User:Dumelow/British operations against Mbilni

Narrative of Field Operations p67-68 Colonel Evelyn Wood's left column had fallen back to Kambula following the defeat of Lord Chelmsford's centre column at the 2 January Battle of Isandlwana, where they established a fortified position. Lieutenant-Colonel Redvers Buller led a force of 70 men of the Frontier Light Horse and a number of Burghers (under Piet Uys) from the column on 13 February. They headed to the Intombe valley to act against Zulu chief Manyanyoba and renegade Swazi prince Mbilini waMswati. Mblini had, in September 1878, ordered the German settlers to leave the disputed territory around Luneburg. On the night of 10 February the combined forces of the two men had killed settlers in the valley. On 11 February a small force under Lieutenant Scwartzkopf had raided Mbilni's and Manyanoba's terriotry in revenge. Buller left Luneburg at dawn on 15 February and took 13 Frontier Light Horse and 33 Dutch Burghers as well as 417 of Wood's Irregfgulars, 8 of the Kaffrarian Rifles and 100 Luneburg civilians to attack Manyanyoba's stronghold in caves along the Intombe valley. Uys led a party above to high ground above the caves while Buller launched an assault on them. Little resistance was met and 34 ZUlu were killed and some cattle captured for the loss of two men killed (from the African irregulars), one missing and three wounded from the British force. The force returned to Luneburg that evening and Buller and Uys returned with their men to Kambula on 16 Februart/

Colonel Hugh Rowlands, responsible for safeguarding Transvaal to the north wa salso engaged in the area on 15 February. He was leading a force returining to Derby from Luneburg when he spotted a party of Zulu at Tolaka mountain. He led a partially successful assault on the caves and rough ground on the southern side of the mountain, killing 7 Zulu and capturing 197 cattle. Rowlands men engaged further Zulu forces on 20 February at Eloya mountain, without a decisive result. Another attack was made on Manyanyoba's forces on 25 February but again was indecisive and the road from Derby to Luneburg remained insecure, with smaller parties of British troops vulnerable to attack. Rowlands was ordered to Pretoria on 26 February to deal with unrest amongst the Boers of the Transvaal and his men ain Derby and Luneburg transferred to Wood's command.

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