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Date	Original Topic
8th June 2001	Melville and Coghill By Alan Critchley Popular myth has it that Melville and Coghill rode out together with the colours from Isandlwana. As I understand it, Melville alone was given charge of saving the colours by Pulleine. On reaching Fugitives Drift, Melville was caught by the flow of the river by Coffin rock along with a Private. The colours were swept away from his grasp, to be recovered some weeks later. Coghill having escaped Isandlwana, returned from the Natal side of the river to aid Melville. This is why both were awarded the first posthumous VCs in 1906. My question is, how was it that Coghill had reached the Buffalo River before Melville? Melville was only ordered to save the colours when all was lost at Isandlwana. Alan Critchley
Date	Replies
8th June 2001	John Young Alan, I've already considered this episode in "The Journal of the Anglo-Zulu War Research Society". (I can e-mail that to you as an attachment.) Firstly, Coghill & Melvill did not leave the camp at Isandlwana together. Smith-Dorrien is a witness to this fact. He states "Again I rode through unheeded, and shortly after was passed by Lieutenant Coghill (24th), wearing a blue patrol and cord breeches and riding a red roan horse. We had just exchanged remarks about the terrible disaster, and he passed on towards Fugitives' Drift. ... (Then in the next paragraph) "...When approaching this drift, and at least half a mile behind Coghill, Lieutenant Melvill (24th), in a red coat and with a cased Colour across the front of his saddle, passed me going to the drift. I reported afterwards that the Colour was broken; but as the pole was found eventually whole, I think the casing must have been half off and hanging down. It will thus be seen that Coghill(who was orderly officer to Colonel Glynn[sic]) and Melvill(who was adjutant) did not escape together with the Colour. How Coghill came to be in the camp I do not know, as Colonel Glynn[sic], whose orderly officer he was, was out with Lord Chelmsford's column." Melvill was clinging to the rock with Lt. W.C.R. Higginson of the 2nd/3rd N.N.C., not a private. Coghill who was safely across on the Natal bank returned to go to Melvill's assistance. It was at that stage that his mount was allegedly shot - or was it? In A.Wilmot's "History of the Zulu War", pub. 1880, page 95 is a little piece about a Mr. Calverley who entered the camp of No.4 Column, in company with warriors of Prince Hamu kaNzibe, who had by then defected to the British cause. "...it was noticed in the camp that Calverley rode the horse on which Lieutenant Coghill was killed at Isandhlwana*. He likewise possessed property known to have been lost in that disaster...." (*contempoary spelling retained.) One could also consider who actually killed Melvill & Coghill, but that's a whole other issue. John