

Here is a Mfengu soldier typically from 1860 through to 1880.
His weaponry might change but the overall look is correct.

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Cheers

Matt

Guest

Thank you it's great, it all had guns? And what kind?

In any case these warriors seem more modern than those of the Xhosa and the infantry of the NNC ...

If you find others in the coming year, thanks ...

I am also looking for pictures of headcloth Gcaleka Xhosa warriors of the, all I find is top imprecise to be used, alas...

Cheers

Pascal

Posts : 2008 Join date : 2011-08-01 Age : 27

NNC in the Zulu War

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Cheers
DB14

Guest

Thank you my great, it's useful if you are in for very rare Mfengu levies, there's great ...A feat !!!

Cheers

Pascal

Posts : 65 Join date : 2011-12-15

Mfengu levy, another picture.

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Cheers

Matt

Guest

SUPER WOW!! So it's true NOEL

Guest

Too bad the Mfengu levy is not used in Zululand...

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