Big game hunter killed at ulundi

The Hon. William Henry Drummond was a professional hunter, and trader. His The Large Game and Natural History of South and South-East Africa (Edinburgh, 1875) provides a thrilling record of big game hunting in Zululand, Tongaland and Swaziland. It would be a mistake to conclude that all hunters of the period were unconcerned about the impact of their activities on animal populations. Drummond, for one, was worried that elephant hunting might kill off the creatures "merely for the purpose of supplying Europe with ivory ornaments and billiard-balls." As interpreter and guide to Chelmsford’s staff, Drummond served during the Anglo-Zulu War, and was killed at the Battle of Ulundi. His body was found full of stab wounds, and his fellow hunter and soldier Fairlie records that “Drummond was drunk that morning and rode right into the Zulus alone.” One may discover Drummond in happier times through the first edition of The Large Game, in our list this month.

Hi durnfordthescapegoat

Could I ask where did this come from? (very interesting) as I have a different account of what happened to Drummond.

He was the son of the 9th Viscount Strathallan, a Natal civil servant acting as Chelmsford's Intelligence Officer, he also acted as an Interpreter.
After the Battle of Ulundi on the 4th July 1879 he was riding 'Percy' a large grey, which he had purchased after the Prince Imperial's funeral, and was riding through some Kraals which the group that he was with were torching, but he lost his way in the labyrinth of passageways. He was never seen alive again, and a month and a half later on the 18th of August his charred corpse was found in the ashes of the Kraal.

hi all.
Not sure where i saw this maybe HARFORD"S JOURNAL or NORRIS NEWMAN"S book, i seem to recall someone said
he lost control of his mount and was last seen galloping toward a party of zulus , i may be wrong , happy to be corrected.
Will check my books tomorrow, if nobody corrects me.
cheers 90th.

Part of: The Brisbane Courier
Type: newspaper; news
Notes: THE steamship City of London reached Adelaide on last Thursday, bringing Cape news to July 21. The following items have been wired to the S. M. Herald of Friday last:-

Mr. Mellor Pryor, the special artist of tho Illustrated London News, whilst sketching tho burning of Ulundi, had a most narrow escape with Mr. Archibald Forbes and others, and did not observe that they had left him. Suddenly he saw some Zulus rushing to bar his only way of exit. He run for his life aud just reached his horse in time. The body of the hon. W. Drummond, who was missed after the burning of Ulundi, has been found pierced with assegai wounds.

One of my Africana dealers sent me this in his latest catalogue.
He has Drummonds book about big game hunting for sale and he gave this little biographical sketch.
I will check with him about it's accuracy.

Just out of interest. There was another Big Game Hunter present at the Battle Of Ulundi by the Name of Guy C. Dawnay

There si a bit about Drummond here. The last paragraph:
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Hi old historian2

You are correct about Guy Dawnay, please look at Pictorial catalogue of AZW graves for him.

Hi I came across this extract about. Guy C Dawnay, the big- game hunter who also fought at Ulundi, recalled that they ransacked the king's house 'pretty thoroughly, but there was no loot at all, nothing but here and there a spoon, a shield, a string of medlars dried, fat-jars, etc, etc, it was jumpy work staying long there, as the way out was rather intricate and amidst a mass of blazing huts and fences and clouds of smoke.

These big game hunters were they serving in the Army or were they some sort of mercenaries. And what weapons were they using on the Zulu’s not the big game hunting rifles I hope.

Good point John.
Came across this fellow.

Parker Gillmore saw service as a Captain in the British Army during the Crimean War, and in China. He had wide shooting experience in North America, India, China and Africa.

In 1875 a Scots laird, Maurice Lothian, sent Gillmore a tempting invitation. “Will you accompany me on a hunting trip to tropical South Africa for a year or two?” By October they were off, stopping first at Cape Town, then sailing on to Durban. They trekked through Natal to reach the Orange Frees State in 1876. Lothian was ill for most of the land journey and left Gillmore at Potchefstroom.

Gillmore pressed on north to Shoshong. Here he met parties of hunters and accompanied them on expeditions against elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros and the usual antelope. He returned to Great Britain via the Kimberley Diamond Diggings and Port Elizabeth in June 1876. It is from The Great Thirstland, his account of this expedition, that our first extract is taken.

In the Zulu War of 1879, Gillmore was employed by the British Army as a Commandant of Native Levee. His journeys in search of assistance from African tribes took him through the Northern Transvaal and into present-day Botswana. Weakened in health by this active service, he returned directly to the U.K. where he wrote On Duty – a Ride Through Hostile Africa, the source of our second extract.

Gillmore wrote a large number of books, sometimes under the pen-name “Ubique”. He has an easy, chatty style – often forthrightly personal and humorous. Generally this makes for interest, but sometimes his facile prejudices can prove irritating.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Gillmore had a distaste for the wanton slaughter of big-game. “I shoot to fill the pot” he writes in his introduction to The Great Thirstland. “When that is done I cease to take the lives of valuable food-furnishing animals. Thus I have to record no wonderful bags of game, but simply the killing of what was absolutely necessary for the support of myself and attendants”.

littlehand wrote:

In the Zulu War of 1879, Gillmore was employed by the British Army as a Commandant of Native Levee. His journeys in search of assistance from African tribes took him through the Northern Transvaal and into present-day Botswana. Weakened in health by this active service, he returned directly to the U.K. where he wrote On Duty – a Ride Through Hostile Africa, the source of our second extract.

I am unable to place this Parker Gillmore on any Medal Roll

Has anyone got any further information on him ?

I have found the following, but still cannot find him on any Medal Roll.

COPY OF LETTER FROM WAR OFFICE TO GENERAL
COMMANDING H.M. FORCES, NATAL.
Pall Mall, 2nd April, 1879.
Sir,- I am directed by Secretary Col. Stanley to
transmit for your information the accompanying copy of
a letter from Mr. Parker Gillmore, late 1st Foot, who has
travelled much in South .A1rica, and to acquaint you that
as it is possible Mr. Gillmore's local knowledge may be
found valuable, an arrangement has been made with him
to proceed to Natal, so that his services may be made
available should you desire them.
The only engagement made with Mr. Gillmore is that
he shall have his expenses paid out and home again should
his services not be required, and an imprest of 50l. has
been made to him on this account, for which he will have
to render a statement of expenditure.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) RALPH THOMPSON.
To the General Officer Commading: H.M. Forces, Natal.
True Copy.
(Signed) ,ARTHUR ALLEN OWEN, Bt. Lt.-Col. 88th Regt.,
President of the Board.

TERMS OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN MR. PARKER GILLMORE,
LATE 1ST FOOT, AND HER MAJESTY'S IMPERIAL
GOVERNMENT, RELATING TO THE HIRING OF LEADERS
AND DRIVERS, &c.
Pay at 30s. a day, with rations for self, servants, and
horses.
Pay of after-rider, 5l. a month, with rations. In lieu of rations for self and horses, Mr. Gillmore will
receive travelling allowances at the rate of ll. a day. This
allowance will include the expenses of the after-rider and
forage.
Mr. Gillmore will be provided with two horses for
himself and two horses for his after-rider.
Mr. Gillmore engages to proceed to the South-West
Frontier of the Transvaal and the adjoining country, and
to hire drivers and leaders to serve during the war
against the Zulus on the following terms.
The pay of the drivers and leaders and their conditions
of service to be the same as those men at present serving
in Natal, as laid down in District order dated 3rd May,
'79.
(Copy attached.)
The men engaged by Mr. Gillmore will receive rations
until their arrival at Ladysmith in Natal, but no pay.
Pay will commence from the date of their arrival at
Ladysmith.
The drivers and leaders will be engaged to serve until the
expiration of the war against the Zulus, when they will
receive a gratuity of half a month's pay each, and will be
sent back under Mr. Gillmore, or some other responsible
person, to the place from which they started.
The Staff Paymaster will arrange to supply Mr. Gillmore
with an imprest of 500l. to purchase meat and
grain for the drivers and leaders on the journey to Natal,
and such imprest to be afterwards duly accounted for by
Mr. Gillmore.
One pack ox will be required for every twelve men to
carry their baggage and cooking-pots. These oxen will
be purchased by Mr. Gillmore at a cost not exceeding
12l. a-piece, and will be handed over to the Commissariat
Department on arriving in Natal.
Should Mr. Gillmore, after engaging a portion of the
natives required find it necessary to proceed further:
north to obtain the remainder, he will hire the services
of a competent civilian at 10s. a day, and will send the
first portion of the men down to Ladysmith under his
charge.
Signed on behalf of
H.M. Secretary of State for War,
(Signed) E. STRICKLAND,
Commissary General.
(Signed) PARKER GILLMORE,
Late Lieut. 1st Foot.
Witness: (Signed) W. D. Ri.chardson.
'True copy of agreement between Capt. Parker Gillmore and the
Government.
(Signed) .ARTHUR ALLEN OWEN, Bt. Lt.-Col. 88th Rcgt.,
President of the Board.

Quote :

Pay at 30s. a day, with rations for self, servants, and
horses.

And what was a British Soldier paid at the rank of Private. A shilling a day

Don't know much about this chap but I thought I would contribute.

Extract from "Scouting for Stanley in East Africa"


I use the personal pronoun in connection with them with mental reservation, and kindly remembrance of my companion. We both fired into the herd. Dr. Abbott
insisted that it was I who did the deed. I insisted that it was he. We came near quarreling over that splendid trophy. I finally consented to keep it.

Danger to the sportsman is not to be apprehended from a herd. It is of solitary old bulls, or cows with young calves that get separated from their fellows, that
the sportsman must beware. Many a gallant fellow has paid the final tribute to the savage charge of a solitary African buffalo. We camped one afternoon near the
Ziwa, or papyrus swamp of Ngiri. We took possession of an old boma beside the swamp. On a big tree within
was carved the inscription "G. C. D., Feb. 28, 1889." Another thorn boma, smaller than this, near by, contained an oblong mound, and on another tree at its
head was another inscription to the same purport.

Here was buried the Hon'ble G. C. Dawnay, M.P., who, six months before, had been killed by a buffalo. His companion, Mr. Buckley, the celebrated English
naturalist, had returned to Mombasa just as we were leaving. We remembered a request he had made, and "touched up" the boma around the grave.

This gallant sportsman and well-known member of Parliament was a victim to his own intrepidity. He had successfully hunted big game in all parts of the
world. He had fearlessly plunged into the thickest of the jungle about the Ngiri swamp. In a thicket where, fully aware of the danger, he had magnanimously
forbidden his gun-bearers to follow, he, within an hour, laid low a buffalo and a lion, stopping the lattrr on the charge when but six feet from iiim ; and had then
bearded in this dangerous den a second old bull buffalo, the most dangerous animal, at close quarters, in Africa. But the sportsman's time had come. In the harness he
loved so well to wear, he died. Never did Nimrod fall before a foe so worthy of his bullets as the grim old Masai-land "boga" of the Ngiri swamp.

Mr. Dawnay was, at the time of his death, a member of the Emin Pasha Relief Committee. I shall never forget the expression of deep and painful interest that came into Mr. Stanley's face, as I told him of the fatal adventure in the Ngiri swamp, in his camp at Msuwa.

S.D