Born in India in 1846, Robert Erskine was the son of the
Colonial Secretary and former Regimental Commander of the Royal Natal
Carbineers, Major Erskine. In 1863 Robert, destined for a post in the colonial service,
was sent to the newly established Pietermaritzburg High School where he was to
be taught by William Calder. In 1870 Robert, like many of the sons of Pietermaritzburg’s
social elite, joined the Royal Natal Carbineers. In 1873 the Natal government
felt threatened by the amount of firearms African tribes had started to
accumulate with the money young African men were making on the diamond mines.
To counter this threat the colonial government of Natal sent a force, under the
command of Royal Engineer Colonel Anthony Durnford, to arrest Langalibalele.
The plan was to split the force in two. Durnford was to take his group up the Giant’s
Castle Pass and Captain Allison, a local magistrate who commanded a contingent
of African auxiliaries, was to take his group up the Champagne Castle Pass. The
planned to encircle Langalibalele by rendezvousing at the Bushman’s River Pass, the only pass which Langalibalele and his warriors might use to escape into Basutoland (modern day
Lesotho). Whilst negotiating a steep section of the Giant’s’ Castle Pass,
Durnford’s horse Chieftain slipped and threw Durnford who had be leading the
horse at the time. Although Durnford was badly injured, he stoically continued
with his mission thanks largely to the efforts of Robert Erskine who tended to
him by bringing him brandy to sooth the pain. Durnford would later comment on
Erskine’s efforts by saying that: “He (Erskine) tended me as my brother might
have done.”
When Durnford’s party arrived at their rendezvous point
alone. As a result of this disaster, Durnford- who was still in a
tremendous amount of pain- reached the pass a day late and there was no sign of
Allison and his force. Ironically, the only people Durnford and his party came
across at the rendezvous point was the group of Hlubi warriors Langalibalele
had ordered to guard the rear of his flight into Basutoland. Durnford, who initially believed they were
Sotho, soon realised the identity of these warriors and ordered his cold and
exhausted troops to form a line blocking the Hlubi path Bushman’s River Pass.
Things escalated and despite the efforts of Durnford and his opposing Hlubi
induna, young Hlubi warriors began to threateningly encircle Durnford. Durnford
now found himself in a serious predicament as, before he had left on their
mission, the Lieutenant Governor of Natal, Pine, had ordered Durnford not to
issue the order to fire unless his force was under fire themselves. Durnford, hoping that he could still salvage
something out of this situation, held his ground in the belief that the Hlubis
would back down. Captain Barter, the highest ranking officer amongst the Royal
Natal Carbineers in Durnford’s part urged Durnford to retreat but Durnford
dismissed Barter’s concerns. Despite his order to hold their ground, most of
the Carbineers and other colonial troops began to back away from their
positions in the line. Realising that his plan was unraveling, Durnford tried
to rally his men by shouting: “WILL NO ONE STAND BY ME THEN?!”
Robert, who replied “I WILL, MAJOR!”, was amongst the
five white men who responded to
Durnford’s rallying cry and paid for it with his life. Soon a volley of Hlubi
fire broke out and the most of the colonial troops under Durnford broke ranks
and scrambled to safety down the pass from they had ascended. A second volley
from a Hlubi named Jantjie kaSilele killed Robert. Two other Carbineers named
trooper Bond and Potterill were shot almost immediately afterward. Two of
Durnford’s interpreters, Tlokoas named Katana and Elijah Nkambule were also
killed during moments after Robert. Durnford himself was stabbed in the arm but
managed to shoot his assailant and escape after the retreating Carbineers.
Durnford tried to turn Chieftain around return to the scene of the fighting was
stopped by a few other Tlokoas who realised the hopelessness of the situation.
Durnford was left to return to Pietermaritzburg in disgrace
and with the life of his loyal trooper on his conscience.
Durnford led a contingent of regular British troops back to Bushman’s River
Pass a few days later to bury the dead. He was joined by only one Carbineer, George Shepstone-
Robert’s former classmate at Pietermaritzburg High School.
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