NEWS OF THE WEEK • O N Wednesday arrived at last
the news of a victory over Cetewayo on July 4th, which, in Sir Garnet Wolseley's esti- mation, is not unlikely to prove the end of the war. Sir Garnet Wolseley himself, who had not succeeded in landing at Port
Durnford on July 1st and 2nd, on account of the heavy surf, was not at the front, and the victory was gained by Lord 'Chelmsford, who was in command of the second division, and of General Sir Evelyn Wood's flying column. On July 3rd, a reconnaissance by Colc7nel Buller with the mounted force was made on Ulundi from the south-west. This dis- closed a great force of Zulus defending the King's kraal, who drove back Colonel Buller and his men across the river, but not till he had fixed on ground which he believed to be favourable for the English position on the fol- lowing day. Early on July 4th, Lord Chelmsford's force, con- sisting of the second division, under Major-General Newdigate, numbering about 1,870 Europeans and 530 natives, with eight guns, and Brigadier-General Sir Evelyn Wood's column, consist- ing of 2,192 Europeans and 573 natives, and four guns and two Gatlings,—in all, a force of over 4,000 Europeans and 1,100 natives,—crossed the Umvolosi River, and marched in hollow square to the position chosen on the previous day by Colonel Buller, between Euadwengo and Ulundi, which they reached about 8.30 a.m. The Zulus, in a force somewhat vaguely de- scribed in various estimates as between 10,000 and 20,000, but cer- tainly in numbers not much below the former limit, attacked the English, but did not really charge up to them as in previous attacks, being daunted by the discharge of the artillery ; and at half-past nine they were in full flight. They were pursued by the cavalry, and left several hundreds (Lord Chelmsford thinks 1,000, but Mr. Forbes, who, by a perilous and gallant ride of thirty miles, was the first to carry the despatches informing Sir Garnet Wolseley and Sir Bartle Prore of the victory, estimates the number only at 400), dead on the field. The kraals at Ulundi were burnt. Our casualties were only eleven killed, Captain Wyatt-Edgell being the only commissioned officer, and about fifty 'wounded. Certainly things have gone better ever since Lord Chelmsford joined General Sir Evelyn Wood, who richly deserves his full share of the praise. Under his command, there has been nothing but success, except, perhaps, the surprise of his party at Zlobani, which was certainly not a failure.
