Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP

Subject: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 9:35 am

Ive come across a reference to a visit to iSandlwana to re bury exposed bones etc. It seems to have been led by Robert Eaton NMP. Any Ideas?

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:48 pm

Frank,

Any clues as to the dates, or the source of the reference?

JY

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:54 pm

John I dont have to much info at this stage but I believe it stems from 1880

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 2:25 pm

Frank,

It could be the O’Connell party of the 3rd/60th as they were accompanied by a N.M.P. detachment, which would fit with 1880.

JY

Subject: Lce Cpl Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 3:38 pm

Hi JY & Frank
Yes O'Connell was there in 1880 , he was met at I think Fort Melvill by Sub Inspector Phillips and 7 troopers of the NMP , O'Connell had left Pietermaritzburg with 11 Soldiers of the 3 / 60th , I wish I could find a copy of O'Connell's Burial detail Map ! .
90th

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:10 pm

Wasnt O Connell there in March 1880? Eaton was there earlier, exactly when I dont know at this stage but definitly before 4th February.

Subject: Lce Cpl Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:23 pm

O'Connell was issued orders on the 27th Feb 1880 to head to Isand , he was held up by poor weather for 3 days at Tugela Drift ( his words ) , as I mentioned when O'Connell finally arrived at Ft Melville , Sub Insp Phillips was already there with the 7 NMP Troopers , they may well have gone for a recce before O'Connell arrived in the 1st week of March .
90th

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:27 pm

90th,

Where is Fort Melville is it in Nantucket? Is it named after the author?

JY Joker

Subject: Lce Cpl Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:33 pm

JY HAHAHAHAHAHAHA just a mere slip of one of my portly fingers , did spell it correctly in my first post ! hahahahahaha
90th Very Happy

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:43 pm

So a possible question would be why did O Connell go? At whos instigation?

Subject: Lce Cpl Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:53 pm

O'Connell states it was in Pursuance of Garrison Orders 27th Feb 1880 . He was directed to proceed to Isandlwana to rebury the dead at the Battlefield , and in the neighbourhood of that place .
90th

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 6:08 pm

Whatever officers were present L/Cpl Eaton was obviously the senior survivor from the NMP so maybe that’s his claim to have led the party?
Phil

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Wed Sep 23, 2020 6:31 pm

Hi Gary, Eaton was there quite some time before O Connell. So would it be feasible that Eaton could have been the cause of OConnell being there. Just musing!

Subject: Lce Cpl Robert Eaton NMP Thu Sep 24, 2020 3:49 pm

Hi Frank
Who knows , feasible I guess , but I very much doubt it , it wasn't as if the Imperial Commands ever listened to the Colonials , although they may well have had reports from was it Rev Robertson or so at St Vincents ? . O'Connell says it was at the behest of the Officer Commanding at Fort Napier . Doubtful Eaton would've been running the the show , but certainly would've acted as a guide you'd expect , wonder if the other 6 troopers in that Patrol were also survivors of Isandlwana , or had been out with LC ? , unfortunately O'Connell doesn't mention their names , they might well be mentioned in the records of the NMP , or in the Archives or similar , possibly even mentioned in the Press at the time ? .
90th

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

Bonjour Frank,
Around 10 January 1880,a detachment of NMP have been sent up to Isandhlwana. Unfortunately, I don't know if Eaton was a member of the party.
Amitié
Fred

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Thu Sep 24, 2020 8:47 pm

Thanks Fred, the patrol was under the command of Corporal Eaton. The orders for O Connell where issue by Wolseley after he received a report of bodies being exposed by the weather. Still lots to mull over for that period though.

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

Right for Wolseley -in link with the local authorities-.
Personally I think the trigger for the Eaton-led patrol was Bale's letters (in particular the "P.S").
Tarboton and Whitelaw, the fathers of troopers killed at Isandhlwana, had the same temptation to go to Isandhlwana at the same period.
In response, Royston (NC) wrote a letter in a Natal newspaper claiming that the Volunteers killed at Isandhlwana were properly entered.
Amitié
Fred

Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay

Hi All,

Reflecting on the questions around the timing of the reburials, I think the impending visit of HRH Princess Eugenie, Emperess of France, who arrived in Zululand a few months later, in April, may have been the spur for action, ie cleaning up the battlefield. The Colonial authorities would not have wanted to offend her as she insisted on a visit to Isandlwana during her tour of Zululand.
As it was, she and her NMP guide, whilst visiting the river bank at Fugitives Drift, came upon the uninterred remains of a horse and rider who had jumped off the rock face at SD's pool and succumbed in their attempt to flee an enemy hot on their heels. Immediate burial of these remains was arranged.

regards

barry

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Fri Sep 25, 2020 11:25 am

Good Point Barry. Salute

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Sat Oct 03, 2020 2:00 pm

In The Mounted Police of Natal by HP Holt p78 it states:

"The bodies of those who were killed at Isandhlwana
having lain where they fell for five months, a
force was sent out towards the end of June to perform
the sad task of burial. It was joined at Rorke's
Drift by sixty of the police under Major Dartnell."

No names are mentioned.

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Sat Oct 03, 2020 2:29 pm

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Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Mon Oct 05, 2020 7:50 am

Leaves a rather large hole between September 1879 and February 1880.

Subject: Re: Lance Corporal Robert Eaton NMP Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:12 pm

brian/Frank
Yes, there's nothing in that article that sheds any light on your 'Eaton Patrol' I'm afraid - too early!

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