DEFENCE OF EKOWE. 
465 
done in vain, that we were to give np the splendid fort on which we 
had taken so much pains and time. 
On the following day we were hard at work making preparations for 
our retreat. 
At about 5 p.m. on this day the special correspondent of the Standard 
made his appearance. The first arrival at Ekowe ! He was greatly 
pleased with his having outstripped the other correspondents, and 
chuckled to himself when he informed us that the Times had stuck in 
a bog, and the Daily Telegraph had met with some similar fate. 
However, we shook him warmly by the hand, and overwhelmed him with 
various questions; the first strange face we had seen for 72 days. It 
was late in the evening before the infantry appeared. The 91st 
Highlanders brought up the rear, and marched past the fort at 
midnight, their pipes playing the lively strains of “ The Campbells are 
coming.” The defenders of Ekowe manned the parapet, and greeted 
them with ringing cheers which were well responded to by the 
“ relievers.” Many were the greetings and congratulations exchanged 
next morning. 
The relief column had marched up on the shortest possible rations. 
They therefore informed us that they had suffered much from the pangs 
of hunger, and felt they undoubtedly had come to the wrong place for 
assuaging their appetites. However, as luck would have it, much to 
their surprise, we managed to assist them, for we had carefully put aside 
three days full provisions, in case we should be forced at any time to 
cut our way back to British territory. These rations were produced, 
and our gallant “ relievers” enjoyed a hearty meal after their exertions 
of the past five days. 
But it was remarked that most of the newspaper correspondents re¬ 
ported that the garrison of Ekowe had suffered but little from the 
scarcity of food, that they found the place well stocked with provisions, 
one of them went so far as to say that he never enjoyed a better meal 
in his life than that supplied by the starved-out heroes of Ekowe. 
The real truth being that they were gloating over these three days 
provisions which we had treasured for so many days, and had longed 
to “ be at ” on so many occasions. 
During the defence we buried six officers and 35 men; and took away 
with us about 120 sick, while Captain Wynne of the Engineers, and 
Thirkill of the 88th both died shortly after our arrival at the Tugela. 
On the morning of 4th April, we commenced our retreat from 
Ekowe, accompanied by all our wagons, ambulances, &c., and covered 
by the force under Lord Chelmsford. The sense of being once more 
free was delightful; and our men, notwithstanding their long confine¬ 
ment, marched splendidly. We passed our old battle field at the 
Inyezane, skirted Gingilovo, and on 8th April reached the Tugela. 
So terminated the first phase of the Zulu campaign as experienced by 
Ho. 1 Column. In a few days the Ekowe garrison, now distributed 
among the 1st Division, was on the march, once more ready to commence 
its battles o'er again. 
