94-662: The Natal Border Guard (also known as the River Guards ) was an auxiliary force levied for the defence of the Colony of Natal during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. British military commander Lord Chelmsford had intended to raise a large auxiliary force to support his invasion of the Zulu Kingdom but was opposed by the civilian government of the Colony of Natal , led by its governor Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer , who would have to finance
188-672: A protectorate over a sub-divided kingdom. However this proved unsatisfactory to the colonial government, and eighteen years later the kingdoms were annexed to the Natal colony, doubling its size. In 1884, the Witwatersrand Gold Rush caused a considerable rush of colonists from Natal to the Transvaal . Railways were still far from the Transvaal border, and Natal offered the nearest route for prospectors from Cape Colony or from Europe. Durban
282-629: A British colony in 1843, and administered from the Cape Colony in 1844. However, it was not until the end of 1845 that an effective administration was installed with Martin West as lieutenant-governor that the power of the Boer Volksraad finally came to an end. In April 1842 Lord Stanley , then Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in the second Peel Administration , wrote to Sir George Napier that
376-418: A British colony. The institutions adopted were to be as far as possible in accordance with the wishes of the people, but it was a fundamental condition "that there should not be in the eye of the law any distinction or disqualification whatever, founded on mere difference of colour, origin, language or creed". Sir George then appointed Henry Cloete (a brother of Colonel Cloete) a special commissioner to explain to
470-435: A Natal native and was passed on by a farmer acting in a temporary capacity as a stand-in for a Border Guard officer. The district commandant gathered his Border Guard on the Natal side of the river to counter the threat but a reconnaissance party concluded that the informant had mistaken men of Chelmsford's 3rd Regiment of NNC for Zulu forces. They later assisted the men of the 2nd NNC under Harcourt Mortimer Bengough to cross
564-604: A cordial reception. That controversial British annexation of the Transvaal, was disrupted when Sekhukhune allegedly signed a peace treaty with the Boers removing the main justification for British intervention in the Transvaal at that time. Nonetheless, tensions between the British colonists and the Zulu continued to build, culminating in the Anglo-Zulu War . After an initial defeat the British were able to conquer Zululand , where they established
658-543: A force under Duncan McKenzie entered Zululand. Thereupon Dinizulu surrendered (December 1907) without opposition, and was removed to Pietermaritzburg. His trial was delayed until November 1908, and it was not until March 1909 that judgment was given, the court finding him guilty only on the minor charge of harbouring rebels. Meantime, in February 1908, the governor— Matthew Nathan , who had succeeded Henry McCallum in August 1907—had made
752-407: A harbour board was formed under the chairmanship of Harry Escombe . It controlled the operations for improving the sea entrance until 1893 when on the establishment of responsible government it was abolished. The work of improving the harbour was however continued with vigour, and finally, in 1904, such success was achieved that vessels of the largest class were enabled to enter port. At the same time,
846-610: A limited number of firearms. The unit fought in defence of the border against Zulu counter-raids into Natal. One of the Border Guard commanders was responsible for negotiating the submission of a number of Zulu chiefs in the border region after the end of the war. The British High Commissioner for Southern Africa Sir Henry Bartle Frere had ambitions to form a confederation of all the British possessions in Southern Africa. He planned
940-485: A plan was formed to murder Pretorius, Boshof and other leaders, who were now convinced that the only chance of ending the state of complete anarchy into which the country had fallen was by accepting British sovereignty. In these circumstances, the task of Henry Cloete was one of great difficulty and delicacy. He behaved with the utmost tact and got rid of the Winburg and Potchefstroom burghers by declaring that he should recommend
1034-562: A portion of the No. 2 Column under Durnford arrived at Rorke's Drift and camped on the Zulu bank, where it remained through the next day. Late on the evening of 21 January, Durnford was ordered to Isandlwana , as was a small detachment of No. 5 Field Company, Royal Engineers , commanded by Lieutenant John Chard , which had arrived on the 19th to repair the pontoons which bridged the Buffalo River . Chard rode ahead of his detachment to Isandlwana on
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#17328589197311128-466: A result of the importation of Indian labourers, Durban became the home to the largest concentration of Indians outside India. In 1823 Francis Farewell , formerly a lieutenant in the British navy, with other merchants of Cape Town , formed a company to trade with the natives of the south-east coast. In the brig Salisbury , commanded by James S. King, who had been a midshipman in the navy, Farewell visited Port Natal, St Lucia and Delagoa Bays. The voyage
1222-457: A tour in Zululand, on which occasion some 1500 of the prisoners taken in the rebellion of 1906 were released. The intercolonial commission had dealt with the native question as it affected South Africa as a whole; it was felt that a more local investigation was needed, and in August 1906, a strong commission was appointed to inquire into the condition of the Natal natives. The general election which
1316-702: A year marked by the annexation of Zululand to Natal. In 1898, Natal entered the Customs Union already existing between Cape Colony and the Orange Free State . On 13 December 1873, Chief Langalibalele was captured by the Natal Government and taken for trial in Pietermaritzburg. This was the culmination of a long and tedious stand off between the chief and the Colonial Government. Langalibalele
1410-427: Is always breaking on the shore, even in the finest weather, and at the mouth of every natural harbour a bar occurs. To deepen the channel over the bar at Durban so that steamers might enter the harbour was the cause of labour and expenditure for many years. Harbour works were begun in 1857, piers and jetties were constructed, dredgers imported, and controversy raged over the various schemes for harbour improvement. In 1881
1504-462: The Hime ministry resigned and was succeeded by a cabinet under the premiership of George Sutton , the founder of the wattle industry in Natal and one of the pioneers in the coal-mining industry. In May 1905 Sutton was replaced by a coalition ministry under Charles John Smythe , who had been colonial secretary under Hime. These somewhat frequent changes of ministry reflected, chiefly, differences concerning
1598-793: The Royal Engineers . His younger brother, Edward, also served in the British military, as a lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Marine Artillery . During his formative years he lived with his uncle in Düsseldorf , Germany. In July 1846 Durnford returned to England to enter the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers in 1848 initially serving at Chatham and Scotland . In October 1851 he embarked for Ceylon and upon arrival
1692-465: The Tugela River , and asking that this territory should be proclaimed a British colony and that a governor and council be appointed. To all these requests no official answer was returned. The settlers had been joined in the year named (1835) by Allen Francis Gardiner , a naval officer, whose chief object was the evangelization of the natives. With the support of the traders he founded a mission station on
1786-607: The Union of South Africa , as one of its provinces . It is now the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. It was originally only about half the size of the present province, with the north-eastern boundaries being formed by the Tugela and Buffalo rivers beyond which lay the independent Kingdom of Zululand ( kwaZulu in the Zulu language ). Fierce conflict with the Zulu population led to
1880-449: The 16 months following his arrival in the Cape, Durnford spent the greater portion at King William's Town . In a letter to his mother he wrote of the blacks: ″...they are at least honest, chivalrous and hospitable, true to their salt, although only barbarians. They are fine men, very naked and all that sort of thing, but thoroughly good fellows.″ He appears to have adhered to this view throughout
1974-407: The 24th, but Pulleine was reluctant to agree, since his orders had been specifically to defend the camp. Durnford was killed during the resulting battle, and was later criticised for taking men out of the camp thus weakening its defence. His policy was, in effect, to ride to the sound of the guns, "and attack the Zulu wherever they appeared". He was well respected by his native Basutos . Moreover,
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#17328589197312068-550: The 2nd Regiment NNC who took part in the invasion. In July some men of the Border Guard were drafted into an unarmed carrier corps to provide logistical support for the British column; the men proved less efficient than the previous method of ox wagon transport and the unit was soon disbanded. The Border Guard at the Middle Drift proved unable to effectively confront a Zulu raid there in July. The dispute between Bulwer and Chelmsford over
2162-477: The 30 October 1873 a Corps of Colonial Volunteer troops moved towards the Hlubi 'location'. The Hlubi began to flee. On 2 November 1873 Shepstone issued an order giving the Hlubi 24 hours to surrender or face the consequence of rebellion. On 4 November 1873 the Hlubi and Volunteer Corps came face to face and 3 colonists and 1 Mosotho were killed. The colonial forces then 'broke up' the tribe, seizing cattle, killing not just
2256-503: The Boer columns, but failed to prevent their escape due to the fraudulent use of Red Cross flags by the Boers. The British withdrew to Ladysmith . Boer forces proceeded to Ladysmith and surrounded the town, cutting off its communications from the south. The Siege of Ladysmith lasted until 28 February 1900, when the town was relieved by forces under Redvers Buller . During the six weeks previous to
2350-572: The Boers took control of the port and soon afterwards established the Natalia Republic . The Republic suffered from disorganized government and poor relations with the Zulus. On 2 December 1841, Sir George Thomas Napier , governor of Cape Colony, issued a proclamation declaring his intent to resume British military occupation of Port Natal. Most of the Voortrekkers left by 1843. Natal was proclaimed
2444-606: The Border Guard did exchange fire with a Zulu force across the river. Twentyman protested to the colonial authorities and requested that restrictions be dropped but this was to no avail. In April the Border Guard took possession of a fort – known as Fort Montgomery – at the Middle Drift that had been constructed by the NNC to support a raid in Zulu territory. During this time there were also Border Guard units at Mgonweni Drift, Kwelbomvu Drift, Shushu, Ngubana Drift and Mpisi Drift. Other Border Guard posts were Fort Lucas and Thring's Post Fort in
2538-646: The British camp at Isandlwana , within Zululand. Durnford and his men were wiped out in the British defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana later that day. The same day as the battle, the Klip River Border Guard district commandant was told by the leader of the unit stationed 8 miles (13 km) downstream from Rorke's Drift that a large Zulu force was massing at the Mangeni Valley to raid into Natal. The district commandant doubted this intelligence which came from
2632-618: The Cape, visited Mpande and obtained from him a valuable concession. Hitherto the Tugela from source to mouth had been the recognized frontier between Natal and Zululand . Mpande gave up to Natal all the territory between the Buffalo and Tugela rivers, now forming Klip River county. The colony's early population growth was driven by settlement from the United Kingdom between 1849 and 1851, with approximately 4500 emigrants between 1848 and 1851. From
2726-609: The Colonial Office in the UK received a telegram from Sir Henry Barkly in Cape Town of the imminent collapse of the Transvaal , because the Transvaal's President Burger and his men had been routed after their attack on Sekhukhune and his people the Pedi . This galvanized Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon who obtained permission from Disraeli to appoint Sir Theophilus Shepstone (known by
2820-467: The Colony of Natal became Natal Province , one of the founding provinces of the Union of South Africa . The British settlers quickly realised that the coastlands were suited to the cultivation of tropical or semi-tropical products, and from 1852 onward sugar , coffee , cotton and arrowroot were introduced, tea being afterwards substituted for coffee. The sugar industry soon became of importance, and
2914-649: The Colony. He was transferred in 1856 to Malta as an intermediate posting, but did not see active service either in the Crimea or in the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. He served in Malta as an adjutant until February 1858, when he was promoted to Second Captain and posted back to Chatham and Aldershot in England. Between 1861 and 1864 Durnford commanded No. 27 Field Company, Royal Engineers, at Gibraltar . In 1864, promoted to captain, he
Natal Border Guard - Misplaced Pages Continue
3008-526: The Drakensberg as the northern limit of Natal. On 8 August 1843, the Natal volksraad unanimously agreed to the terms proposed by Lord Stanley. Many of the Boers who would not acknowledge British rule trekked once more over the mountains into what are now the Orange Free State and Transvaal provinces. At the end of 1843, there were not more than 500 Dutch families left in Natal. Cloete, before returning to
3102-450: The English living at the bay. The next step was taken by the settlers at the port, who in 1835 resolved to lay out a town, which they named Durban , after Benjamin D'Urban , then governor of Cape Colony . At the same time the settlers, who numbered about 50, sent a memorial to the governor calling attention to the fact that they were acknowledged rulers over a large tract of territory south of
3196-480: The Natal commissioners disagreed; in 1905, however, an act was passed by the Natal legislature imposing a poll tax of £1 on all males over 18 in the colony, except indentured Indians and natives paying hut tax (which was 14 shillings a year). Every European was bound to pay the tax. In 1906, the Bambatha Rebellion broke out in the colony, attributable ostensibly to the poll tax, and spread to Zululand. It
3290-476: The Natal volksraad the decision of the government. There was a considerable party of Natal Boers still strongly opposed to the British, and they were reinforced by numerous bands of Boers who came over the Drakensberg from Winburg and Potchefstroom . Commandant Jan Mocke of Winburg (who had helped to besiege Captain Smith at Durban ) and others of the "war party" attempted to induce the volksraad not to submit, and
3384-658: The South Africa states, Natal offered a welcome to Indians. As early as 1893, when Mohandas K. Gandhi arrived in Durban, Indians made up almost half of the non-African population, and by 1904 Indians outnumbered whites in Natal. In 1894, Gandhi helped to establish the Natal Indian Congress to fight discrimination against Indians. Population figures for the 1904 Census: Anthony Durnford Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony William Durnford (24 May 1830 – 22 January 1879)
3478-543: The Zulu Kingdom lay along the Mzinyathi (Buffalo) and Thukela (Tugela) rivers . Natal was split into seven defensive districts of which three directly bordered Zululand. To defend this border Chelmsford sought to raise a 6,000-strong auxiliary force under control of the civil authorities. This would supplement the existing Natal Native Contingent (NNC) auxiliary which was under military control and expected to participate in
3572-558: The Zulu Wars (1880). Durnford saw some action during the pursuit of Langalibalele at Bushman's River Pass, where he showed great courage but received two assegai stabs, one in his side, the other in his elbow; severing a nerve thus paralysing his left under-arm and hand for the rest of his life. Durnford managed to shoot two of his assailants with his revolver and to extricate himself. His Natal Carbineers had abandoned him, but his loyal Basuto troopers stood by him. In 1878 Durnford, as
3666-504: The Zulu honorific as Somtseu meaning '’father of the nation'’) who had served for 30 years as a Natal administrator, first as Diplomatic Agent to Native Tribes, then as secretary for native affairs, to act as special commissioner to the Transvaal. On 15 December 1876, Shepstone with 25 troopers from the Natal Mounted Police and others set out from Pietermaritzburg to Pretoria to annex the Transvaal; arriving on 27 January 1877 to
3760-505: The actions of Durnford and his command effectively halted the left horn of the Zulu army until their cartridge boxes began to run dry. This was no small accomplishment considering the Left Horn included the inGobamakhosi regiment, "The Benders of the Kings". Their ammunition supply expended, Durnford and his troopers fought their way back to the "saddle" that separated the wagon park from the rest of
3854-456: The annexation of the independent Zulu Kingdom , which was opposed by King Cetshwayo and led to the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. As part of preparations for this war the British military commander in Southern Africa, Frederic Thesiger (who later became Lord Chelmsford and is more commonly known by that name), implemented defensive measures in the British Colony of Natal . Natal's border with
Natal Border Guard - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-403: The border rivers at points where no other British or colonial garrison was provided. These posts were typically 300–350 strong. The Border Guard were nominally commanded by the commandants of each defensive district. Due to their deployment and expected duties the unit was also known as the "River Guards". The British invasion force crossed into Zululand on 11 January 1879 in three columns. At
4042-522: The camp. In one last valiant effort, Durnford, after ordering his native troopers to escape, perished with a mixed group of colonial volunteers, members of the Natal Mounted Police and infantrymen of the 24th Foot that had held open the only escape route. Durnford's body was later found lying near a wagon, surrounded by the bodies of his men. Among the causes of the disaster were the ill-defined relationship between Durnford and Pulleine, brought about by failures of Lord Chelmsford 's command and control,
4136-459: The commission's report. But in 1909 an act was passed which placed native affairs in the hands of four district commissioners, gave to the minister for native affairs direct executive authority and created a council for native affairs on which non-official members had seats. While the district commissioners were intended to keep in close touch with the natives, the council was to act as a "deliberative, consultative and advisory body." On 31 May 1910,
4230-517: The country on Cape Colony was put to an end and Natal constituted a distinct colony with a legislative council of sixteen members, twelve elected by the inhabitants and four nominated by the Crown. At the time the population of settlers and their descendants exceeded 8000. While dependent on the Cape, ordinances had been passed establishing Roman-Dutch law as the law of Natal, and save where modified by legislation, it remained in force. On 14 September 1876,
4324-522: The crisis by renewed energy in harbour works, railway constructions and the development of the natural resources of the country. A railway to the Zululand coalfields was completed in 1903, and in the same year a line was opened to Vryheid in the newly annexed territories. Natal further built several railway lines in the eastern half of the Orange River Colony, thus opening up new markets for her produce and facilitating her transit trade. In August 1903
4418-551: The deployment of the Border Guard came to an end on 15 July 1879 when Garnet Wolseley assumed the role of supreme British civil and military commander in the region. By this point the war had ended and Wolseley had disarmed the Border Guard by the end of the month. In August Henry Fynn, who had raised the Border Guard of the Umsinga region, negotiated the submission of the Zulu chiefs along the Mzinyathi River. The Natal Border Guard
4512-795: The district of Wakkerstroom as was encompassed by a line drawn from the north-eastern corner of Natal, east by Volksrust in a northerly direction to the summit of the Drakensberg Range , along that range, passing just north of the town of Wakkerstroom , to the headwaters of the Pongola River (now called Phongolo River ), and thence following the river to the border of the Utrecht district. The districts added to Natal contained about 6,000 white inhabitants (mostly Afrikaners ), and some 92,000 natives, and had an area of nearly 7,000 square miles (18,000 km ), so that this annexation meant an addition to
4606-500: The elections to the council led to the return of a majority in favour of accepting self-government, and in 1893 a bill establishing responsible government was passed and received the sanction of the Imperial government. At the time the white inhabitants numbered about 50,000. The electoral law was framed to prevent more than a very few natives obtaining suffrage . Restrictions in this direction dated as far back as 1865, while in 1896 an act
4700-487: The establishment of a colony in Natal would be attended with little prospect of advantage, but at the same time stated that the pretensions of the emigrants to be regarded as an independent community could not be admitted. Various measures were proposed which would but have aggravated the situation. Finally, in deference to the strongly urged views of Sir George Napier, Lord Stanley, in a despatch of 13 December, received in Cape Town on 23 April 1843, consented to Natal becoming
4794-499: The evacuation of Durban , and eventually, the Boers accepted British annexation in 1844 under military pressure. A British governor was appointed to the region and many settlers emigrated from Europe and the Cape Colony . The British established a sugar cane industry in the 1860s. Farm owners had a difficult time attracting Zulu labourers to work on their plantations, so the British brought thousands of indentured labourers from India. As
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#17328589197314888-449: The forthcoming invasion. The existing Natal volunteer military units were insufficient to ensure defence of the colony as many had been earmarked to form part of the invading force. The Natal government was liable for the costs of any force raised specifically for the defence of the colony. They were unwilling to finance Chelmsford's proposed auxiliary force proposed but did agree to fund a smaller border guard unit. The Natal Border Guard
4982-410: The hill overlooking the bay. In 1837 Gardiner was given authority by the British government to exercise jurisdiction over the traders. They, however, refused to acknowledge Gardiner's authority, and from the Cape government he received no support. The next wave of immigration consisted of Voortrekkers fleeing British rule in Cape Colony , who pushed out the English settlers at Port Natal. In May 1838
5076-453: The leadership of local chiefs. Recruitment was slow; there was little enthusiasm as compensation payments to the chiefs were delayed and the population was demotivated by the recent implementation of a hut tax . Some units of the Border Guard were still not fully formed by April 1879. Chelmsford commenced his invasion of Zululand in January 1879 and intended that the campaign would be over with
5170-467: The men, but the women and children too. Survivors were 'apprenticed' to colonist and removed from their land. The Second Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899 with the Boer seizure of a Natal train on the Orange Free State border. Boer forces quickly occupied Newcastle . A landdrost was appointed and the town was renamed Viljoensdorp. In the Battle of Talana Hill on 20 October 1899, outside Dundee , British forces under William Penn Symons defeated
5264-488: The morning of 22 January to clarify his orders, but was sent back to Rorke's Drift with only his wagon and its driver to construct defensive positions for the expected reinforcement company, passing Durnford's column en route in the opposite direction. Around 10:30 am on the morning of 22 January, Durnford arrived from Rorke's Drift with five troops of the Natal Native horse and a rocket battery. A Royal Engineer , Durnford
5358-598: The office was abolished by the establishment of the Union of South Africa. In August 1907 the report of the Native Affairs' Commission was published. The commission declared that the chasm between the natives and settlers had been broadening for years and that the efforts of the administration—especially since the grant of responsible government — to reconcile the natives to the changed conditions of rule and policy and to convert them into an element of strength had been ineffective. It
5452-406: The others went to the royal kraal of Shaka , and, having cured him of a wound and made him various presents, obtained a document, dated 7 August 1824, ceding to "F. G. Farewell & Company entire and full possession in perpetuity" a tract of land including "the port or harbour of Natal". On the 27th of the same month, Farewell declared the territory he had acquired a British possession. In 1825 he
5546-533: The outset of the war the Border Guard in the Sand Spruit Valley near to Umsinga were under the command of British Colonel Anthony Durnford who was tasked with defending the border at this location. Durnford was soon, however, ordered to move up to the border crossing at Rorke's Drift in support of Chelmsford's no. 3 column. On 22 January he was ordered to bring his men (not including the Border Guard) to
5640-501: The planters were compelled to seek for large numbers of labourers. The natives did not volunteer in sufficient numbers, and recourse was had to labour from India. The first Indian labourers reached Natal in 1860. They came as indentured labourers , but at the expiration of their contract were allowed to settle in the colony. The Indian population rapidly increased, the Indians becoming market gardeners, farmers, hawkers, and traders. Alone among
5734-462: The railway system was continually developing under the Natal Railway Company . For many years there had been an agitation among the colonists for self-government. In 1882 the colony was offered self-government coupled with the obligations of self-defence. The offer was declined, but in 1883 the legislative council was remodelled so as to consist of 23 elected and 7 nominated members. In 1890
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#17328589197315828-424: The rebellion, protested his loyalty to the British. As time went on, however, the Natal government, alarmed at a series of murders of whites in Zululand and at the evidences of continued unrest among the natives, became convinced that Dinuzulu was implicated in the rebellious movement. (When a young man, in 1889, he had been convicted of high treason and had been exiled, but in 1897 he had been allowed to return.) Now
5922-480: The relief, 200 deaths had occurred from disease alone, and altogether as many as 8424 were reported to have passed through the hospitals. The relief of Ladysmith soon led to the evacuation of Natal by the Boer forces, who trekked northwards. As one result of the war, an addition was made to the territory of Natal, consisting of a portion of what had previously been included in the Transvaal. The districts transferred to Natal were: Vryheid , Utrecht and such portion of
6016-491: The remaining years of his life. He was later stationed at Pietermaritzburg , where he was befriended by Bishop Colenso , and he joined Theophilus Shepstone on an expedition to crown King Cetshwayo . Durnford had a close relationship with the bishop's daughter Frances Ellen Colenso . His marriage, though in a poor state, meant that they remained only close friends. Miss Colenso later wrote two books in support of his military reputation, My Chief and I (1880) and History of
6110-485: The river. Bengough's battalion withdrew after learning of the British defeat and together with the Border Guard took steps to defend Natal. Following the defeat at Isandlwana the Border Guard was strengthened with additional levies from the interior regions of Natal. A contingent at Weenen , formed from men from the disbanded 3rd Regiment NNC and the Newcastle Scouts – an African mounted unit numbering some 50 men –
6204-548: The senior Royal Engineer officer in the colony, served on Sir Henry Bulwer 's Boundary Commission to investigate the disputed border between the Transvaal and the Zulu Kingdom . Later that year he was given the task of planning the formation of an African auxiliary force which soon became the Natal Native Contingent (NNC). He was one of the most experienced officers of the Anglo-Zulu War --"commanding presence, untiring energy and undoubted powers of leadership", he
6298-613: The sixth defensive district. A fallback position for the Border guard was established at Hullett's Stockade in Kearsney on the northern portion of the Natal coast. A unit of African Amangwani Scouts formed part of the Border Guard reserve until April 1879 when they were brought under military control to augment the cavalry of the second invasion force. The British second invasion began on 31 May 1879. The Border Guard may have taken possession of Fort Bengough, between Greytown and Helpmekaar , from
6392-426: The statement that the Cape finances would not permit the establishment of a new dependency. The merchants, however, dispatched an expedition under Dr Andrew Smith to inquire into the possibilities of the country, and the favourable nature of his report induced a party of Boers under Piet Uys , including Jan Bantjes , to go there also. Both Smith and Uys travelled overland through Kaffraria , and were well received by
6486-434: The submission of the Zulu people before the rivers fell low enough to permit a Zulu counter invasion of Natal. The Natal Border Guard was formally under the control of the civilian government of the colony but Governor Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer conceded that operational control lay with Chelmsford. At the outset of the war the Border Guard were posted to fixed points at or near fordable points (known locally as drifts) on
6580-423: The tide of trade which had already set in with the Transvaal steadily increased. Natal colonists were not merely the first in the field with the transport traffic to the new goldfields; they became some of the earliest proprietors of mines, and for several years many of the largest mining companies had their chief offices at Pietermaritzburg or Durban. In this year (1886) the railway reached Ladysmith , and in 1891 it
6674-416: The time of the coming of the first considerable body of British settlers dates the development of trade and agriculture in the colony, followed somewhat later by the exploitation of the mineral resources of the country. At the same time schools were established and various churches began or increased their work in the colony. John Colenso , appointed bishop of Natal , arrived in 1854. In 1856 the dependence of
6768-518: The treatment of commercial questions and the policy to be adopted towards the natives. All Dutch colonists who had joined the Boer forces during the war were pardoned. As early as July 1903, rumours were current that Dinuzulu , king of the Zulus, was disaffected. Dinuzulu, however, remained at the time quiescent, though the Zulus were in a state of excitement over incidents connected with the Boer war, when they had been subject to raids by Boer commandoes, and on one occasion at least had retaliated. Unrest
6862-404: The unit. Bulwer eventually allowed a smaller force (of 2,800 men) to be raised with the stipulation that it not be deployed outside of Natal. This unit was to serve only on a part-time basis, receive no training and fight with the traditional weapons of spear and shield. Following the defeat of the British force during the Battle of Isandlwana the Border Guard was strengthened and equipped with
6956-441: The white population of Natal of about one-tenth, to her native population of about one-tenth also, and to her territory of about one-fourth. An act authorizing the annexation was passed during 1902 and the territories were formally transferred to Natal in January 1903. The period following the war was succeeded by commercial depression, though in Natal it was not so severely felt as in other states of South Africa. The government met
7050-476: Was also apt to be headstrong, and was threatened with loss of command by Lord Chelmsford . Assigned to lead the No. 2 Column of Chelmsford's invasion army, Durnford commanded a mixed force of African troops including the Natal Native Horse and a detachment of the 1st Regiment Natal Native Contingent. On 20 January, Durnford's force was ordered to Rorke's Drift to support Chelmsford's column. That evening,
7144-399: Was also manifested among the natives west of the Tugela, but it was not at first cause for alarm. During 1903–1904 a Native Affairs' Commission, representative of all the states, obtained evidence on the status and conditions of the natives. Its investigations pointed to the loosening of tribal ties and to the corresponding growth of a spirit of individual independence. Among its recommendations
7238-521: Was an Irish career British Army officer of the Royal Engineers who served in the Anglo-Zulu War . Breveted colonel, Durnford is mainly known for his defeat by the Zulus at the Battle of Isandlwana , which was a disaster for the British Army. Durnford was born into a military family at Manorhamilton , County Leitrim , Ireland , on 24 May 1830. His father was General Edward William Durnford, also of
7332-556: Was completed to the Transvaal frontier at Charlestown , the section from Ladysmith northward opening up the Dundee and Newcastle coalfields. Thus a new industry was added to the resources of the colony. The demand which the growing trade made upon the one port of Natal, Durban , encouraged the colonists to redouble their efforts to improve the Port of Durban . A heavy sea from the Indian Ocean
7426-598: Was disbanded after the war; there is no record of the date this occurred but the NNC was disbanded in September and the related Natal Pioneers in October. Colony of Natal The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on 4 May 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia , and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form
7520-557: Was held in the following month turned on native policy and on the measures necessary to meet the commercial depression. The election, which witnessed the return of four Labour members, resulted in a ministerial majority of a somewhat heterogeneous character, and in November 1906 Smythe resigned, being succeeded by Frederick Moor , who in his election campaign had criticized the Smythe ministry for their financial proposals. Moor remained premier until
7614-536: Was in favour of this but opposition from Bulwer and Frere confined the Border Guard to Natal. By May 1879 the expanded unit numbered some 7,700 men. The Border Guard had acted in support of a British raid into Zululand in March by garrisoning the drifts on a 60-mile (97 km) stretch of river. Later in the month a unit was ordered by British Major Twentyman to cross the river and burn some Zulu homesteads but refused to do so, in accordance with their standing orders – though
7708-405: Was joined by King, who had meantime visited England and had obtained from the government a letter of recommendation to Lord Charles Somerset , governor of the Cape, granting King permission to settle at Natal. Farewell, King and Fynn made independent settlements at various parts of the bay. In 1834, a petition from Cape Town merchants asking for the creation of a British colony at Natal was met by
7802-434: Was not successful as a trading venture, but Farewell was so impressed with the possibilities of Natal both for trade and colonization that he resolved to establish himself at the port. He went on with ten companions, among them Henry Francis Fynn . All the rest save Farewell and Fynn speedily returned to the Cape, but the two who remained were joined by three sailors, John Cane, Henry Ogle and Thomas Holstead. Farewell, Fynn and
7896-402: Was not sufficient to secure them, as the government had done, peace and ample means of livelihood. The commission among other proposals for a more liberal and sympathetic native policy urged the creation of a native advisory Board entrusted with very wide powers. "Personal rule", they declared, "supplies the keynote of successful native control". The unrest in Zululand delayed action being taken on
7990-507: Was passed aimed at the exclusion of Indians from the suffrage. The leader of the party which sought responsible government was John Robinson who had gone to Natal in 1850, was a leading journalist in the colony, had been a member of the legislative council since 1863, and had filled various official positions. He now became the first premier and colonial secretary with Harry Escombe as attorney-general and F. R. Moor as secretary for Native Affairs. John Robinson remained premier until 1897,
8084-670: Was raised from 20 December 1878 by a levy on the African men residing in each defensive district; officers were white volunteers. The unit initially numbered some 2,800 men who rotated between active service and reserve duty. Those on reserve were allowed to return home to tend to their crops and livestock, a measure that limited costs by reducing the need for the government to provide food, shelter and clothing. The men initially received no formal training, uniform or weapons and were expected to fight in their traditional tribal style with spears and shields. The units were organised on tribal lines under
8178-471: Was soon thronged; and Pietermaritzburg , which was then practically the terminus of the Natal railway, was the base from which nearly all the expeditions to the goldfields were fitted out. The journey to De Kaap by bullock-waggon occupied about six weeks. "Kurveying" (the conducting of transport by bullock-waggon) in itself constituted a great industry. Two years later, in 1886, the Rand goldfields were proclaimed, and
8272-771: Was stationed at Trincomalee , where his assistance with defences for the harbour under Sir F Pellew was brought to the attention of the Master-General of the Ordanance by the Lords of the Admiralty. In 1853 Durnford was instrumental in saving portions of the harbour defences from destruction by fire. Durnford volunteered for service in the Crimean War but was not accepted. In 1855 he took on civil in addition to military duties, being appointed Assistant Commissioner of Roads and Civil Engineer to
8366-410: Was superior in rank to Brevet Lt.-Col. Henry Pulleine , who had been left in control of the camp, and by tradition would have assumed command. Durnford did not over-rule Pulleine's dispositions, however, and after lunch he quickly decided to take the initiative and move forward to engage a Zulu force which Pulleine and Durnford judged to be moving against Chelmsford's rear. Durnford asked for a company of
8460-562: Was suppressed by the colonial forces under Colonel Duncan McKenzie , aided by a detachment of Transvaal volunteers. Bhambatha , a chief in the Greytown district who had been deposed for misconduct, kidnapped the regent appointed in his stead. He was pursued and escaped to Zululand, where he received considerable help. He was killed in battle in June, and by the close of July the rebellion was at an end. Dinuzulu, accused by many colonists of having incited
8554-593: Was the chief of the Hlubu (or amaHlbubi) tribe in northern Natal. He had failed to enforce an 1872 law that compelled all Africans in Natal to register their firearms with their local magistrate. When told to enforce the law by Resident Magistrate John Macfarlane, Langalibalele said, how one can "count the maggots in a piece of beef?". Langalibalele was then called to appear before the Secretary of Native Affairs, Theophilus Shepstone, in Pietermaritzburg twice, both times refusing. On
8648-452: Was the direct political representation of natives in the colonial legislatures on the New Zealand model , and the imposition of direct taxation upon natives, which should not be less than £ 1 a year payable by every adult male. The commission also called attention to the numerical insufficiency of magistrates and native commissioners in certain parts of Natal. With some of the recommendations
8742-458: Was transferred to China , but was invalided back to England while in transit due to heat apoplexy . After his recovery, Durnford spent the next six years at Devonport and Dublin on routine garrison duties. In 1871 he received a posting to South Africa . On 23 January 1872, he arrived in Cape Town , still never having seen active service. He was, however, promoted to major on 5 July 1872 and lieutenant-colonel on 11 December 1873. Of
8836-486: Was used to support the Border Guard. A number of Zulu-speaking interpreters were posted to the unit on detachment from the Royal Durban Rifles . In April the unit received an issue of obsolete Pattern 1853 Enfield rifled muskets, sufficient to arm one quarter of the men. Some units of the Border Guard were reinvigorated by the receipt of firearms and asked to join British forces on raids into Zululand. Chelmsford
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