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Author Topic: Native Natal Contingent officers Zulu War  (Read 3164 times)

Offline Stuartta

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Re: Native Natal Contingent officers Zulu War
« Reply #9 on: Saturday 22 June 13 18:24 BST (UK) »
And thanks, Rex.

Alan

Offline John Young

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Re: Native Natal Contingent officers Zulu War
« Reply #10 on: Sunday 23 June 13 01:24 BST (UK) »
Alan,

There's an interesting engraving in The Penny Illustrated News, which shows Lieutenant H. C. Young at Isandlwana, based purely on his story.  When my collection is out of storage I will post the image should you like to see it.

Back in 1991 I spoke to Captain Stafford's niece, who recounted his story as if in first person. 

Stafford in his account, published in The Natal Mercury of 22nd January 1929 gives the following information:

Quote
... The fleet-footed Zulus kept at our heels, and a small gain I had made on them was lost when at one of the dongas I came across a wounded man. After several attempts on his part to get a foot into one of my stirrups I managed to pull him up behind me. Re had an assegai wound under his arm and was so weak from loss of blood that I could hardly feel him holding me. He had managed to tell me that he was Young of Lonsdale's Horse [sic] when we got to a donga 12 feet wide. In taking the jump my horse's hind feet did not get a firm hold on the other side and it slipped. While it was recovering itself poor Young lost his seat and fell back.

The Zulus were then right on top of us, and poor Young was killed, although Harry Davis, who had come up, and I did our best for him. A little further on we came across Lieutenant Erskine, unable to go further on account of an assegai wound through the calf of one of his legs...

Regards,

John Y.
...Neither praise nor blame add to their epitaph but like it be simple as that which marked Thermopylae.
Tell it in England those that pass us by, here, faithful to their charge, her soldiers lie.

Offline Stuartta

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Re: Native Natal Contingent officers Zulu War
« Reply #11 on: Sunday 23 June 13 14:10 BST (UK) »
Thank you for that account, John.

I would most certainly be interested in seeing the picture of H C Young - even though based on his imagination.

It seems on the other hand that the events were vividly etched in Walter Stafford's memory, even 50 years on. Great that you got to talk to his niece. From his account, perhaps poor Young was attempting to say his name, "Lonsdale", which Stafford heard (or remembered) as his being from Lonsdale's regiment.

Kind regards,
Alan
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