Major Stuart Smith: Ballintemple Soldier who fought the Zulus in 1879

Times Past with Jonathan Smyth.

It is at least 23 years since I saw Zulu, the movie made in 1964 starring Michael Caine. The film centres on the fact-based Battle of Rorke’s Drift in the Anglo-Zulu war where the British Army and the Zulu nation faced each other in January 1879. Having overrun the British at Isandlwana, the upbeat Zulu fighters perceived a weakness in the British forces and decided to take on a small British depot at Rorke’s Drift and it was against overwhelming odds that the British held onto the site and drove off the warriors after a 12-hour siege. Unfortunately, for the English soldiers in the earlier battle of Isandlwana there was not a triumphant outcome and amongst the dead who lay slain on the battlefield was Brevit-Major Stuart Smith, from Ballintemple, Co Cavan.

Born on October 6, 1844, his parents were the Rev Stuart Smith and Henrietta Smith, a daughter of William Graham of Lurgan, Co Armagh. The Rev Smith was the son of James Smith, a businessman from Cavan Town and, as a curate, he was stationed in Ballintemple from 1831 to 1847. The Rev Stuart and Henrietta had two other sons, William, who served in the Bengal Army, and Robert (profession not given), and two daughters, Mary and Eliza.

Rev Smith died shortly after taking what appeared to have been an early retirement, possibly as a result of poor health, and on May 18, 1849, The Anglo-Celt, noted: ‘On the 15th instant, at his residence in Ballintemple’, the Rev Stuart Smith, died aged 42 years. His service to the church ‘was eminently distinguished by a kind, loving and charitable disposition; and as a man and a gentleman, he was respected and admired for his uprightness and consistency in all the relations of life’ stated this newspaper, which went on to call him the ‘idol of his flock and the father of the poor’. The Rev gentleman’s mortal remains now rest ‘in the tomb in Ballintemple church-yard’.

More sadness followed for Henrietta and her family on November 23, 1854, when The Anglo-Celt recorded the death of the late Rev Smith’s youngest daughter Eliza, who died in Dublin from water on the brain. She was only 13 years old.

On September 4, 1884, Henrietta Smith died at Lisburn, Co Armagh.

Zululand

In 1879, war began when Lieuteant-General Lord Chelmsford in an attempt to ‘enforce’ British demands, led an invasion against the inhabitants of Zululand. In the previous year Chelmsford cockily boasted ‘If I am called upon to conduct operations against the Zulus, I shall… show them how hopelessly inferior they are to us in fighting power, although numerically stronger.’

An apt response to Chelmsford’s arrogance, I thought, might be a quote I saw by George Peppard’s character from the 1980s TV programme The A-Team, who said: ‘Overconfident commanders can lose. Nero, Custer, Napoleon. There's room for you in that list, pal.’

Nonetheless, the Zulus had amassed large quantities of antiquated muskets and some newer guns, while the majority entered battle armed only with spear and shield. The Zulus were dextrous combatants who showed great hand-to-hand skills. King Cetsshwayo told his army at Isandlwana to ‘march slowly, attack at dawn and eat up the red soldiers’.

On January 22, 1879, more than 20,000 Zulu troops did just that and invaded the British in a surprise attack.

Ian Knight and Dr Adrian Greaves in their scholarly paper on ‘The South Africa Campaign of 1878 and 1879’ provide some fascinating details on Stuart Smith’s upbringing and army career. According to Knight and Greaves, he was born at Drumlion Cottage, Ballintemple, went to the Royal School, Cavan; Dr Stackpoole’s school at Kingstown, Dublin; and then the Royal Military Academy at Woolich, London, following from which ‘he obtained his commission’ in 1865.

Heroic Irishman

From around 12 noon, Brevet-Major Smith was in command of 'two guns of N battery, 5th Brigade Royal Artillery’ when he was killed during the fight at Isandlwana on January 22, 1879. Throughout the battle he bravely fought to save the guns from falling to Zulu hands. According to Stephen Luscombe on his website - www.britishempire.co.uk - Smith’s section of the ‘British force camped at Isandhlwana’ was comprised of ‘two 7-pounder guns’ and these were placed ‘600 yards east of the camp of the Natal Native Contingent’ with ‘A and H Company’.

When the Zulus reached Conical Hill, Smith had one of the guns pulled ‘back in line’, having scattered the enemy with a single ‘case shot’.

Mr Luscombe adds that ‘when the outlying companies were forced to withdraw to the camp, the Zulus rushed forward and reached the battery before they could limber up’.

Hand-to-hand fighting followed and Major Smith somehow got the guns away but during the fighting at the camp, Luscombe said there were many gunners lost while ‘one gun was overturned and the other was halted by a ravine’. The British later recovered Major Smith’s body and laid him to rest at Fugitive’s Drift.

The Freemans Journal had a bone to pick with the British newspapers who reported on Major Smith’s death; the journalist stating: ‘The greatest hero of them all – Major Stuart Smith – the immortal Stuart Smith, who spiked his guns coolly when surrounded by furious savages – was also an Irishman.

‘His heroic act saved Lord Chelmsford’s force from annihilation. Major Stuart Smith was a north countryman, and his family is well known in Cavan, Armagh and Down’, then adding, ‘I mention these facts because I see the English papers claim this hero, and speak of his English phlegm’.

Commemorated by a plaque

A memorial to Major Smith was erected at Woolwich Garrison, and later relocated to The Memorial Wall at St Alban the Martyr Garrison Church, Larkhill, Wiltshire. The inscription reads: ‘In memory of Stuart Smith, Brevet Major Royal Artillery, aged 33 years, killed in action at Isandlwana, S. Africa, defending his Guns, on the 22nd January 1879’.