Louis Phillipe Du Bois.

Subject: Louis Phillipe Du Bois. Sun Nov 21, 2010 8:31 pm

"Louis Phillipe Du Bois. He was a member of the renowned family of elephant hunters who farmed at "Giba", Helpmekaar, where the old Dutch hunting road from Pietermaritzburg crossed the Biggarsberg. The Du Bois' hunted as far north as the Zambezi. In the 1860's they helped Vincent St. Erskine map the Limpopo River for the Royal Geographic Society in London. In 1879 they assisted the British army as interpreters and guides.

Louis Phillippe reluctantly agreed to act as a conductor of wagons on 22 January 1879. He fought his way out of the massacre at Isandlwana, galloped to the Buffalo river and was within safety on the Natal bank of the river when a shot aimed at Wally Erskine of the Natal Carbineers, who was riding alongside him, struck him in the temple. A month later his brothers rescued his remains and interred them on "Giba" beside the stone fort they had erected for the defence of the Biggarsberg.Â (Headstone from "Giba" Helpmekaar district)"

Source: Talana Museum

Subject: Louis Phillipe Du Bois Sun Nov 21, 2010 10:33 pm

hi all .
Here are a couple of eye witness accounts in regard to Du Bois , these from Zulu Rising by I. Knight.

A general panic had by now swept through the men still in the camp . When he saw Durnford retreat , James Brickhill
had gone down to the camp of the 1 /24th where he met Louis Du Bois , one of three brothers who farmed near Brickhill's
home in Msinga , and who had taken a job with the army as a wagon conductor . '" I saw Mr Du Bois who asked me in zulu
how it looked . I replied ' Ugly ' he said ; Yes ' the enemy has scattered us this day '

When the 24th Co's had begun to retire towards the camp , Horace Smith - Dorrien had returned to the tents , probably searching
out fresh ammunition . Here he met Louis Du Bois , apparantly searching for a horse . " The game is up " said DuBois . " If I had a
good horse I would ride straight for Maritzburg ". I never saw him again . I then saw Surg Major Shepherd busy in a depression ,
treating wounded . This was also the last time I saw him .
cheers 90th.

Posts : 747 Join date : 2009-10-18

Was this not the Chap, who rode in on Coghill's horse.

Subject: Re: Louis Phillipe Du Bois. Wed Jul 26, 2017 11:19 am

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Conductor L. DuBois, civilian conductor killed in action at Isandlwana - Memorial Inscription (Talana)
Photo By Tim Needham

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