"It would take a week to make."

Hi all

Chelmsford did not see the need for the laager, stating, "It would take a week to make."


It is believed dreaming !

Cheers

Pascal

Qui ne dis rien,est d'accord

The Lack Of Spades Didn't Help!

Yes that must be it ...

By Sir Henry Havelock.
"If the men at Isandula had had these light spades, they would have been able, even in a few hours, to have intrenched the camp, or, at any rate, to have thrown up a few rifle pits flanking each other. Then, with the powerful weapons with which our men were armed, he undertook to say that we should not now have been mourning a great disaster;"

Hi Littlehand.
In all respect to Sir Henry Havelock , he wasnt there ! . As discussed previously many times there wasnt the manpower to prevent the Massacre .
90th

We know 90th!!! . It was an observation,he felt needed to be made, in the house of commons to justify his allowance £££££ for attending. If he felt the battle was lost due to lack of light spades, then he's entilted to that opinion. The same as you are entitled to yours.

Quote :

"there wasnt the manpower to prevent the Massacre .90th

Hello Skippy

Everything held at the will of LC ...

If he had not despised Zulu, if he had not had undue reliance in the MH and if he had simply taken into account opinions of the old Boer ...

There would have been no massacre of the garrison camp, well entrenched it would have obtained the same results as the defenders of RD.

Cheers

Pascal

Isandlwana Probaly wouldn't have been selected. The hard ground would have still be the core issue of not being able to entrench.

Which leads me to a question.

If Isandlwana hadn't been selected, where would the next possible location have been?

The plateau at the foot of which was the Zulu army when she triggered the attack ...

The third column could occupy it, before the arrival of the impi...

The defense would have been facilitated

Good point, but then the Zulu's would have located themselves at Isandlwana.

The third column could occupy it, before the arrival of the impi...No ?

I know Littlehand !! . Havelock clearly had no right to make an assumption of any kind regarding the camp , he wasnt there , so couldn't / shouldn't have made any comment whatsoever about how light spades would save the day ! . Even though you say he made the comments to justify his pay ! . The bottom line is he spoke of something he had no idea of in any context whatsoever .
90th.

PS . Oh , and by the way, I think I'm more ( also many others on here ) qualified than Havelock to speak on this matter for the fact I / we do have 133 yrs of Hindsight and much information available to me as compared to him . If he or anyone thinks light spades would've saved the day then please go and read some literature on the battle . He is entitled to his own opinion as you say and so is anyone ,but lets face it he didnt have the evidence that we have today . Havelock wouldnt have been better advised to say nothing on the matter ! .

Hi Gary

If Havelock had no right to do so ...

We no longer then ...

Cheers

Pascal

Pascal .
You dont understand my post ! . Read it again !! . We have 133 yrs of evidence to look at , he had nothing compared to what we have to look at !! . Hopefully you will read my post again and understand it ! . .
90th

Yes Sir

Pascal .
At ease , Soldier !
90th.

soldier Gary, guard you

Quote :

I know Littlehand !! . Havelock clearly had no right to make an assumption of any kind regarding the camp , he wasnt there , so couldn't / shouldn't have made any comment whatsoever about how light spades would save the day ! . Even though you say he made the comments to justify his pay ! . The bottom line is he spoke of something he had no idea of in any context whatsoever .

90th perhaps he was told.

Quote :

I know Littlehand !! . Havelock clearly had no right to make an assumption of any kind regarding the camp , he wasnt there , so couldn't / shouldn't have made any comment whatsoever about how light spades would save the day ! . Even though you say he made the comments to justify his pay ! . The bottom line is he spoke of something he had no idea of in any context whatsoever .

90th perhaps he was told.

yes, maybe

Hi Ctsg.
Possibly that was the case . Who knows , but without merit all the same .
Cheers 90th.

Yes Gary, perhaps he was told.