Mount Prospect Military Cemetery

Based on research by the late George Chadwick.

When it became obvious, in 1880,  that hostilities were about to break out, Major-General Sir George Pomeroy Colley, who was in command of the British forces, and also Governor of Natal, started to concentrate his troops at Newcastle. To support the movement and provisioning of staff and troops, a series of transit camps and protective forts, which also doubled as heliograph stations, were established. The best known were the so-called Fort Mistake and its twin, Fort Eagle’s Nest, guarding the Mpuke Pass through the Biggarsberg; Fort Ngagane, overlooking the drift over the Ngagane River; and Fort Terror, which was uch just before Newcastle, At Newcastle itself, FortAmiel, which had been occupied in 1866, but strengthened in 1878 and again in 1880, was the main base. Nearby Signal Hill, which later provided heliograph communication with Mount Prospect, was also occupied.

By the middle of January 1881 General Colley had concentrated about 1 200 British troops, comprising men of the 58th (Northampton shire) Regiment; the 3/60th (King's Royal Rifles); the 21st Foot; a Naval Brigade; six artillery pieces; three rocket tubes; and 1500 Mounted Infantry in and around Fort Amiel and Signal Hill. General Joubert, had moved about 2 000 men near to the Natal border at Coldstream, just south of Volksrust. On 1 January 1881 the Boer forces had crossed the border into Natal and occupied the slopes of the Drakensburg on both sides of Laing’s Nek. On 23 January Gen Colley sent an ultimatum  ordering him to disperse his forces but Joubert replied by consolidating his position at Laing’s Nek.

General Colley’s camp at Mount Prospect was set up on 26 January 1881, two days before his defeat at Laing’s Nek, which lies some 8km to the north. After that action, in which his forces suffered severe losses, he moved the camp a few hundred metres up the slope to ensure the health of the troops and to improve the fortifications. The Gordons (Afghan War veterans) had arrived as reinforcements to General Colley’s command following the Laing’s Nek defeat and, with them, came General Sir Evelyn Wood, V.C., who outranked the Governor, but offered to serve under him.

Communications between Mount Prospect and Newcastle were now precarious because mounted Boers were patrolling the route. In an attempt to clear the road and secure his supply route back to Fort Amiel, General Colley led a strong force on the morning of 8 February 1881. This resulted in the battle of Skuinshoogte or Ingogo, in which the British suffered another serious defeat.

On Sunday 27 February 1881, in an effort to gain a strong strategic position and  control the surrounding countryside, General Colley, occupied the high, flat-topped hill of Majuba, resulting in yet another disaster for the British. At dawn, the Boers saw that the mountain was occupied and advanced to the summit. The British, were completely routed with very heavy losses. It was here that General Colley lost his life.

Within a month of the start of the First Anglo Boer War 1880-1881, the British had lost three decisive battles with a severe loss of life. The Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek had won the war outright and secured their independence. The Boers had lost a total of 26 men in the three actions, including those who died of wounds. The British, on the other hand, had lost 20 officers including Major-General Colley, and 231 “other ranks”.

According to British Army custom, officers were buried in individual graves where possible, and “other ranks” in mass graves, near the place where they had fallen. There were exceptions; if a man had been brought back to the camp to die of wounds or illness, he would be buried in the camp burial ground.

The 76 “other ranks” who fell at Laing’s Nek were buried in mass graves on the battlefield. At Skuinshoogte (Ingogo) all the dead were initially interred together on the site, but four days later, the remains of the officers were exhumed and re-buried at Mount Prospect. At Majuba, the “other ranks” who died on the summit were buried there. The Officers, including General Colley, were buried in Mount Prospect cemetery.

The Hon Cornwallis Maude who was killed on the summit of Majuba, was buried in a separate grave near that of the enlisted men. This was probably was becauset at the time of his death he was attached to the 58th Regiment but his commission had not been confirmed. The inscription on his headstone:

“IN MEMORY OF

the hon

CORNWALLIS MAUDE

only son of

VISCOUNT HAWARDEN

aged 28

who having resigned his

commission in the Grenadier Guards

volunteered for service while in

South Africa

and being attached to the 58th Regiment

fell in action on the

AMAJUBAMOUNTAIN

Feb 27th 1881

For Queen and Country

Jesu Mercy”

General Colley’s body was brought down from the summit of Majuba to the Boer camp but, after identification, it was handed over for burial at Mount Prospect. The monument that distinguishes his grave was carved in Pietermaritzburg by Messrs. Jesse Smith & Sons,.

 They completed it to the orders of Lady Colley : “in the shape of a plain cross on a pedestal and steps” with an inscription stating that it was placed there by his wife. It was at his wish that, if he fell in battle, he was to be interred nearby and not taken to his home.

The Mount Prospect cemetery was consecrated by the Bishop of Pietermaritzburg in April 1881, less than two months after the fighting had ended. The wall round the graveyard was probably erected by the men of the 60th Rifles. It appears that they dismantled one of the circular forts, just to the east of the knoll, and re-used the stone. At each corner of the wall, are dressed stone blocks of sandstone with the inscription “W.D.” with a broad arrow and are numbered 1 to 4. The letters “W.D.” indicate “War Department” and the Broad arrow denotes government property. As far as is known, this is unique in a military cemetery layout.

Restoration of the cemetery was completed in 1981. Many of the crosses were replaced by cast concrete reproductions as the original sandstone had reached the end of its natural life. In front of each cross or headstone a tablet of black granite now bears the original wording.

Considerable research was  undertaken to be certain of  the names of those buried here and the  places of  the individual headstones, most of which are in their correct positions.

There are also monuments to the Naval Brigade, and the Gordon Highlanders, The Naval Brigade monument was damaged by vandals in 1960. The damage was repaired.

The Gordon Highlanders, monument in sandstone, has weathered badly. It is approximately two metres high and bears the names of those lost in the Majuba battle. These 45 names have been duplicated on a black granite plinth.

Many of the graves, mainly of “other ranks” were marked by iron crosses. Some had inscriptions, while others were . Over the years, the re-painting of inscriptions has led to many errors, e.g., “Plastine” became “Johnstone” and “RN” became “RA. The crosses have been replaced by correctly inscribed black granite headstones.