Lieut W.F.D. Cochrane's full account of the battle of iSandlwana

Posts : 3463 Join date : 2021-01-04

Only part of this account is in "Witnessess at iSandlwana" p113-115.
Here is the full account
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Epsom Journal - Tuesday 25 March 1879

Actually Kate, this is NOT Cochrane's full account. If you look at the original you'll find that quite a large chunk has been left out from the beginning and the last sentence has also been excised.

Posts : 272 Join date : 2017-07-21 Location : San Diego, CA

P. 108-11 include this full statement. It's shown up in a newspaper or two.

Studies in the Zulu War 1879: second volume , "The Cochrane Accounts of ISANDHLWANA."
Cheers

Although appaently cut back, I found this account to be of great interest. Pity it can't be put up as a straight run of print.

Cochrane's account is extremely interesting for what it doesnt say. He mentions messages coming in, withdrawing, splitting etc. But theres no mention of the look out on top of iSandlwana warning of the Raw etc force encountering the impi as they spilt over Mabaso.
The age old explanation has always been that the view was limited to the ridge line but this is incorrect. Mabaso ridge is very visible from the top of iSandlwana as is a large slice of the southern face down which the impi would have descended.
That is of course IF they did descend that face or Raw did spot them from the top of Mabaso. If on the other hand the impi wasnt in the valley but closer to camp at the base of Mabaso for instance then they would have been invisible to that sentry, hence no report for Cochrane to mention!
Possibly a tick for Aussie's theory?
Just me wielding the wooden spoon.

Frank, on your explorations - have you ever been to the top of Isandlwana hill?

Has he!!!???!!! It's his second home!

I have indeed SIme and the edge of Mabaso leading down into the valley is very clear. Even more so is the view from the top of Mabaso with the top of iSandlwana very very clear.
Cheers

Hi

I suppose, on the day, it would have relied on the 'professionalism' of the lookouts (I believe they were Natal Natives), heat haze etc

Now you mention it, I do recall you telling me about some kind of Zulu 'forge' on the top of Isandlwana.

Cheers

Sime

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

This is taken from the area Raw is reputed to have seen the impi, careful look to the centre of the photo and that 'bump' is the head of the sphinx. Clear line of sight. Any morning mist would have burned of by 11ish and any heat haze would not have interfered with the view significantly. We do know it was only a few hours later that Milne was able to clearly see the camp so there didint seem to be any vision issues. Any sentry posted up there would have been alerted by the sounds of rifle fire, nothing in between to stop or mute the sound. Having been 'woken up' by the sounds the vision would have caused a certain amount of bowel disturbance.

Cheers

Frank
Can I ask you to clarify a little. Your photo shows the area FROM WHICH Raw first observed the impi. It does NOT show the location of the impi itself, which would have been BELOW (relatively speaking) Raw's position. Correct?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Turned 180 degrees from the last photo looking down into the valley with the stream at the bottom

Right, as I thought. So anyone atop Isandhlwana would have seen nothing of the advancing impi until MUCH later, probably when it appeared well to the right of Raw's position getting ready to move up to the plateau's edge.

» An account of the battle of Ulundi
» Chelmsford, Pulline. & Durnford
» Battle of Ulundi written account by Alfred Dennis