Isandhlwana: The Withdrawal of CAVAYE and MOSTYN

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

Bonjour à tous,

ESSEX report;
"About five minutes after the arrival of Captain MOSTYN's company, i was informed by Lt MELVILL, Adjutant, 1/24th, that a fresh body of the enemy was appearing in force in our rear".

My questions are:
1°) Who ordered the withdrawal of MOSTYN and CAVAYE?
DURNFORD or PULLEINE? (for CHELSMFORD, it was DURNFORD / Source ESSEX )
2°) What were the attempts to protect the rear (to try to hold the Zulu right horn)?
a°) The move of SHEPSTONE to west of the hill?
b°) Who are the NNC troops who fight beside him: LONSDALE's Zulu Company?, MURRAY's Company (the only reserve remaining)?, ROBERTS's NNH troop?
c°) No other attempts to protect the rear?

Cheers

Frédéric

1) Pulleine, Durnford wasn't in the camp at that time. When you mention Chelmsford/Durnford I think you are confusing the statement by Chelmsford that he was informed by Essex that the order to go onto the ridge was issued by Durnford. And that's still highly debatable.
2) None that we are aware of at the start of the battle, possibly at the end Shepstone.
a) We will never know, the last sighting of him was by Nyanda 'in the tents' so Shepstone retreated across the face of the mountain not the rear.
b) Stafford was on the ridge next to Essex. Next to him on his right was Barton. He also mentions Vause and Henderson as being in line and comments that Roberts was in a kraal.
So that would mean 1 troop NNH, 3 troop NNH, Hlubi and E Company 1/1 NNC
c) Not a thing

Happy to have that list amplified.

Cheers

Gents I have split this topic, as the debate was aimed more at Durnfords order. The posts regarding the order have been merged into the " Was Durnford Capable" topic.

Guest

Post deleted.

Les the same post as been merged in the "Durnford was he capable"
It does not relate to this topic.

Guest

yes so i saw..continuity admin, what you do is provide unnecessary
choice =confusion..so one will just pick one thread! note my photo
bucket has crashed. apology's.

Thank you. If members stayed on topic, it would make life easier for all.

Posts : 629 Join date : 2009-01-20 Age : 42

Pete, that's life, you can't keep eveyone happy.

Guest

Fair enough admin, i'm over myself now!

Posts : 2558 Join date : 2009-04-06 Age : 58 Location : UK

Must admit, I was getting somewhat lost, with this topic.