John Cecil Russell

John Cecil Russell was born on 6 December 1839 and was the only son of Alexander James Russell and Magdalene Stein, residents of Edinburgh.^[1][2][3][4] The family coat of arms, derived from the Russells of Ashiesteel, was a fountain proper (blue and white wavy bands) and the motto was agitatione purgatur (Latin: "it is purified by motion").^[5][6] Russell was educated privately before attending New College of the University of Oxford.^[7] Russell enlisted in the Oxford University Rifle Volunteer Corps and reached the rank of colour-serjeant before being commissioned as an ensign on 1 March 1860.^[8] Russell resigned his commission in the Rifle Volunteer Corps on 19 June 1860.^[9]

Russell purchased a commission as a cornet in the 11th Light Dragoons on 18 September 1860 and transferred to the 10th Light Dragoons on 16 October.^[10][11] His regiment was renamed as the 10th (The Prince of Wales's Own) Royal Hussars in 1861 and he was appointed an instructor of musketry on 28 June 1864.^[12] Russell purchased a lieutenant's commission in the regiment on 16 August 1864 and, on 18 October, was appointed adjutant.^[13][14] He purchased his captaincy in the regiment on 28 May 1870.^[15]

Russell transferred to the 12th (The Prince of Wales's) Royal Regiment of Lancers on 3 August 1872.^[16] He participated in the 1873–1874 Anglo-Ashanti War, under the command of Major-General Garnet Wolseley and became a member of the Wolseley ring of officers associated with that commander.^[17] During the war, Russell served as aide-de-camp to Brigadier-General Sir Archibald Alison and was present during the Battle of Amoaful, the Battle of Ordashu and the capture of Kumasi.^[18] During the latter part of the war he served as deputy assistant-adjutant and quartermaster-general and was twice mentioned in despatches.^[2]

Russell was rewarded for his service in the Ashanti war by promotion to the brevet rank of major on 1 April 1874 and was appointed an Equerry in Waiting to Edward, Prince of Wales on 1 March 1875.^[18][19][20] He resigned his position as equerry on 5 July 1878 to seek active service but was retained by Edward in the honorary role of Extra Equerry.^[2][21] Russell was sent to the Transvaal on special duties in 1878 and fought in the First Sekhukhune War against the Pedi people.^[1]

Through his royal connections and his friendship with Lieutenant-General Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford, Russell gained a place with the British forces assembling for the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War.^[17] Although Russell had no experience of leading cavalry in action, Chelmsford placed him in command the mounted elements of the Centre Column, the principal component of the British forces involved in the first invasion of Zululand. Chelmsford also arranged for Russell to be appointed to the local rank of lieutenant-colonel.^[22][17]

Part of Russell's command was a force of around 100 Imperial Mounted Infantry, consisting of men with riding experience seconded from the infantry regiments of the invasion force. This unit was led by Lieutenant Edward Browne of the 24th Regiment of Foot who was well-liked and his sub-ordination to Russell caused resentment among the mounted infantrymen.^[17] The majority of Russell's command was formed of volunteer units raised by Colony of Natal. These men had expected to be commanded by John Dartnell of the Natal Mounted Police, a former British Army major and Indian Mutiny veteran who had become a farmer in the colony. The colonial volunteers, who had no obligation to serve outside of Natal, had agreed join Chelmsford's forces on the condition that they approved of their commander. When Russell was appointed all of the officers of the Natal Mounted Police handed in their resignations in protest.^[23] The events were reported by newspapers in Pietermaritzburg and caused embarrassment for Chelmsford.^[22] Chelmsford's solution was to declare that Dartnell was invaluable to him as an advisor and to appoint him to a position on his staff, while Russell retained command of the units in the field.^[7][22] The Natal Mounted Police officers rescinded their resignations when Dartnell asked them to do so as a personal favour to him.^[23]

Russell commanded the Imperial Mounted Infantry in the first action of the war, the 12 January 1879 Action at Sihayo's Kraal, encircling and defeating a small Zulu force.^[7][24] Three days later, while engineers improved the road to ease the progress of the column inland Russell commanded a scouting part seeking the next camp site.^[25] He reported back that the plain at Isandlwana provided good sources of water and firewood and Chelmsford approved the location.^[26] On 18 January Russell and his entire command set off on a patrol northwards into the area between the Centre Column and Colonel Evelyn Wood's Left Column, as a show of strength. Russell led the vanguard in the columns 20 January advance to the camp at Isandlwana.^[27]

On 22 January Russell accompanied a portion of the column under the command of Chelmsford that embarked on a reconnaissance in force from Isandlwana to Mangeni Falls. Dartnell, despite his staff position, was given command of the mounted volunteers with the party, leaving Russell in charge of the Imperial Mounted Infantry only.^[28][29] Whilst the force was out of the camp the portion of the column left behind were attacked by the Zulu and wiped out in the Battle of Isandlwana.^[1]

Around the time of the battle, Russell's squadron discovered a Zulu force on Isipezi Hill, which lay between Chelmsford's force and the camp, and withdrew without engaging. Russell then received word from Commandant George Hamilton-Browne of the Natal Native Contingent that he could see the camp was under attack and reported this in person to Chelmsford.^[30][31] Chelmsford ordered Russell to ride to the camp and report on events; finding a force of around 7,000 Zulus in possession of the camp and the British defenders wiped out.^[32]

When Chelmsford's force retook the camp, unopposed, on the evening of 22 January Russell and the Imperial Mounted Infantry formed part of the right flank of the advance.^[33] The group spent an uneasy night on the battlefield, sleeping fitfully among the bodies of the dead, which included eleven of Russell's mounted infantrymen he had left in the camp.^[34] Early the next morning Chelmsford's force moved back into Natal to the British supply post at Rorke's Drift. Unsure if it had been lost to a Zulu attack Russell led the Imperial Mounted Infantry forwards to investigate. Finding the post in British hands he was with the first group to enter the position.^[35] Russell afterwards rode on to confirm that the supply base at Helpmekaar remained in British hands.^[36]

In the following weeks Russell was stationed at Helpmekaar with responsibility for co-ordinating mounted patrols of the frontier but lost interest in the work, his confidence and that of other officers shaken by the disaster at Isandlwana. His men had also lost all their kit and wagons at Isandlwana and their farriers were among the British dead. Russell's patrols were sporadic and ill-planned and one of Chelmsford's staff officers, Major Francis Clery, criticised Russell for allowing the Zulus to roam at will.^[37][7][34] Clery wrote to Alison to state "I fear, between ourselves, that Russell was a little unnerved by Isandlwana, for a few days after he went to the general recommending that the whole of the mounted infantry should be disbanded, as they appeared demoralised and wished to go to their regiments".^[34] On 7 February Chelmsford wrote to Wood that "Russell appears to have lost heart and has allowed his men to get out of hand I fear".^[34]

After Isandlwana, Chelmsford requested reinforcements before attempting a second invasion. During the pause in operations on 15 February 1879 Russell was sent, in command of the squadron of Imperial Mounted Infantry, to Wood's Left Column.^[1][34] Russell took almost a month to reach Wood's camp at Kambula and was criticised for his slow progress by Chelmsford and Wood, the latter noted that Russell was "in the dismals" and "his frame of mind cannot be good".^[34] With the Left Column Russell had command of the Edendale detachment of the Natal Native Horse, who had survived the Battle of Isandlwana, as well as his mounted infantry.^[34]

On 14 March, Wood sent his subordinate, Lieutenant-Colonel Redvers Buller, commanding a force of irregular horse, 50 miles (80 km) into Zululand to rescue around 1,000 dependents of a Zulu chief, uHamu, who had defected to the British. The following day Russell rode out with his mounted infantry and some mules to help transport the women and children into the British camp.^[38] Although all three men were considered members of the Wolseley Ring and had served on the Ashanti campaign, Wood was wary of Russell whose cautious approach to operations contrasted with that of Buller.^[7][39] On 27 March Chelmsfords military secretary, Henry Hope Crealock, wrote to Russell to inform him that his local rank was being rescinded and he was to revert to his brevet rank of major, though he did not receive the letter until 11 April.^[40]

In late March, Wood ordered Russell and Buller to attack Hlobane, a mountain stronghold of the AbaQulusi Zulu clan. At 4 am on 28 March Russell left camp with a party of 640 men, which included his mounted infantry and Natal Native Horse but also the irregular Kaffrarian Rifles and some African auxiliary infantry.^[41][42] Reaching the mountain around dawn, Wood's orders were for Russell to ascend the Ntendeka Mountain, to the west, and to pass onto Hlobane by Devil's Pass. Buller's men were to ascend the East of Hlobane.^[41] On reaching Devil's Pass, Russell considered it impassable for horses and sent Browne and a party of dismounted men to Buller to warn him of this, though Browne was unable to locate Buller.^[43][44] While Russell's men were seizing Zulu cattle on Ntendeka they spotted the main Zulu army approaching and Russell sent another message to Buller and Wood.^[41][45]

The Zulu secured the eastern flank of Hlobane, leaving Devil's Pass as Buller's only escape route.^[41] Russell meanwhile, after a request for support from Buller, had withdrawn to the base of Ntendeka where he considered he could support a withdrawal by Buller along the south side of Hlobane.^[41][42][45] Russell then received a message from Wood, who thought him still on the mountain, ordering him to move to "Zunguin Nek", from where he could cover Buller's retreat. Wood meant the saddle of land connecting Ntendeka to Zungwini Mountain but Russell (who was already very close to that location) misinterpreted the location as the nek connecting Zungwini to Kambula mountain, 4 miles (6.4 km) further to the west and of no use to Buller.^[41][46][45] Buller's men descended Devil's Pass, covered only by Browne's small party which had remained on the Ntendeka . Buller's men were harried closely during their retreat and suffered heavy casualties before reaching Russell's force and returning to Kambula.^[41] Russell's quick withdrawal had also left behind his auxiliary infantry, 80 of whom were killed.^[46]

On the following day, 29 March, the Zulu attacked the British camp in the Battle of Kambula. With the Zulu army assembled before the British post, Russell's mounted contingent were ordered to provoke the Zulus into attacking the camp. They rode to within 100 yards (91 m) of the Zulu and opened fire. When the Zulu charged some of Russell's men struggled to remount and he rode to the aid of a trooper of the Frontier Light Horse. Russell was dismounted in the confusion and had to be rescued by Lieutenant Browne; men of the Natal Native Horse saved the Frontier Light Horseman.^[1][47] Browne received the Victoria Cross for this act and Russell was commended by Wood to Chelmsford, though it is likely that later communications from Wood and Buller persuaded him that no medal was warranted.^[48][49] After the Zulu had been defeated in a fruitless assault on the camp, Russell's command participated in the pursuit of the retreating force. Buller, in the thick of the pursuit, rode back to assume command of Russell's men after he refused to advance, fearful of exposing his flanks.^[40]

In his formal report on the battle of Hlobane, Wood criticised Russell's actions and came close to accusing him of cowardice.^[46] Buller and Browne were furious with Russell. On the day of the Battle of Kambula Russell had apologised to Buller, saying: "you are quite right. My metier is not South African fighting". Buller told Russell he would never serve on a joint operation with him again.^[50] A week after the battle Wood wrote to Crealock to note his lack of faith in Russell as a reconnaissance officer for failing to report on two companies of British infantry who had been threatened with attack by a large Zulu force.^[51] On 10 April Browne handed a letter to Wood denouncing Russell for cowardice at Hlobane and stating that he and his men would never serve under him again.^[52] Wood forwarded the letter to Chelmsford and recommended that Russell be removed from operations and assigned to the remount depot in the rear at Pietermaritzburg; the general concurred and issued the order.^[1][50] The mounted infantry, under Browne, served under Buller's command for the rest of the war.^[53]

Russell was mentioned in despatches four times during the war and, despite the controversy, was rewarded, on 29 November 1879, with appointment to the brevet rank of lieutenant-colonel.^[54][55]

Russell returned to the 12th Lancers in his substantive rank of captain on 8 May 1880.^[56] He was promoted to major on 5 June 1880 and in 1881 was appointed to command the regiment, which was then on service in India.^{[1][7][57][58]} Russell was promoted to colonel on 7 February 1884 and ceased to command the regiment in 1885, being placed on half pay.^[19][58][59] He was appointed to command the cavalry depot at Canterbury, Kent in 1887 and held the post for five years.^[58] He was promoted to major-general on 26 March 1895 and retired from the army in July 1898.^[1][2][19] Upon Prince Edward's accession to the throne as Edward VII, Russell was, on 22 February 1901, appointed as an Extra Equerry to the king.^[60] He was appointed to the honorary position of Colonel of the Regiment of the 12th Lancers on 2 April 1902.^[61] A contemporary article in the Evening Despatch considered this removed the stain on Russell's reputation arising from Hlobane and that Field Marshal Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, who was Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, had supported the appointment.^[62] Russell was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on 9 November 1902; appointments to the order are the personal gift of the British monarch.^[63]

Russell married Hester Frances, daughter of Reverend Charles Thornhill, at Castlebellingham in Ireland on 11 March 1869.^[64] The couple had seven daughters born between 1869 and 1883, including the artist Joan Russell.^[65][4] Russell's fourth daughter, Hester Frances, married Hugh Burdett Money-Coutts, the banker and future Baron Latymer, on 11 June 1900.^[66] After his period commanding the Canterbury depot Russell lived for a while on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, and at Bramford Hall, Suffolk, where he was visited by Arthur Conan Doyle.^[65] By 1905 Russell had returned to Canterbury where he resided at Barton Court; he died there on 30 March 1909.^[2][5]

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