Trumpeter Richard Stevens
Richard Walford Stevens was born on
17 October 1858 to Richard and Eliza Stevens. Richards father
was a solicitor when meant that he was able to attend the nearby
Felstead School.
Richard joined the 10th Essex Rifle
Volunteer Battalion that were based at Witham.
Following this military experience he
travelled to South Africa in 1878 and joined the Natal Mounted
Police which ensured that he was involved in the Zulu War of
1879.
On 22 January 1879 Richard and 29
colleagues were involved in the battle at Isandula and by the
end only Richard and 3 colleagues were still alive.
600 men were in camp, mainly from the
24th Regiment of Foot, at Isandula while the rest of the
Regiment and other units under the command of Lord Chelmsford
were searching for hostile Zulus when they were overrun by an
army of 20,000 Zulus. Only 60 men were able to escape the
slaughter.
Those killed included Mr Robert Lumley
who was the brother of the Rev W F Lumley, Chaplain to Essex
Prison.
Part of the Zulu army then moved to
nearby Rorkes Drift where they slaughtered an outpost manned by
more members of the 24th Regiment.
One of the few survivors of Rorkes Drift
was Colour Sgt Ross of the 24th Regiment who lived at Heybridge.
Richard Stevens letter about the
disaster was one of the first to arrive in the UK and attracted
attention in the newspapers.
After the war Richard settled in South
Africa living to a good old age.
His
Great Grandson has since researched more details- Click
here to visit his page.
