in Stewart Smith, Royal
Artillery; Colonel Pulleine, Major White, Captains Degacher, Warden,
Mostyn, and Younghusband; Lieutenants Hobson, Caveye, Atkinson, Davey,
Anstie, Dyson, Porteous, Melville, Coghill; and Quartermaster Pullen of
the 1st battalion 24th Regiment; and Lieutenants Pope, Austin, Dyer,
Griffith, and Quartermaster Bloomfield, together with Surgeon--Major
Shepheard, of the 2nd battalion 24th Regiment. A large number of
British officers commanding the native contingents were also killed.

Among those who had ridden off while the fight was raging were
Lieutenants Melville and Coghill. These were both mounted, and Melville
bore the colours of the regiment. Cutting their way through the
surrounding Zulus, they rode for the river, hotly pursued by the enemy.
Lieutenant Coghill swam safely across; but upon reaching the other side,
perceived that his comrade was helpless in the river, his horse having
thrown him, and he clinging to a rock. The gallant young officer at
once returned and rescued his friend; but the delay was fatal. The
Zulus were upon them, and, after a desperate resistance, the young
officers were both killed.

In the meantime, by some extraordinary neglect, the column under Lord
Chelmsford was marching on without having any idea of what was happening
in its rear, no communication whatever being kept up between the two
bodies. At last, late in the afternoon, just as it was preparing to
halt, the news was brought of the attack upon the camp. The column
marched back with all speed; but only arrived at the camp late at night,
to find it deserted by the enemy, and strewn with the bodies of those
they had left in high health and spirits in the morning, and with the
remains of waggons and stores of all descriptions.

That night the force lay on their arms on the scene of the encounter,
and next morning marched back to the Tugela, and crossed at Rorke's
Drift.

Here another conflict had taken place upon the previous day; and had it
not been for the gallantry and presence of mind of two young officers,
not only would the depots here have fallen into the hands of the Zulus,
but the retreat of the column would have been cut off, and in all
probability it would have shared the fate of those at Isandula.

At Rorke's Drift was a depot of provisions and stores. This was guarded
by a little force of some 80 men of the 24th Regiment, under the command
of Lieutenant Bromhead; Lieutenant Chard, Royal