Acting Assistant James
Langley Dalton Commissariat and Transport Corps
(Zulu War 1879) THE successful
defence of Rorke's Drift on January 22, 1879, was in a great
measure due to this officer, who, on hearing the news that the
Zulus were marching on the Post, devoted his energies and
resource to the construction of the barricades. He was at the
corner of the hospital when the first onslaught was made by the
dense mass of Zulus, and his unerring aim and cool courage did
much to contribute to the repulse of, and heavy loss inflicted
on, the enemy at that point. One Zulu had sprung on to the
barricade, and, having seized the rifle of one of the defenders,
was about to assagai him, when Dalton rushed forward and saved
the man's life by shooting the Zulu. During the Defence he was
very severely wounded, but continued at his post until the Zulus
retired. In spite of the invaluable work done by Dalton, the War
Office ignored his merits, and it was not until many months
after — in November, 1879 that they were awakened to the
fact that his bravery had been overlooked, and he would have
been left unrewarded had not the facts been laid before
Parliament, and pressure of public opinion been brought to bear
in his favour.
Dalton had been a Sergeant-Major in the British Army before
the war. He died at Portsmouth in April, 1887.
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