‘The Zulu War: Officers of the 24th Regiment Killed at Isandula’ [sic]. Wood engraving by an unknown artist and engraver in The Illustrated London News (March 28, 1879): 216. [Click on image to enlarge it.]
This is a detail of a full page in the newspaper showing seven of the heroes. Lieutenant-Colonel Pulleine was nominally in command, but disputes as to seniority with other officers led to confusion in the chain of command and befuddled the British response to the enemy. Pulleine was probably killed early in the engagement; astonishingly, his letter to the commander Lord Chelmsford advising of the Zulus’ advance was preserved (Peoples’ Collection, Wales). Captain Mostyn was also killed in the Zulus’ first wave. Both figures have the idealized features associated with masculine strength, especially their resolute jawlines (the stereotypical ‘stiff upper lip’). Mostyn’s languorous pose, with his hand against his face, suggests the louche lifestyle of a gentleman, a relaxed attitude that deflects attention from the horror of his death, with many of the soldiers’ bodies being mutilated by the Zulus; Pulleine’s body was never found.
Image scan and text by Simon Cooke. You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned it and (2) link to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.
Created 27 February 2025