The Revs. Chard, Froude and Michell 113 



hero of Rorke's Drift, on January 22nd, 1879, when he — then 

 Lieutenant Chard — and Lieutenant Bromhead, 24th Regiment, 

 accomplished ahnost superhuman tasks in defending the hospital 

 and the stores when taken by surprise and surrounded by three 

 thousand Zulus. 



This is not the place to recount the magnificence of those 

 men's bravery, for I am writing about parsons, but it is im- 

 possible to mention the name of Chard without referring to it, 

 and I would like to recount the story afresh every year, so that 

 the rising generations may hear all about it, and be fired with 

 the hero-worship so inspiring and good for any son of man. 



If I were a parson I would set apart special days to preach 

 sermons on the lives of some of these great men ; I would take 

 them for my text ; I would point out what possibilities lie 

 within us all of forgetting self -what it is that makes men stand 

 out like beacons in the hours of darkness and strife. 



I can remember that black January, 1879, when the news 

 of the awful disaster at Isandula reached England, and we were 

 dumb with grief at the thought of all our brave soldiers that 

 perished there, marched to their death with contradictory orders 

 and insufficient ammunition. We felt crushed as a nation, 

 broken-hearted as individuals. 



Quickly on top of this blow came the news of the attack on 

 Rorke's Drift, held against such overwhelming numbers by a 

 handful of England's best. It was here Lieutenant Chard, 

 taken by surprise, without even time to cut down the bush 

 surrounding them, which gave such excellent cover for the 

 enemy, quickly made defences of biscuit -tins, all with him 

 following his orders and working hard. 



At the last moment the Natal native contingent, dis- 

 heartened at the disaster at Isandula, deserted, making matters 

 worse for this brave handful, who only had time to build up the 

 biscuit -tins and boxes two tins high, when the enemy were on 

 them and the hospital attacked. 



Lieutenants Chard and Bromhead carried out all the sick it 

 was possible to move, but in spite of their efforts the hospital 

 was set on fire ; the three privates stationed at the doors to 

 protect the helpless inside, came to the end of their ammunition 

 and stood at their posts repulsing the enemy at the point of the 

 bayonet. ... 



I 



