A Drummer Boy at Isandhlwana

Guest

Hi

I heard an interesting story as unconventional ...

This is a drummer boy,
that during the massacre of Isandhlwana,
sits quietly on a box of ammunition that is on a wagon ,
and defend tooth and nail against any defender of the camp
which is not of the same unit as the little guy,
would like ammunition ...
Who has heard of this case ?
This is necessarily a survivor who told this and I find it incredible...

Cheers

Pascal

Posts : 2008 Join date : 2011-08-01 Age : 25

'He addressed them and told them their lives depended on obedience
and keeping together, and that any man who strayed from the ranks was
doomed. If it was God's will and they would obey, he would bring them
through into Natal. They pledged their word to abide together with him
that day for life or death. But he must, if possible, get ammunition.
He saw an ammunition wagon, and noticed the Zulus were too busy in the
tents to bother about this wagon. He rode up with his men, and found
no one there but a little drummer boy who sat on top of the wagon and
said he was in charge. Simeon asked him to give him and his men a
packet of cartridges each, just to help them defend themselves. But
the little boy informed them that this ammunition belonged to the 24th
Regiment, and as long as he was in charge no one else should have any
of it. He felt the boy was obeying orders, and respected him. Then he
saw there was a loose lot of cartridges lying in the grass around the
wagon. Men who had come for cartridges were in such haste to fill
their belts that they dropped many on the ground. So Simeon and his
men each picked up a few and put them into their belts.

Simeon's heart went out to the boy who was sticking to his post of
duty. He told him the battle was lost, the camp was in the hands of
the enemy, the fighting all over, and, indeed, his was the only body
of men holding together. He begged the boy to leave the wagon, and he
would take him in front of the saddle, and as long as he had life he
would defend him. The boy was surprised and hurt that anyone could
think he would desert his post. His officer had placed him there, and
no one should move him out while he had life. With a very sad heart
Simeon had to leave him there.

Guest

Hi

Yes thank you, this story is there, it's incredible an such inconsience.

Cheers

Pascal

Posts : 2268 Join date : 2010-10-22 Location : France

[quote="Pascal MAHE"]Hi

Yes thank you, this story is there, it's incredible an such inconsience.

Cheers

Pascal[/
quote]

Hi Pascal,

For information: Simeon was Sgt Simeon Kambula (Edendale troop)
Source of the story (DB14): Reverend Owen Watkins who was the methodist minister of the edendale methodist mission.

Cheers

YMOB

Guest

I know that,
it would take by force the drummer boy and once in Natal, give him a good spanking ...

Cheers

Pascal

Posts : 2268 Join date : 2010-10-22 Location : France

Pascal MAHE wrote:: I know that,
it would take by force the drummer boy and once in Natal, give him a good spanking ...

Cheers

Pascal

Hi Pascal

You kow that?
Well, well...
So, why your question???? (a drummer boy at Isandlwana / Who has heard this case)

Regards

YMOB

Guest

good evening

To make sure I did not dream that I had read this somewhere and it had indeed occurred.

Cheers

Pascal

Posts : 2268 Join date : 2010-10-22 Location : France

Pascal MAHE wrote:: good evening

To make sure I did not dream that I had read this somewhere and it had indeed occurred.

Cheers

Pascal

Bonsoir,

Ok.

Bonnes fêtes en Bretagne.

YMOB

Guest

Yes you too,

but why your question earlier, what did you understand?

In what region of France are you?

Cheers

Pascal

Subject: Re: A Drummer Boy at Isandhlwana Sat Dec 31, 2011 10:34 pm

Quote :: it would take by force the drummer boy and once in Natal, give him a good spanking ...

Pascal, I know your French but this seems to be an odd remark to make. Surly you can see the young man was just obeying orders. That what the British do. Thats why we had an empire.

Posts : 2008 Join date : 2011-08-01 Age : 25

Why would you do that??

Subject: Re: A Drummer Boy at Isandhlwana Sat Dec 31, 2011 11:06 pm

Do what

Posts : 2008 Join date : 2011-08-01 Age : 25

Posts : 1261 Join date : 2010-04-12

This topic is becoming a little bit stupid.

Guest

Hello Littlehand & DB14.

Littlehand had written:
"Pascal, French I know your goal this year Seems To Be odd remark to make."

Answer: The fact of not having British nationality has nothing to do with it, it's just a matter of compassion and heart.

Littlehand had written:
"Surly you-can see the young man WAS just obeying orders"

DB14 had written:
"Why would you do that??"

Answer: The orders have not care in this situation, unless I would have unconscious Catch strength to save her life because it was a children.Si had been an adult, I l 'would have left and called a crazy ...

Answer: Remember a film about the US civil war with John Wayne. Jonh Wayne commanded A US cavalry unit who is attacked by CSA military school cadets .Et spite of the charge ofthe cadets, the US riders grabs and flanked by good spanking because they are only children.

Littlehand had written:
"Thats what the British do"

Answer: Orders have not care in this situation, unless you are unconscious and not just the British who are disciplined and they are not all and always, God thank you.

Littlehand had written:

That's why we had an empire

Answer: France too has had an empire and much longer and almost as big (and it always has in Africa and without taking the field) and it did not become a satellite of one of its colonies.

Cheers

Pascal

Posts : 2268 Join date : 2010-10-22 Location : France

Hi all,
Just for information:
You can read on "victorian wars forum" (link "members articles and research) a very interesting paper of Keith I. SMITH "The Boys in the Band" (at Isandlwana) written in 2003.
This article was first published in the journal "Soldiers of the Queen, n°116, March 2004".
It can also be found in the book "studies in the Anglo-Zulu War" (2007).

Regards

YMOB

[/quote]

Posts : 629 Join date : 2009-01-20 Age : 44

Hi. Ymob.
Who is Keith Smith. Question

Subject: A drummer boy at Isandlwana Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:27 am

Hi Sas1 .
Keith Smith is an Australian Historian on the zulu war and has written several books on the war and the preceding Frontier Wars , I was on the RDVC Forum yesterday and he announced his new book and when it's to be released . He is also a member
of that Forum . His books or at least one of them are available at ' The Royal Regiment Of Wales on - line shop site . DP &G
Publications sell all of his books , I dont have one as yet but that may change .
cheers 90th. Idea

Guest

Hi All

In 1879,the british army took " boys",often the sons of soldiers or their orphans,aged15,who served an apprenticepship until they rached the minimun age for enlisment before formally joining a regiment.

During this time they would train as drummers,buglers,tailors or shoesmakers.

A maximun of 2% of battalion strenght could be boys... Idea

Cheers

Pascal

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